U.S. Merchant Marine

Since the founding of the republic, the United States has looked to the maritime industry for much of its growth and security. This issuance pays tribute to the U.S. Merchant Marine, the modern name for the maritime fleet that has played this vital role. The four-stamp design on this pane features types of vessels that have formed an important part of this history: clipper ships, auxiliary steamships, liberty ships, and container ships.

Illustrator Dennis Lyall of Norwalk, Connecticut, created the stamps under the art direction of Phil Jordan of Falls Church, Virginia.

Clipper Ship

The stamp is based on an undated lithograph (by Frank Vining Smith) of the famous clipper Sovereign of the Seas, which launched in 1852.

Auxiliary Steamship

The stamp is based on contemporary lithographs of ships of the Collins Line, which provided service between New York and Liverpool in the 1850s.

Liberty Ship

The stamp is based on a photograph of an unidentified Liberty ship in the Picture File at the Westport Public Library (Connecticut).

Container Ship

The stamp is based on an undated photograph of the R.J. Pfeiffer, a modern container ship launched in 1992 and operated by Matson Navigation Company.

The U.S. Merchant Marine stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.