2018 Illinois Statehood Pane of 20 Forever Postage Stamps Scott 5274

On March 5, 2018, in Springfield, IL, the U.S. Postal Service issued the Illinois Statehood First-Class Mail stamp (Forever) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 477100). This stamp celebrates the 200th anniversary of Illinois statehood. Known as the Prairie State, Illinois became the 21st state of the Union on December 3, 1818. The stamp art features an outline of the state map with a series of yellow beams radiating upward like the rays of a rising sun. The colors on the map begin at the bottom with a deep yellow. The color fades upward to pale yellow and then into pale blue, with increasingly deeper blues rising to the top of the map; the yellows and blues symbolize the dawning of a new day as the state joins the Union. Stars, representing the first 20 states, grace the top of the stamp. The rising sun symbolizes the 21st star. Illinois artist Michael Konetzka designed the stamp and created the artwork. Antonio Alcalá was the art director. This listing is for a sheet of 20 stamps

• Brand new single-sided sheet of 20 self-stick Forever stamps
• Issued in 2018 but valid forever for one-ounce postage
• Forever stamps will also be equal to the one-ounce first class rate