Patriotic Star

With this illustration of a red, white, and blue striped star, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates American patriotism. The star is one of the nation’s quintessential symbols, a shining reminder of our indomitable spirit. “When I go out of doors in the summer night, and see how high the stars are,” wrote 19th-century philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, “I am persuaded that there is time enough, here or somewhere, for all that I must do.”

The Patriotic Star stamp features a red, white, and blue five-pointed star on a white background. The star on the stamp is actually two stars—a smaller one inside a larger one. Both have five points, like the stars on the American flag.

Created digitally by artist Nancy Stahl, the star is designed to look like it is crafted from striped ribbon. Greg Breeding served as the art director on the project.

To accommodate business use, the Patriotic Star is being issued as a First-Class Rate Large Coil stamp in coils of 3,000 and 10,000. At the time of issuance, the Patriotic Star stamps are being sold at a price of 46 cents each, or $1,380 (for a coil of 3,000) or $4,600 (for a coil of 10,000).