About This Stamp
With the issuance of this stamp in 2000, the U.S. Postal Service commemorated California’s sesquicentennial.
On February 2, 1848, Mexico and the United States signed a treaty ending the Mexican War. As part of the peace treaty, Mexico agreed to cede a vast portion of the Southwest, including present-day California, to the United States.
Several days earlier, on January 24, 1848, gold had been discovered at Sutter’s Mill on the American River near Sacramento. The ensuing gold rush hastened the territory’s admittance to the Union; California became the 31st state on September 9, 1850.
The stamp art features a color photograph of cliffs at the southern end of California’s Big Sur coastline, just south of Ragged Point. Iceplant is blooming in the foreground. This photograph was taken by Art Wolfe in May 1996.
Art Director
Carl T. Herrman
As an art director for the U.S. Postal Service® for more than 15 years, Carl T. Herrman designed more than 50 stamps and guided more than 250 stamp projects, including Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Humphrey Bogart, and Comic Strip Classics. He also served as art director for five of the Celebrate the Century stamp panes. He has won more than 260 awards for design and design management, including two gold medals from the Society of Illustrators.
Herrman’s career has included positions as Director of Creative Services and adjunct professor at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, and Director of Marketing and Publications for the University of California at Irvine. He has provided consulting services for the Smithsonian Institution, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and numerous academic institutions. Herrman lives in Carlsbad,California.