2002 34c Greetings From America: West Virginia

U.S. #3608
West Virginia
34¢ Greetings From America

Issue Date: April 4, 2002
City: New York, NY
Quantity: 200,000,000
Printed by: American Packaging Corp for Sennett Security Products
Printing Method: Photogravure
Perforations: Serpentine Die Cut 10.75
Quantity: 200,000,000 

The April 4, 2002 release of the Greetings From America sheet marked the first time a U.S. postage stamp was issued on the same day in every state. 

The Greetings from America stamps are reminiscent of the large-letter greetings postcards that vacationing tourists of the 1930s and 1940s sent back home. In addition to the state name, each stamp contains images identified with that state. 

When the Civil War broke out, the western counties of Virginia chose to remain loyal to the Union. They became the state of West Virginia in 1863.

The state bird, flower, tree, capital, and date of statehood appear on the back of the liner release paper. 

This is the fifth U.S. pane of 50 different stamps. The first to be issued was the State Flags pane in 1976, in honor of the nation's bicentennial.