USPS issued Forever Stamp commemorating the 250th anniversary of the repeal of the Stamp Act 1766, “taxation without representation.”

The Repeal of the Stamp Act 1766 stamp is being issued as a Forever® stamp.

This Forever stamp will always be equal to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.

Illustrated by noted historical painter Greg Harlin, the stamp depicts a crowd gathered around a “liberty tree” in 1766 to celebrate the repeal.

The selvage area displays a proof print of a one-penny revenue stamp and includes a famous slogan from the era: “Taxation without representation is tyranny.”

Art director Antonio Alcala designed the stamp and the pane.

The pictorial postmark features the silhouette of a deciduous tree along with the stamp title in type that evokes the era.

Also included are the date and location of stamp issuance: May 29, 2016, New York, NY 10199.

About repeal of the Stamp Act 1766

Parliament passed the Stamp Act on March 22, 1765.

Every American colonist would feel the sting of the act, since it required payment of a tax on a wide array of paper materials, such as newspapers, legal documents, mortgages, and contracts.

A stamp embossed on these papers indicated payment of the tax.

The stamp itself displayed an image of a Tudor rose framed by the word “America” and the French phrase Honi soit qui mal y pense–“Shame to him who thinks evil of it.”

Public sentiment was so strongly opposed to the act that enforcement was all but impossible.

A boycott of British goods in many colonial cities also began to have an economic impact.

Merchants on both sides of the Atlantic added their voices to the call for repeal of the act.

After months of protest, and an appeal by Benjamin Franklin before the British House of Commons, Parliament voted to repeal the Stamp Act on March 18, 1766.

Wide opposition to the act served to unite the American colonies and set them on a path toward independence.

Title: repeal of the Stamp Act 1766
Date of Issue: 29 May 2016
Country: USA
Denominations: Forever 47¢

Source: USPS Stamps

The post Forever stamp celebrating 250th anniversary of the repeal of the Stamp Act 1766 appeared first on Latest Stamp News and Stamp Collecting Updates - Philatelynews.