U.S. #5627
2021 55¢ Backyard Games – Horseshoes
Issue Date: August 12, 2021
First Day City: Rosemont, IL
Type of Stamp: Definitive
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Pane of 16
Self-Adhesive
Quantity Printed: 25,600,000
Horseshoes is a lawn game that has been around for over 100 years. It is usually played by two people, but can also be played by teams. The equipment includes four horseshoes and two stakes set up 40 feet apart.
A game of horseshoes begins by deciding which side throws first. This is generally done by having a player from each side throw a single horseshoe. Whichever player's horseshoe lands closer to the stake wins, and their side goes first. The match then begins with the winning side throwing both of their horseshoes. The opposite side then throws both of theirs. The two most popular scoring methods are cancellation and count-all. With cancellation, each side's total score is added up for the round and then the lower score is subtracted from the higher score. The team with the higher score is awarded the point difference. In count-all, every point is tallied. Whichever system is used, the round ends when one side reaches 15 points. A full game is usually played to 40 points.
By the 1940s, horseshoes had become such a widespread game that President Harry Truman had a horseshoe pit built at the White House. President George H.W. Bush restored the pitin 1989, and shared the game with staff, family, and even visiting foreign dignitaries. Horseshoes really is a game for everyone.