US #5348
2019 Bethesda Fountain – American Landmarks Series
• Continues the US Postal Service series showcasing the beauty of American landmarks
Stamp Category: Definitive
Series: American Landmarks
Value: $25.50 Express Mail Rate
First Day of Issue: January 27, 2024
First Day City: Kansas City, Missouri
Quantity Issue... more
US #5348
2019 Bethesda Fountain – American Landmarks Series
• Continues the US Postal Service series showcasing the beauty of American landmarks
Stamp Category: Definitive
Series: American Landmarks
Value: $25.50 Express Mail Rate
First Day of Issue: January 27, 2024
First Day City: Kansas City, Missouri
Quantity Issued: 1,260,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset, Microprint
Format: Panes of 4
Tagging: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Why the stamp was issued: To cover the Express Mail service rate and continue the popular American Landmarks series.
About the stamp design: Pictures digital illustration of Bethesda Fountain in New York City’s Central Park. Original artwork by Dan Cosgrove.
First Day City: First Day of Issue postmark from Kansas City, Missouri, headquarters of Stamp Cancellation Services.
About the American Landmarks series: The American Landmarks Series of Priority and Express Mail stamps began with the issue of the $4.80 Mount Rushmore (US #4268) and $16.50 Hoover Dam (US #4269) stamps in 2008. Since then, two new stamps have been released nearly every year (with a few exceptions). All picture vibrant images of some of the most iconic places in America created by digital artist Dan Cosgrove. Altogether, they resemble a virtual tour of America.
History the stamp represents: At the heart of New York City’s Central Park, the Bethesda Fountain is one of the most famous fountains in the world. Designed as a symbol of love, it’s a popular gathering place in the city.
The Bethesda Fountain is the centerpiece of the grand Bethesda Terrace, a two-level Italian-style outdoor space. Standing 26 feet tall, the fountain is one of the largest in New York City and was the only sculpture commissioned as part of the park’s original design. Its iconic statue was designed in 1868 by Emma Stebbins, the first woman to receive a commission for a major work of art in the city.
Stebbins’ statue is known as Angel of the Waters. It is an eight-foot tall bronze angel holding a lily in one hand and blessing the water with the other. Below the angel, four small cherubs represent health, purity, peace, and temperance. The statue’s symbolism is a reference to a gospel story of an angel blessing the Pool of Bethesda with healing abilities. The statue relates that tale to the opening of the Croton Aqueduct in 1842, which provided the city with clean water for the first time.
The Bethesda Fountain is one of New York City’s most recognizable spots. As the “social and spiritual center of Central Park,” it’s a place where people come together to escape busy city life, relax, and enjoy nature’s beauty, human creativity, and ingenuity.
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