200 Years Ago, A Giant Was Born

Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky on February 12, 1809. To help celebrate, the US Postal Service will release a special set of 42-cent stamps on Monday, February 9 that show the former president at phases of Lincoln's life. You can read about it at the State Journal-Register (Springfield IL), and also see the information below. Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln. The USPS issued the following press release in October, 2008: Springfield Postmaster Doug Maxwell announced that Springfield, IL, has been selected as the First-Day-of-Issue city when the stamps are issued on Feb. 9, 2009. Jan Grimes, director of the Illinois State Historic Preservation Agency; Ray LaHood, congressman and co-chair of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission; Harold Holzer, Lincoln scholar and co-chair of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission; Marilyn Kushak, chair of the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission; Springfield Mayor Tim Dalvin; and select students from the DuBois and Isles schools assisted Postmaster Maxwell with the unveiling of the stamps. The stamps will commemorate four stages of Lincoln’s life and legend:rail-splitter, lawyer, politician and president. The stamp art was created by Mark Summers, who is noted for his scratchboard technique, a style distinguished by a dense network of lines etched with exquisite precision. Summers has created portraits for several U.S postage stamps including:James A. Michener, Wilma Rudolph, Albert Sabin, Jonas Salk, Margaret Chase Smith and Harriet Beecher Stowe. “The onetime village postmaster likely would be astonished that he has inspired, no doubt, more postal tributes around the world than any other American,” said Holzer. “But never has it been more fitting and proper to re-enshrine Abraham Lincoln as the face of our remarkable, enduring postal system than on the occasion of his 200th birthday.” Abraham Lincoln became postmaster of New Salem, IL, on May 7, 1833. CNB RSS Feed