"United We Stand" Cover Collection Cancelled on 1-Year Anniversary of 9/11, Set of 3 covers

"United We Stand" Cover Collection Cancelled on 1-Year Anniversary of 9/11, Set of 3 Covers

This set brings together three commemorative covers issued to mark the first anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, each postmarked on September 11, 2002. The Postal Service issued the Heroes of 2001 semi-postal stamp on June 7, 2002, one of only a small handful of semi-postal stamps issued in modern American history, selling for an additional surcharge above face value with the extra funds directed to a federal fund supporting the families of emergency responders killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. The stamp's design, based on a photograph taken by Thomas E. Franklin, depicts three firefighters raising an American flag over the rubble of the World Trade Center on the day of the attacks.

The covers in this set carry postmarks and cachets connecting them to the sites most closely associated with that day, including New York City, home to the World Trade Center towers, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where United Flight 93 crashed after passengers attempted to retake control from the hijackers. Each cover pairs commemorative artwork with a fitting cancellation, with messages including "A Time to Remember," "Never Forget," and "United We Stand," reflecting the widespread public sentiment of unity and remembrance that characterized the first anniversary observances held across the country.