US #5685
2022 White Western Barn in Winter – Flags on Barns
- Covers Presorted Standard Mail Rate
- Patriotic, all-American design
Stamp Category: Definitive
Set: Flags on Barns
Value: 10¢ Presorted Standard Mail Rate (Nondenominated)
First Day of Issue: April 14, 2022
First Day City: Halifax... more
US #5685
2022 White Western Barn in Winter – Flags on Barns
- Covers Presorted Standard Mail Rate
- Patriotic, all-American design
Stamp Category: Definitive
Set: Flags on Barns
Value: 10¢ Presorted Standard Mail Rate (Nondenominated)
First Day of Issue: April 14, 2022
First Day City: Halifax, Pennsylvania
Quantity Issued: 30,000,000 OR 1,000,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Coil of 3,000 OR Coil of 10,000
Tagging: Nonphosphored type III
Why the stamp was issued: To cover the Presorted Standard Mail Rate used by bulk mailers.
About the stamp design: Pictures a pencil and watercolor illustration of a white western barn in winter. Original artwork by illustrator Stephanie Bower.
First Day City: There was no First Day of Issue Ceremony, but the First Day of Issue postmark was from Halifax, Pennsylvania, just one town in America that’s home to a barn with a flag painted on the side of it.
About the Flags on Barns set: Includes four stamp designs picturing pencil and watercolor illustrations of barns with large American flags painted on the side of them. The backgrounds represent different seasons. Original artwork by illustrator Stephanie Bower. They’re patriotic designs that represent the spirit of America.
History the stamp represents: Marie Roth was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and has continued to live right outside of Chicago (in Long Grove) for over 20 years. Her start to reclaiming barn wood began after taking a folk-art class. She went to a garage sale and noticed that a piece of scrap wood reminded her of a flag. It began her career as an artist – although she thinks of herself more as a “crafts person.”
Over 40 years later, Roth has continued to make flags out of reclaimed barn wood. After salvaging the wood, she brings it home and gives it a gentle cleaning, then, she says, “I wait for the flag to reveal itself.”
She sends two pieces of history along with the artwork. The history of the barn from the wood she used – who the barn belonged to and what the barn was used for. Roth explains, “I love old wood. I love meeting the owners and family members of barn wood and I love telling their stories.” The second piece of history sent is the history of the flag she painted. Roth paints a variety of the 27 American flags.
American barns are rapidly disappearing, but with these painted flags, people can claim a piece of that history.
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