Leo Villegas, sporting a blue T-shirt emblazoned with a postage stamp of legendary aviator Richard Byrd, eagerly awaited the unveiling Saturday of Colorado’s first flag stamp.
“I’m collecting history,” Villegas, an 85-year-old stamp collector, said before a ceremony at the state Capitol.
The 42-cent Colorado flag stamp was unveiled on Flag Day. Similar stamp celebrations were held across the country.
The Colorado stamp features the flag set against a background of snowcapped mountains and wilderness. It was designed by Delaware artist Tom Engeman and is part of a series of 60 “Flags of Our Nation” stamps to be issued over the next three years. The first 10 were issued Saturday.
“Were here to celebrate Colorado’s history, beauty and contributions made to our union,” said Denver Postmaster Alan Catlin.
The flag stamps went on sale Saturday and will be sold in a coil of 50 stamps. The states will each have five stamps per coil, and each coil will cost $21.
The stamps can be purchased at the main Denver Post Office on 20th Avenue at Curtis Street.
At the ceremony Saturday, those in attendance were able to purchase a special Colorado flag postmark and souvenir Colorado cachet envelopes.
Richard Price of Aurora bought one envelope to add to his collection and said he really likes the state flag stamp. “Aww, it’s pretty,” he said.
Annette Espinoza: 303-954-1655 or aespinoza@denverpost.com
![[prison 19] Caption: This is Cellhouse 1, Pod A, from ground level inside the Sterling Correctional Facility which is located outside of Sterling, Colorado Thursday afternoon. Photographer: LEW SHERMAN Title: FREELANCE Credit: SPECIAL TO THE POST City: Sterling State: CO Country: USA Date: 19990617 ObjectName: prison 19 Keyword: PUBDATE____1999_06_22](/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/20151207__denverpostp1.jpg?w=538 "20151207__denverpost~p1.jpg")
