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Richard Allen

Black Heritage

Stamp Info

Name Value
Date of Issue February 2, 2016
Year 2016
Quantity 30,000,000
Denomination
First-Class Mail Forever
Denomination Value $0.49
Perforation or Dimension 0.98 x 1.56 in./24.89 x 39.62 mm
Series Black Heritage
Series Time Span 1997 - 2018
Issue Location Philadelphia, PA 19147
Postal Administration United States

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Layouts

Pane of 20 (1 Design)

Quantity Produced - 1,500,000
Original Purchase Price: $9.80
SKU: 473504
Dimension: 6.00 x 8.50 in./152.40 x 215.90 mm
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Printing Process: Offset, Microprint
Gum Type: Pressure-sensitive
Paper: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag applied
Layout Number: “P” followed by five(5) single digits
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Press Sheet With Die-cut

Quantity Produced - 200
Original Purchase Price: $58.80
SKU: 473506
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Press Sheet Without Die-cut

Quantity Produced - 250
Original Purchase Price: $58.80
SKU: 473508
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First-day Cover

Quantity Produced - Unknown
Original Purchase Price: $0.93
SKU: 473516
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Digital Color Postmark

Quantity Produced - Unknown
Original Purchase Price: $1.64
SKU: 473521
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Ceremony Program

Quantity Produced - Unknown
Original Purchase Price: $6.95
SKU: 473530
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Digital Color Postmark Keepsake

Quantity Produced - Unknown
Original Purchase Price: $11.95
SKU: 473510
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About Stamp

On February 2, 2016, in Philadelphia, PA, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Richard Allen First-Class Mail® stamp (Forever® priced at 49 cents), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps. The stamp will go on sale nationwide February 2, 2016.

The 39th stamp in the Black Heritage series commemorates preacher, activist, and civic leader Richard Allen (1760-1831), an inspiring figure whose life and work resonate profoundly in American history. This stamp coincides with the 200th anniversary of Allen's founding of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, one of the most important institutions in African-American life, and his election and consecration as its first bishop.

The stamp art is a portrait of Allen, a detail from an 1876 print titled "Bishops of the A.M.E. Church." Featuring Allen in the center surrounded by ten other bishops and six historical vignettes, the print is from the collection of the Library Company of Philadelphia.

After purchasing his own freedom from slavery and making a name for himself as a traveling minister throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Allen was asked to preach to his fellow African Americans at a Methodist church in Philadelphia. He quickly rose to prominence as a civic leader, co-founding an organization to help African-American neighbors in need, rallying black Philadelphians to serve as aid workers during a yellow fever epidemic, and preparing the black community to defend the city during the War of 1812.

Eager to establish an independent African-American church, Allen purchased an old blacksmith's shop and moved it to land he owned at Sixth and Lombard Streets. Bethel Church was dedicated in 1794 and soon attracted several hundred members, but Allen spent years in conflict with white church leaders who sought to assert their control. After a campaign that included sit-ins by African-Americans and a judgment by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the congregation secured its independence. In 1816, Allen summoned other black Methodist leaders to Philadelphia, where together they founded the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, electing and consecrating Allen as its first bishop.

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp.

Colors

PMS 556C Green, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black

Creators

Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA.
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA.
Typographer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA.
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran.

Similar Stamps

Reference

USPS Postal Bulletin 22433. Copyright: USPS.

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