U.S. #5535
2020 55¢ Winter Scenes: Red Barn with Wreath
Issue Date: October 16, 2020
First Day City: Winter Park, FL
Type of Stamp: Definitive
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Double-sided booklet of 20
Self-Adhesive
Quantity Printed: 400,000,000
When driving through the countryside, there are plenty of beautiful old barns to be found. Many of these are painted red and white, a classic color combination dating back hundreds of years.
Back when many classic barns were built, there were few options for protecting the wood against the elements. And any available paint was often quite expensive. This led many farmers to seal their barns with linseed oil, a fairly cheap choice as it is made from the easy-to-grow flax plant. To make the oil even more effective at preserving the wood, rust (iron oxide) was often added. Rust was never in short supply around a farm, and adding it to linseed oil was an effective way of preventing moss and fungi from damaging wood.
The rust in the linseed oil tinted the sealant a rich red color, and soon barns across the country were sporting the color. While modern paint eventually became widespread, many people continue to paint their barns red in accordance with tradition. beginning in the 2010s, many couples chose to get married in such barns due to the rustic and elegant interiors and striking exteriors.
Whether spring, summer, fall, or winter, the countryside is always beautiful. And that beauty is only made stronger by the old barns along the way.