New Lighthouse Stamps For 2009
By Sue Clark on Dec 30, 2008 in News 
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Post Office To Feature Gulf Coast Lights
Stamp collectors (and lighthouse lovers) take note. The United States Postal Service (USPS) will be releasing a new series of five stamps this coming summer, honoring the Gulf Coast Lighthouses. The series joins the Pacific Lights that were released in 2007, the Southeastern US Lights from 2003 and the Great Lakes lighthouses issued in 1995. The images were all painted by the same artist, Howard Koslow.
From the USPS Press Release:
The popular lighthouse stamps series continues to shine with the issuance of Gulf Coast Lighthouses next summer. Featuring paintings by artist Howard Koslow of Toms River, NJ, the five stamps depict the lighthouses of Matagorda Island, near Port O’Connor, TX; Sabine Pass, near Sabine Pass, LA; Biloxi, in Biloxi, MS; Sand Island, near the entrance to Mobile Bay in Mobile, AL; and, Fort Jefferson (also known as Garden Key Lighthouse), 50 miles west of Key West, FL, in Dry Tortugas Park.
Known as “hurricane alley,” the Gulf Coast weathers many powerful storms each year, including Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the region in 2005. In addition, the land along the coast is swampy and marshy in many places and given to erosion, making it doubly difficult for lighthouses to withstand heavy rains and winds. The five lighthouses featured on the stamps are some of the few that remain standing.
No information on first day covers, if any, or other ordering information can be found on the website. As the release date draws nearer, they will be available online for collectors. I would love to see the USPS have specially postmarked ones available from at least one of these lighthouses. They didn’t do it with 2007’s release, but it shouldn’t be too hard to arrange.
Photo Credit: United States Post Office.
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