US #1013 was issued to honor the role of women in the armed services.
On August 13, 1918, Opha Mae Johnson became the first woman to enlist in the US Marine Corps Reserve.
According to legend, the first American female Marine may have been Lucy Brewer. Stories claim she disguised herself as a man and snuck aboard the USS Constitution during the War of 1812. However, there is little evidence to support that claim.
US #EP15 – An encased US #65 in an Ayer’s Sarsaparilla case.
On August 12, 1862, John Gault received a patent for a design to encase postage stamps to use as currency.
By early 1862, the US was fully engulfed in the Civil War. Many people began conserving their resources as they didn’t know how much longer the war might last. Among the most hoarded items of the day – coins.
US #3872 pictures Heade’s 1890 painting Giant Magnolias on a Blue Velvet Cloth.
Artist Martin Johnson Heade was born on August 11, 1819, in Lumberville, Pennsylvania.
The son of a shopkeeper, Heade got his first training from nearby folk artist Edward Hicks. Heade’s first known painting was a portrait he made in 1839. He lived in Rome, Italy, for two years to continue his training.
US #1386 pictures Harnett’s painting Old Models.
Artist William Michael Harnett was born on August 10, 1848, in Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland.
Harnett was born during the potato famine in Ireland and his family moved to America shortly after his birth. His parents, a shoemaker and a seamstress, settled the family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
US #3524-27 features the designs of quilts created in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
On August 9, 2001, the USPS inaugurated the American Treasures series with the issue of four stamps depicting Amish quilts.
In announcing the new stamp series, the USPS stated, “US postage stamps honor significant people, major events, and lasting achievements. Yet sometimes, people just want beautiful stamps.”
US #4334 was issued in June 2008 to commemorate the Beijing Olympics.
The Games of the XXIX Olympiad opened in Beijing, China, on August 8, 2008.
A total of five cities vied to host the 2008 Olympics. Beijing was selected as the host city at a meeting of the International Olympic Committee on July 13, 2001.
