In February the United States of America will release the stamp sheet shown below. This issue commemorates the 250th anniversary of the repeal of the Stamp Act, British legislation that galvanized and united the American colonies and set them on a path toward revolution.The act required payment of a tax on a wide array of paper materials, such as newspapers, pamphlets, legal documents, licences, mortgages, contracts, and bills of sale. A stamp would be embossed on these papers to indicate payment. The stamp art depicts a crowd gathered around a “liberty tree” to celebrate the repeal of the Stamp Act. The border area displays a proof print of a one-penny revenue stamp and includes a famous slogan from the era: “Taxation without representation is tyranny”.
