Description:
During the nation’s 250th anniversary, the U.S. Postal Service continues its tradition of honoring the flag of the United States.
This stamp’s photograph shows a knit American flag, a detail from a sweater introduced by Polo Ralph Lauren in 1989. Beneath the flag are America’s anniversary dates, 1776 and 2026, in red, with a golden, five-pointed star centered between them. “USA FOREVER” is centered at the bottom in blue. A larger stamp with the knit flag design also appears this year on the American Icons stamp pane.
“The flag sweater has been iconic for decades,” says Greg Breeding, a USPS art director, “but only as I worked on this stamp did I realize the extent of Ralph Lauren’s connection to the flag.” The Star-Spangled Banner’s conservation, from 1998 to 2006, “was intricate, expensive work,” Breeding says, “and Ralph Lauren contributed generously to make it happen.”
The knit flag on the stamp represents an earlier version of the flag than the anthem-inspiring banner. Consistent with specifications laid out in the flag resolution of 1777, it has 13 alternating red and white stripes—to represent the original colonies—and 13 stars, “white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Although the first flag resolution did not specify a particular star pattern, five staggered rows alternating three and two stars each was a popular arrangement during the nation’s infancy.
The knit flag on this stamp also appears this year on the American Icons commemorative pane of stamps as the pane’s centerpiece.