Four American Bicentennial souvenir sheets were first placed on sale at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 29, 1976. There were four denominations: 13, 18, 24, and 31- cents. Each of the souvenir sheets has five stamps as a part of the design. The stamps were perforated and could be detached and used for postage. Each pane depicts a painting of an event during the Revolutionary War. The paintings include "Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown" by John Trumbull, "Declaration of Independence" by John Trumbull, "Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emmanuel Leutze and Eastman Johnson, and "Washington Reviewing Army at Valley Forge" by William T. Trego. The stamps were designed by Vincent E. Hoffman.
The 13-cent stamp covered the current domestic first-class rate; the 18-cent stamp met the surface letter-mail rate for the first ounce to countries other than Canada and Mexico. The 24-cent stamp prepaid the domestic first-class rate for a letter over one ounce and up to two ounces, and the 31-cent stamp met the airmail letter rate for the first half ounce to countries other than Central America, Columbia, Venezuela, the Caribbean Islands, Bahamas, Bermuda, St. Pierre, and Miquelon. The 31-cent stamp also met the rate for a surface letter over one ounce and to two ounces to countries other than Canada and Mexico.
Reference:
Postal Bulletin (April 22, 1976).
Glossary
