The Romanian Post and Romfilatelia introduce into circulation on May 24th, 2026 a stamp issue consisting of four postage stamps, one souvenir sheet, two First Day Covers, and a special folder containing products in a limited run printing, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.
Under the general title Boston 2026 World Stamp Exhibition: Romania Celebrates 250 Years of U.S. Independence, the stamp issue will be launched on May 24th at the Boston 2026 World Stamp Exhibition. The world’s largest philatelic show of the current year, held under the patronage of the International Federation of Philately, is recognized as the 12th International Philatelic Exhibition organized in the United States.
Boston, the host city, is a historic landmark of U.S. Independence, as the first armed clashes between the American colonists and British troops took place in its vicinity on April 19th, 1775.
The historic Declaration of Independence, regarded as the birth certificate of the United States as an independent nation, was signed on July 4th, 1776, by delegates from 13 British colonies. Among the 56 signatures were those of two future presidents: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
The 13 colonies were: Delaware, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Maryland.
The Declaration was founded on a concept defined as the right to revolution, expressed as follows: ‘… whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive… it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.’
The War of Independence, which began in 1775, ended in 1783, when the new state was consolidated as a federal republic. The new republic expanded its territories westward and later went through a Civil War (1861–1865), whose objective was the abolition of slavery.
The United States, with its strong European spiritual traditions, sought to develop its own identity while also adopting a Constitution that became a benchmark model for the concept of genuine democracy, promoted and preserved within a modern state.
Romania and the United States established diplomatic relations on June 14th, 1880, one year before the proclamation of the Kingdom of Romania.
The United States was among the first countries to recognize Romania’s Independence, which was achieved as a result of the War of 1877.
While maintaining excellent relations with the United States, the Romanian officials attending this anniversary event dedicated to the Declaration of Independence will also be accompanied, as a tribute symbol, by the arrival in Newport of the sailing ship Brig Mircea, which will complete its fourth transatlantic voyage (the training ship’s first visit to the United States took place fifty years ago, on the occasion of the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence).
We wish the American people that this quarter millennium celebrated this year may unfold in a climate of peace and harmony, serving as an opportunity for a return to social normalcy and prosperity.
The postage stamps reproduce paintings depicting subjects related to the U.S. War of Independence and the personalities involved in it.
The postage stamp with a face value of Lei 5.50 depicts a scene from the Battle of Cowpens.
The postage stamp with a face value of Lei 10 features General Lafayette and his troops participating in the French Revolution and the US War of Independence (the hero of two worlds).
The postage stamp with a face value of Lei 3.50 features a scene from the Battle of Saratoga, significant for the victory over the British and the union with French troops.
The postage stamp with a face value of Lei 27 depicts a scene from the ‘French and Indian War’ among the British colonies.
The perforated souvenir sheet of the issue, with a face value of Lei 32, designed in the original form of a correspondence envelope, features details from the stamp of the philatelic issue entitled ‘United We Shall Overcome’, designed by the late artist Octavian Ion Penda in 2002.
The postage stamp of the issue entitled ‘United We Shall Overcome’, also featured in this year’s souvenir sheet, celebrates the values of unity and solidarity among
nations. It features powerful symbols: one stamp depicts the Statue of Liberty with the American flag, while another features Constantin Brâncuși’s ‘Gate of the Kiss,’ a Romanian symbol, alongside the Romanian tricolor.
The two First Day Covers feature the portraits of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, alongside two scenes from the Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Battle of Concord, respectively.
Happy Anniversary, USA!
Romfilatelia thanks Mr. Peter H. Brown, Cultural Attaché at the Embassy of the United States in Bucharest, and Ms. Livia Penda for their documentary support in the development of this postage stamp issue.
