19c Sequoyah stamp

The 19-cent Sequoyah regular stamp was issued on December 27, 1980, at Tahlequah, Oklahoma. This stamp honors the Cherokee Native American who brought literacy to his people by devising a written alphabet.

Sequoyah (c. 1760/1770-1843), also spelled Sequoya or Sequoia, was a silversmith, painter, and warrior. Although he was probably born between a British father and Cherokee mother, he never learned English. He believed in the secret power of written language, and by 1821 created a system of writing the Cherokee language consisting of eighty-six symbols. The simplicity of the system enabled Cherokees throughout the nation to learn it rapidly.

The stamp was designed by Roy Andersen and issued in a pane of 100. The stamp was engraved through the intaglio process.

Reference:
Postal Bulletin (October 20, 1980).
Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., s.v. "Sequoyah."

Scott Catalogue USA: 1859
mint

Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Museum ID: 1999.2004.176