Description
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U.S. Flag 2026 Stamps
Stamp Category: Definitive
Value: 78¢, First Class Mail Rate
History the stamp represents: Ralph Lauren was born in the Bronx in 1939, the son of immigrant parents. He started his career selling ties from a drawer at the Empire State Building. What he built from there was more than a fashion empire. It was a vision of American identity rooted in the things he loved most about this country.
The flag was always at the center of that vision. In 1998, the original Star-Spangled Banner was deteriorating at the Smithsonian Institution. The original flag, measuring 30 by 42 feet, had flown after the Battle of Fort McHenry in 1814, inspiring Francis Scott Key to write what would become the national anthem. Lauren stepped forward with a $13 million donation to fund its conservation and public education — the largest gift in Smithsonian history at the time. “I am a product of the American dream,” he said, “and the flag is its symbol.”
To mark America’s 250th birthday, the United States Postal Service invited Lauren to curate a pane of 13 stamps drawn from his personal archive and the images that have inspired him throughout his life. The knitted flag featured on the stamp is reminiscent of Lauren’s iconic flag sweater first sold in 1989.
'5 Books 100 First-Class Forever® USPS postage stamps. *The slash over “Forever” in the image is to protect it from being used to produce counterfeit postage. Actual stamps will not have this.
