Object Details
Description
A nineteenth century harbor scene appeared on the design of a commemorative stamp to salute the state of Connecticut, which celebrated its 200th anniversary in 1988. The first day of issue is January 9, 1988, in Hartford, the state capital.
Connecticut ratified the US Constitution on January 9, 1788, becoming the fifth state to enter the Union. Months earlier, its delegation had taken a vital role in resolving the single most divisive issue at the constitutional convention in Philadelphia -- the ratio of legislative representation between smaller and larger states.
The resulting agreement, now known as the "Connecticut Compromise," granted each state an equal vote in the Senate, with representation in the House based on population. It was a simple solution that ensured ultimate passage of the Constitution. It endures today as a testament to the canny pragmatism of the Connecticut Yankee.
Connecticut also has been a leader in business and trade. In its early years, shipbuilding was particularly important. In homage to its rich maritime heritage, the Connecticut stamp design pictures the "Charles W. Morgan," a full-masted whaling ship that survives today in Mystic Seaport at the Museum of America and the Sea.
Designed by Christopher Calle, the stamps were printed in the offset/intaglio process by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and issued in panes of fifty.
Reference:
Postal Bulletin (December 17, 1987).
Mystic Seaport. http://www.mysticseaport.org/.
mint
Credit line
Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
Date
January 9, 1988
Object number
1993.2070.110
Type
Postage Stamps
Medium
paper; ink (multicolored); adhesive / lithography, engraving
Place
Connecticut
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Topic
Ships & Waterways
U.S. Stamps
Link to Original Record
Record ID
npm_1993.2070.110