A philatelic issue made up of four postage stamps, a philatelic sheet, two "first day" covers and a special folder with limited-edition products, dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, will be released on Sunday by the Romanian Post and Romfilatelia.
According to a Romfilatelia release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday, under the generic title "Boston 2026 Special Issue: Romania celebrates 250 years of U.S. Independence" the issue will be launched on Sunday at the Boston 2026 World Expo.
The postage stamps reproduce paintings depicting scenes from the US War of Independence and the personalities involved.
The stamp with a face value of 5.50 lei illustrates a scene from the Battle of Cowpens, while the one with a face value of 10 lei depicts a group featuring General Lafayette taking part in the French Revolution and the United States War of Independence (the hero of two worlds).
The stamp with a face value of 3.50 lei depicts a scene from the Battle of Saratoga, important for the victory against the British and the alliance with French forces, while the stamp with a face value of 27 lei illustrates a scene from the "French and Indian War" between the British colonies.
The perforated sheet of the issue, with a face value of 32 lei and designed in an original envelope-like format, reproduces details from the stamp of the philatelic issue "United We Stand", designed by the late visual artist Octavian Ion Penda in 2002.
"The stamp of the 'United We Stand' issue, also featured in the sheet of this year's issue, celebrates the values of unity and solidarity between nations, presenting strong symbols: on one stamp is the Statue of Liberty with the American flag, and on the other is the Romanian symbol 'The Gate of the Kiss' by Constantin Brancusi, together with the Romanian flag," the quoted source added.
The two "first day" covers feature portraits of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, alongside two scenes from the signing Hall (the Independence Hall) of the Declaration of Independence and the Battle of Concord, respectively.
The issue will be available from Sunday in the Romfilatelia store network in Bucharest, Brasov, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi and Timisoara, as well as online.
Boston 2026 World Expo, under the patronage of the International Federation of Philately, is the most important philatelic event of the year and the 12th international exhibition organised in the US.
Boston, the host city, is a historic landmark of US Independence, with the first armed clashes between American colonists and British troops taking place nearby on 19 April 1775.
The birth certificate of the US as an independent state, the historic Declaration of Independence, was signed on 4 July 1776 by delegates from 13 British colonies. Among the 56 signatures are those of two future presidents: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
Romania and the US established diplomatic relations on 14 June 1880, one year before the proclamation of the Kingdom of Romania.
The US was among the first countries to recognise Romania's Independence, gained as a result of the War of 1877.
Romanian officials attending this anniversary event of the Declaration of Independence will also be accompanied, as a symbolic tribute, by the arrival in Newport of the bark "Mircea," marking its fourth transatlantic voyage (the sailing vessel's first presence in the US was recorded fifty years ago, on the occasion of the bicentenary of the Declaration of Independence).
