# 5896i - 2024 First-Class Forever Stamp - Shaker Designs: Heater Stove, Hancock Shaker Village
US #5896i
2024 Heater Stove, Hancock Shaker Village – Shaker Designs
• One of 12 stamps issued for the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the first Shakers in the United States
• Honors the Shaker communities and their unique design principles which later impacted designs of outside communities
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Shaker Designs
Value: 68¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: June 20, 2024
First Day City: Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Quantity Issued: 18,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Panes of 12
Tagging: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tagged
Why the stamp was issued: To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the first Shakers in the United States.
About the stamp design: Pictures a photograph by Michael Freeman of a Shaker heater stove at Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, at the site of the Hancock Shaker Village open-air museum.
About the Shaker Designs set: Includes 12 stamp designs picturing photographs of Shaker designs by Michael Freeman. The set was issued in honor of the Shaker communities and their unique design principles which later impacted designs of outside communities in the United States.
History the stamp represents: In 1846, the Shaker community in New Lebanon, New York, decided to build a new blacksmith shop. It was made of stone and had a waterwheel to operate a lathe, drilling works, grindstone, bellows for the forge, and trip hammer. The final structure was 34 by 44 feet and is still standing today, a testament to the Shakers’ construction prowess.
One of the most exciting additions to the blacksmith shop was the trip hammer. This massive machine was designed to be lifted by a man (with assistance from a power source) and dropped down with tremendous force. These tools were essential in forging iron, but have also been used to hull and grind grain, pound materials for papermaking, or even beat logs to prepare for basket weaving. For blacksmiths, trip hammers allow them to more easily create flat sheets of metal from iron bars. They also make it easier to shape a square iron rode into a shovel, wagon axel, and more.
The Shakers were thrilled with their new trip hammer. It expedited their basketmaking by pounding black ash logs to break them down into individual growth rings. These rings were then easily peeled into long strips to begin weaving into baskets. Because their process sped up exponentially, the Shakers were able to produce enough baskets to sell and support their community for many years to come.
US #5896i
2024 Heater Stove, Hancock Shaker Village – Shaker Designs
• One of 12 stamps issued for the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the first Shakers in the United States
• Honors the Shaker communities and their unique design principles which later impacted designs of outside communities
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Shaker Designs
Value: 68¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: June 20, 2024
First Day City: Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Quantity Issued: 18,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Panes of 12
Tagging: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tagged
Why the stamp was issued: To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the first Shakers in the United States.
About the stamp design: Pictures a photograph by Michael Freeman of a Shaker heater stove at Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, at the site of the Hancock Shaker Village open-air museum.
About the Shaker Designs set: Includes 12 stamp designs picturing photographs of Shaker designs by Michael Freeman. The set was issued in honor of the Shaker communities and their unique design principles which later impacted designs of outside communities in the United States.
History the stamp represents: In 1846, the Shaker community in New Lebanon, New York, decided to build a new blacksmith shop. It was made of stone and had a waterwheel to operate a lathe, drilling works, grindstone, bellows for the forge, and trip hammer. The final structure was 34 by 44 feet and is still standing today, a testament to the Shakers’ construction prowess.
One of the most exciting additions to the blacksmith shop was the trip hammer. This massive machine was designed to be lifted by a man (with assistance from a power source) and dropped down with tremendous force. These tools were essential in forging iron, but have also been used to hull and grind grain, pound materials for papermaking, or even beat logs to prepare for basket weaving. For blacksmiths, trip hammers allow them to more easily create flat sheets of metal from iron bars. They also make it easier to shape a square iron rode into a shovel, wagon axel, and more.
The Shakers were thrilled with their new trip hammer. It expedited their basketmaking by pounding black ash logs to break them down into individual growth rings. These rings were then easily peeled into long strips to begin weaving into baskets. Because their process sped up exponentially, the Shakers were able to produce enough baskets to sell and support their community for many years to come.