August 2018 - Sneak Peek

“representing a new constellation.” With the addition of Vermont
in 1791 and Kentucky in 1792, the 1794 Flag Act specified
that the flag should have 15 stripes and 15 stars.
The expansion of the Union to 20 states by 1817 required
a rethinking of the flag’s configuration. Rather than increasing
the number of stripes every time a new state joined the
union, the Flag Act reduced their number to 13, signifying
the original 13 colonies, and increased the number of stars
to reflect the current number of states in the Union. The act
specified that a new star would be added on the Fourth of July
following the admission of a new state.
The United States flag has had 50 stars since July 4, 1960,
when a new star was added after Hawaii became the 50th
state.
“The U.S. Postal Service has a long history of displaying
the American flag on our stamps,” said Patrick Mendonca,
senior director, Office of the Postmaster General and CEO,
who dedicated the stamp at the city’s Houdini Plaza. “Today,
we celebrate the Flag Act of 1818, which established the
framework of our country’s flag, and in the process gave birth
to what has become a globally recognized symbol of independence,
hope and pride.”
Joining Mendonca to unveil the stamp were Tim Hanna,
Appleton mayor; Greg Otis, chairman, Appleton Parade
Committee; Corey Otis, Appleton Parade Committee member;
and Erin Davisson and Tom Zalaski, news anchors,
WFRV-TV 5 (CBS).
More than 100 units – including floats, marching bands
and military, service, fraternal, youth and commercial groups
– participated in the parade to pay a patriotic tribute to the
flag. Other unique elements included circus wagons and a
living Iwo Jima monument. About 70,000 people attended
the annual event.
fruit ice dessert treats on a stick, were issued June 20, the day
before the Summer Solstice, and dedicated in a ceremony at
the Thinkery Children’s Museum in Austin, Texas. The firstclass
forever stamps are being sold in booklets of 20.
When scratched, a coating on the stamps emits a sweet,
sugary aroma, which will add “the sweet scent of summer to
letters of love, friendship, party invitations and other mailings”
the USPS said in a news release.
The artwork is by illustrator Margaret Berg, of Santa
Monica, California, who depicted the whimsical illustrations
in watercolors for her first stamp design. The words “Forever”
and “USA” appear along the bottom of each stamp. Art director
Antonio Alcalá of Alexandria, Virginia, designed the
stamps with Leslie Badani of Alexandria, Virginia.
The designs don’t necessarily show those favorites so familiar
to baby boomers who consumed millions of them in
the 1950s and ’60s. Today ice pops and treats are still made
by large manufacturers, but home cooks and artisanal shops,
now craft new flavors as well as old favorites. In recent years,
frozen treats containing fresh fruit such as kiwi, watermelon,
blueberries, oranges and strawberries have become more
common. In addition, flavors such as chocolate, root beer
and cola are also popular. Some frozen treats even have two
sticks, making them perfect for sharing.
The scratch-and-sniff technology is the latest twist in design
and technology rolled out by the U.S. Postal Service over
the past few years.
In February, the USPS issued a set of 10 Bioluminescent
Life stamps in panes of 20. The stamps used a reflective ink that
caused the images on the stamps to shine and glow. In June
(also noted in this column), the USPS issued three high value
stamps featuring the Statue of Freedom atop the Capitol Building.
Those stamps have added security features via printing.
Frozen Treats
The U.S. Postal Service issued its first scratch-and-sniff
postage stamps on the eve of summer with a booklet of Frozen
Treats stamps.
The stamps, with each showing two fanciful ice cream or
In 2017, the USPS issued eight Have a Ball stamps and a
single Total Solar Eclipse stamp, each with innovations. The
Have a Ball stamps were the first U.S.-issued touch-and-feel
stamps in which the stamps had the feel of the sports ball
shown. Six days later, on June 20, the Postal Service issued the
AUGUST 2018 / AMERICAN PHILATELIST 807