# 4851 - 2014 49c Ferns: Goldie's Wood Fern

The Goldie is one of five Ferns stamps issued in coils of 3,000 and 10,000 for business users. The same design was released a few months later as a Forever stamp (U.S. #4877).

 

Native to the northeastern United States and neighboring areas of Canada, Goldie’s wood fern is one of the tallest-known wood fern varieties, growing up to six feet in height. 

 

A semi-evergreen, Goldie’s fern shows off a lush spray of large, rich, green-colored fronds almost year-round. The plant derives its name not from its coloring, but from its founder, 19th-century Scottish-born botanist John Goldie.

 

In 1817, at only 24 years old, Goldie sailed to North America in search of new plants. Though his trip was slated for New York, bad weather rerouted his ship to Canada. Undeterred, he collected samples throughout southeastern Canada: from Halifax, to Quebec, to Montreal, traveling mostly on foot.

 

As Goldie walked south from Canada through New York State and again north to Montreal, he continuously sent his collected samples back to Scotland, only to learn time and time again that the shipments never arrived. Ever resilient, he continued to travel on foot as far south as Pittsburgh, this time holding his samples until he could personally take them back to Scotland.

 

When Goldie finally sailed back to Scotland in August 1819, among the samples he was able to transport was the root of his namesake wood fern. 

The design of each fern stamp comes from a close-up photograph of a different species. There are five species pictured – autumn, Goldie’s wood, soft shield, Fortune’s holly, and painted ferns. The images were from photographer Cindy Dyer.

Value: 49¢ First-class rate

Issue Date: January 27, 2014
City: Kansas City, MO (no First Day ceremony)

Type of Stamp: Definitive
Printed By: CCL Label Inc.
Printing Method: Photogravure
Perforations: Serpentine Die Cut 11 Vertical
Self-Adhesive

Quantity Printed: 9,000,000