A ‘First Continental Congress, 1774′ stamp is coming to your local post office

Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia was the place to be on Sept. 5, 1774, for the First Continental Congress. The moment is now immortalized on a U.S. Postal Service stamp to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the gathering.

The goal for George Washington and the 55 other congressional delegates was to figure out a response to the British Intolerable Acts. And the meeting laid the ground for the nation’s democracy.

The “First Continental Congress, 1774″ stamp is meant to capture that scene. About 18 million stamps will be circulated starting in September, and there won’t be a second printing, according to a postal service spokesperson.

The stamps will be sold in sheets of 20, for $14.60. And, the design is meant to evoke the U.S. flag.

Center stage in the design is the congress’ plea to King George III: “We ask but for Peace, Liberty and Safety.” A red stripe with 12 white stars on the left side represents the number of colonies that participated in the congress. The title of the stamp appears at the bottom, and the top reads “12 colonies unite in protest.” The design is wrapped in a vertical blue band bordered by white stripes.

The concept was designed by art director Antonio Alcalá, the same hands behind the Lunar New Year, Constance Baker Motley, and Underground Railroad stamps, among many others.

This is not the first time the First Continental Congress has been commemorated on a stamp. In 1974, a stamp with the U.S. flag color scheme was made in honor of the Bicentennial, featuring Carpenters’ Hall.

The new edition of the “First Continental Congress, 1774″ stamp will be a Forever stamp, so it can always be used for first-class postage even if the rate goes up.

A first-day-of-issue event will take place at Carpenters’ Hall, on Sept. 5, at 11 a.m. Registration is encouraged. The stamp can be acquired at your local post office and the USPS Postal Store, and by calling 844-737-7826.