| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Date of Issue | February 28, 2012 |
| Year | 2012 |
| Quantity | 15,000,000 |
| Denomination |
$5.15 Definitive
|
| Denomination Value | $5.15 |
| Perforation or Dimension | 1.56 x 1.23 in./39.62 x 31.24 mm |
| Issue Location | St. Petersburg, FL 33730 (Field Event) |
| Postal Administration | United States |
On February 28, 2012, in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Postal Service™ will issue a $5.15 Sunshine Skyway Bridge (Priority Mail®) stamp in one design in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps. The stamp will go on sale nationwide February 28, 2012.
The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida with this Priority Mailstamp. In the stamp artwork, the bridge rises from the vivid blue water of Tampa Bay and is silhouetted against an orange sky. Tiny vehicles on the roadbed reveal the massive scale of this engineering marvel.
The bridge was one of the first major concrete-and-steel, cable-stayed bridges in the United States. Completed in 1987, the main bridge and approach spans stretch more than four miles across Tampa Bay and link the Gulf Coast communities surrounding St. Petersburg and Bradenton.
To many people the 42 brilliant yellow cables look like sails and their two supporting pylons like masts rising from the water. Engineers designed the cable-stayed section of the new bridge to soar 190 feet above the water to allow unhindered navigation to and from the busy port of Tampa.
Setting new standards for technical innovation and esthetics, the structural design is considered by many to be a modern masterpiece. Renamed in 2005 after the former governor who envisioned its construction, the Bob Graham/Sunshine Skyway Bridge has been the recipient of dozens of engineering and design awards.
Designed by Carl T. Hermann, the stamp showcases a digital illustration created by artist Dan Cosgrove.