1976 13c Declaration of Independence: Jefferson and Franklin

This stamp was issued in 1976 as part of the nation's Bicentennial celebration, marking two hundred years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The artwork reproduces a detail from the famous painting by John Trumbull depicting the presentation of the Declaration to the Continental Congress, with this particular stamp focusing on the figures of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin among the assembled delegates. The stamp was one of a set of four, each showing a different section of the same painting, designed to be displayed together as a single continuous scene when arranged in proper order.

The design shows a group of men gathered around a table covered in papers, capturing the historic moment when the founding document was brought before Congress for consideration. The rich, warm color palette echoes the original oil painting, giving the stamp a classic and formal feel appropriate to the occasion it commemorates. Bold text at the top reads "USA" alongside the thirteen cent denomination, while the bottom of the stamp displays the date July 4, 1776, marking the anniversary being honored.