US #5430
2020 Grand Island Ice Caves – American Landmarks Series
• Pictures the ice caves found on the banks of Lake Superior during the winter
• Continues the popular American Landmarks Series
Stamp Category: Definitive
Series: American Landmarks
Value: $26.... more
US #5430
2020 Grand Island Ice Caves – American Landmarks Series
• Pictures the ice caves found on the banks of Lake Superior during the winter
• Continues the popular American Landmarks Series
Stamp Category: Definitive
Series: American Landmarks
Value: $26.35 Express Mail Rate
First Day of Issue: January 18, 2020
First Day City: Munising, Michigan
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 celebrate the natural beauty of Grand Island Ice Caves on Lake Superior.
About the stamp design: Pictures a digital illustration of an ice cave looking out onto Lake Superior at sunset. Original artwork by Dan Cosgrove.
First Day City: There was no national First Day of Issue Ceremony for the stamp. The First Day of Issue Cancellation was from Munising, Michigan, a town near Grand Island on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
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: Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is home to some of the most beautiful sights in the state. Rugged sandstone cliffs along the shoreline of Lake Superior are shaped by groundwater filtering through cracks in the rock. During winter, this water freezes and creates breathtaking displays called ice caves.
There are many areas Lake Superior where ice caves can be found, but some of the most impressive are on Grand Island. To get to these, visitors first have to go to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Then, they have to take a cold and windy mile-long hike across the frozen Lake Superior to get to Grand Island. Since lake ice is unpredictable, visitors must carefully check conditions before attempting the crossing. Sometimes, getting to Grand Island is completely impossible.
When the ice is thick enough to reach Grand Island, the frigid hike to get there is worth it. The ice formations there can be up to 80 feet tall in some places. To get inside a cave, visitors have to have a certain amount of luck. Because of the nature of the freeze-thaw cycle, formations may change from week to week. You have to be there at just the right time to be able to get inside one of the caves, or there may be no entry points into the ice. If you are, you will be treated to stunning blue and white ice walls that you will not find anywhere else.
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