Alaska Stamps through the years

In the 1990s Alaskans saw two of the important events in their past commemorated in U.S. stamps.  In 1992 and Postal Service issued a stamp design by popular Alaskan artist Byron Birdsall to mark the 50th anniversary of the building of the Alaska Highway, and in 1998 Americans began using gold rush centennial stamps on their mail.

Through the past century, the U.S. created numerous Alaska-related stamps.  In 1909 the Post Office put out a stamp noting the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition.  In 1937 the government issued stamps for several territories, including one for Alaska showing a settlement and farm land carved out of a forest (this was the era of the creation of the Matanuska Colony), with a backdrop of mountains.

Statehood in 1959 prompted the issuance of two new stamps.  One updated the postal image of the American flag to include the 49th star.  The other specifically recognized Alaska Statehood.  Eight years latter the Post Office issued a stamp celebrating the Alaska Purchase centennial.

During the 1970s, there were stamps featuring Mount McKinley National Park and commemorating the 200th anniversary of Capt. Cook's exploration of Alaska.  Alaska was represented among a 50-stamp sheet depicting every state's flag on America's bicentennial in 1976 and again in 1982 when the Post Office produced stamps showing state birds and flowers.  Then in 1984 came the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Statehood with a view of a caribou, the Trans-Alaska pipeline, and the seemingly inevitable mountainous background.

By George Hall ©