A series of postage stamps

 
Edward Wenzl
 
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Edward Wenzl
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29 July 2006 21:55
 

How about suggesting to the USPS the Presidential Arm’s series be used as a series of postage stamps?

 
Daniel C. Boyer
 
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Daniel C. Boyer
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17 March 2007 16:17
 

I think this is an excellent idea.

 
WBHenry
 
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WBHenry
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17 March 2007 18:38
 

That would be an eye-opener!  Is it only the 12 listed on the series page that had arms, or are those the only ones who have been investigated thus far?

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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17 March 2007 21:15
 

Those were the ones that I knew had arms (or had arms attributed to them) when I started the series, but I now know of others that I just haven’t gotten to.  Here are the ones I now plan to cover:

Washington (done)

J. Adams (done)

Jefferson (briefly used arms on a seal; same arms appear on an urn at Monticello although it is not known that TJ had them engraved; they were also attributed to him in various subsequent displays)

Monroe (claimed to be entitled as a cadet of the Scottish house of Munro of Foulis—not sure I’ll do this one without evidence that he or a close relative used them)

J. Q. Adams (done)

W. H. Harrison (two different coats used by his family; a third is displayed at his home in Indiana)

Polk

Pierce

Hayes

Garfield

Cleveland

B. Harrison (grandson of W. H. Harrison; same situation regarding arms)

T. Roosevelt (done)

Wilson (arms displayed at his house in DC; probably usurped (bucket shop), but he used them; article will use as cautionary tale)

Coolidge (not clear that he used them, but his ancestors did)

F. D. Roosevelt (done)

Eisenhower (done)

Kennedy (done)

Johnson (arms "granted" by American College of Arms and Heraldry, or whatever they called themselves)

Nixon (arms "granted" by ACofA&H, if they can be found)

Reagan (done, but awaiting comment from Chief Herald of Ireland on some material)

Clinton (done)

 
WBHenry
 
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WBHenry
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17 March 2007 21:21
 

I was just curious what the "total" might be.  Seems when the USPS issues commemoratives, they are done in lots of 4, 10, or 20 (stamp booklets and/or sheets).  Not a big deal, just thought if we approached them about this and it could be shown that it could be accomplished easily (i.e., in the format that they generally use), they might be more prone to seriously consider it.  I wonder how many years ahead they plan out their commemorative series?  (Makes me wish I had kept up with my childhood stamp collecting…)

 
MohamedHossam
 
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MohamedHossam
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17 March 2007 22:13
 

Here is a rather wierd thing I read now while searching for the coat of arms used by Thomas Jefferson:
Quote:

LIKE many another American, Thomas Jefferson was fond of saying that a family coat of arms may be purchased as cheaply as any other coat, and there is a touch of New World insouciance in his remark that his mother’s Randolph family traced its pedigree far back in England and Scotland, ‘to which let everyone ascribe the faith and merit he chooses


What did the coat of arms used by Thomas Jefferson look like? Any blazons?

 

Regards,

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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17 March 2007 23:07
 

That quote is widely repeated, but usually out of context.  The full quotation is from a 20 February 1771 letter to Thomas Adams, who I believe was a cousin but possibly just a friend who was traveling to London:


Quote:

One farther favor and I am done; to search the Herald’s office for the arms of my family.  I have what I have been told were the family arms, but on what authority I know not.  It is possible there may be none.  If so, I would with your assistance become a purchaser, having Sterne’s word for it that a coat of arms may be purchased as cheap as any other

coat.


("Sterne" is Laurence Sterne, the contemporary novelist; the line apparently comes from one of his novels, but I don’t know which one.)  So Jefferson wasn’t speaking sarcastically about arms, as this quote is usually presented, but was actually contemplating an application for arms of his own.  Dumas Malone’s biography of Jefferson says that the College of Arms was unable to find any record of an enquiry from Adams, but that Jefferson used an armorial seal on at least one occasion (I think in the 1780s, but will have to check my notes when I write the Jefferson article), bearing the same arms that were shown on two 19th century biographies of Jefferson.  These are the same arms I mentioned above.  I don’t recall the tinctures, but they consist of a fret, with a chief bearing three leopards’ faces; the crest is a talbot’s head.  These or very similar arms are used by several English families named Jeaffreson (or variants thereof).  They appear in Burke’s and I found a picture somewhere of a tombstone of that name somewhere in the north of England.  Again, I’ll have to find and check my notes.

 
Guy Power
 
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Guy Power
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20 November 2007 23:34
 

Apparently Benjamin Harrison already has a stamp with his Coat of Arms.  But doggone if I can find it on a Google search!  Here’s what prompted me:


Quote:

US stamp issues with Benjamin Harrison:

1902: 13 Cents

1922/34: 13 Cents

1938: 24 Cents

1986: 22 Cents in block, AMERIPEX 86 international stamp show

2003: 27 Cents, coat of arms of president Benjamin Harrison

 

From http://sammler.com/stamps/president_stamps.htm


Can anyone verify the 2003 stamp; or, is the author of the webpage mistaken?

 

—Guy

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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21 November 2007 00:12
 

Sheesh, the things people think about heraldry!

From usgovinfo.com:


Quote:

Inaugural Keepsake Set: Old Glory Prestige Booklet

Issued in 2003 and containing two pages of 10 stamps each (five designs), the Old Glory prestige booklet vividly illustrates examples of America’s colorful patriotic heritage through nearly 100 photographs taken from collections at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, and other well-known collections. In addition to the photographs, a comprehensive narrative (follows release) describes the countless ways images of the flag were used as backdrops to promote everything from patriotism to political advertising to piggy banks.

The five stamp designs are:

a 19th-century hand-painted carving of a woman proudly holding aloft a sword and flag;

an 1888 presidential campaign badge with a photograph of Benjamin Harrison;

the top portion of a silk bookmark that was woven at the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893;

an example of 20th-century folk art featuring Uncle Sam riding a high wheel bicycle; and

a modern folding fan with a flag design.


http://www.chicagostamps.com/rrtroot/misc.images/03_oldglory37_dbig.jpg

 

Bottom left stamp—it’s a picture of Harrison with the coat of arms and flag of the United States!

 
Guy Power
 
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Guy Power
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21 November 2007 00:46
 

Joseph McMillan;51460 wrote:

Sheesh, the things people think about heraldry!


Lord protect us!!  :D


Quote:

...Bottom left stamp—it’s a picture of Harrison with the coat of arms and flag of the United States!


Thanks Joe!  I’ve been wasting my time again, apparently, searching for some wild goose.

 

Many thanks for the clarification, Joe!!

 

—Guy

 
Patrick Williams
 
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Patrick Williams
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21 November 2007 07:36
 

WBHenry;42437 wrote:

I was just curious what the "total" might be.  Seems when the USPS issues commemoratives, they are done in lots of 4, 10, or 20 (stamp booklets and/or sheets).  Not a big deal, just thought if we approached them about this and it could be shown that it could be accomplished easily (i.e., in the format that they generally use), they might be more prone to seriously consider it.  I wonder how many years ahead they plan out their commemorative series?  (Makes me wish I had kept up with my childhood stamp collecting…)


Here from http://www.patriotchallenge.com/PCflagSTP.html


Quote:

How is stamp art created?

The process of selecting subjects and designing stamp art is a complex process. It involves numerous professionals from inside and outside the United States Postal Service. This will give you a brief summary of the process. For those who wish to know more, you can contact the United States Postal Service and request their publication Creating U.S. Postage Stamps.

The process begins when a proposal is submitted for a stamp subject. All proposals are considered by the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC), which is comprised of 15 members. The committee develops a broad list of subjects based on several selection criteria and submits the list to the Postmaster General for final approval.

 

Once subjects are approved the Stamp Development design staff gets involved in developing the stamp designs. Talented artists, illustrators, and photographers are enlisted to create the art that will eventually become a Stamp Issue. The United States Stamp Collection is a historical record created by many professional artists who have contributed their talent to "honor" the American experience in this unique art form.


Unfortunately, the publication is not available as a download from usps.com (more’s the pity). It really cannot take too long to get a stamp on the market: every year there is a new "Duck Stamp" and there are several collector issues that are published annually.

 
Patrick Williams
 
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Patrick Williams
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21 November 2007 07:41
 

Here we go:

http://www.usps.com/communications/organization/csac.htm

 

The USPS page on the Citizen’s Stamp Advisory Committee.


Quote:

The Stamp Selection Process

Stamp proposals are to be submitted in writing to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee. This allows everyone the same opportunity to suggest a new stamp subject. Subjects should be submitted at least three years in advance of the proposed date of issue to allow sufficient time for consideration and for design and production, if the subject is approved. All eligible subjects are reviewed by the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee regardless of how they are submitted, i.e., stamped cards, letters or petitions.

 

After a proposed subject is determined not to violate the criteria set by CSAC, the subject is listed on the CSAC’s agenda for its next meeting. The CSAC considers all new proposals and takes one of two actions: it may reject the new proposal or it may set it aside for consideration for future issuance. If the proposal is rejected, it may be resubmitted to the Committee again, no sooner than one year after the rejection date.

 

Proponents are not advised if a subject has been approved for issuance until a general announcement is made to the public. While the Postal Service relies heavily upon the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee for its advice, it has the exclusive and final authority to determine both subject matter and designs for U.S. postal stamps and postal stationery.


Emphasis added.

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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21 November 2007 08:46
 

I wonder if it might not be better to propose a "Heraldry in America" set rather than Presidential arms.  The latter differentiates between one President and another in ways that someone is likely to find offensive, while the former could generate interest from several communities:  history, art, heraldry, etc.

I would envision perhaps a set of four or six, with, say, one example of a bookplate, one of an embroidered New England "hatchment," one of a stained glass window, one piece of engraved silver, one piece of architectural heraldry, etc.

 

Something like:

 

Architectural (Alston House in Charleston):

http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/sc/sc0000/sc0045/photos/147003pu.tif

 

Bookplate (Francis Hopkinson, Winterthur Museum:

http://www.winterthur.org/about/downs_collection_and_winterthur_archives/xhtml/JD0260.jpg

 

Stained glass (Rensselaer, Metropolitan Museum of Art):

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/hb/hb_52.77.46.jpg

 

Embroidery (Thomas, Metropolitan Museum of Art):

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/hb/hb_36.28.jpg

 

Thoughts?

 
Kyle MacLea
 
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Kyle MacLea
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21 November 2007 09:54
 

A really neat idea and some great examples, Joe! I like it!

Kyle=

 
Patrick Williams
 
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Patrick Williams
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21 November 2007 10:46
 

Joseph, I think that idea has a much better chance of making it through CSAC. Now, is there going to be any big heraldry to-do in the USA in the next 3 to 5 years? That would put the icing on the cake - a terrifric reason to issue a set of stamps.

 
Michael F. McCartney
 
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Michael F. McCartney
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21 November 2007 19:21
 

Presidential or "founding fathers" bookplates would make a nice set, though the heraldic art isn’t always the best…