Postal Service to Issue Commemorative Stamp for 150th Anniversary of Emancipation Proclamation

The USPS should be  releasing  the designs for the 2013 Civil War commemorative stamps in December or January, but in the meantime, the postal service has released the design for another Civil War related stamp. January 1st, 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, which began the process of freeing the slaves (the process was not complete until the 13th Amendment to the Constitution went into effect in December 1865 outlawing slavery in the U.S.). The proclamation also changed the purpose of the war on the Union side from preservation of the Union, to both preservation of the Union and emancipation of the slaves.  It also allowed for the acceptance of African Americans into the U.S. Army and Navy, and they responded in great numbers. By the end of the war, approximately 180,000 had served or were serving in the Federal military.

The stamp was designed by graphic artist Gail Anderson, and resembles a 19th century broadside poster. It is the first in a series of civil rights commemorative stamps to be issued in 2013 by the postal service. A specific release date has not been announced, but since the anniversary of the event is January 1st, I’d expect it to be released near that date if the USPS stays true to form.