With the 2023 U.S. Flag stamp, the U.S. Postal Service honors an important symbol of our nation.
Art director Antonio Alcal designed the stamp with existing art by Hong Li.
The stamp, which is being issued in booklets of 20, panes of 20, and coils of 100, 3,000, and 10,000, bears a straightforward graphic design of red, white, and blue. Providing a solid foundation for the flag is the word FREEDOM in a gray slab sans serif font and, below it, FOREVER / USA in a smaller sans serif font. The manner in which the text is positioned suggests the endurance of freedom as a core value.
The flag serves as a visual reminder of the array of freedoms that Americans enjoy. Its design dates to 1777, when the Continental Congress specified 13 horizontal stripes and 13 stars to honor the 13 original colonies. Various versions of the early flag continued to be used until, in 1818, the U.S. Congress standardized the design, mandating 13 stripes forever but a star for every state. Another act of Congress, in 1947, set the date for each new star’s official addition to the flag as July 4, following the state’s admission to the Union. The last time the flag changed was July 4, 1960, after Hawaii achieved statehood the previous August.
