About This Stamp
Atlanta's distinctive skyline rises behind the lush image of a live oak on the first stamp in 1988. The 22-cent Georgia Statehood stamp, which went on sale January 6, 1988, in Atlanta, was the seventh in the series honoring the ratification of the Constitution.
Along the bottom of the design, in two lines of type, "January 2, 1788" appears in black and Georgia in red. In the upper left corner "22 USA" is in black lettering.
In 1732, King George II of England granted a charter to a 20-member corporation for the territory that includes present-day Georgia. Chief among the trustees was General James Edward Oglethorpe who, along with a group of about 100 settlers, established the settlement of Savannah in 1733.
From its founding, until about 1900, its economy was based largely on agriculture. For much of the 19th century, cotton was the economic mainstay. But the development of manufacturing accelerated in the early 20th century and contributes a major share of the state's personal income.
The pacemaker for modern Georgia is Atlanta, the capital and largest city. Rebuilt in a short time after it was destroyed in the Civil War, Atlanta has become the principal center of transportation, commerce, and finance in the southeastern United States.
Georgia native Greg Harlin designed the stamp printed in the photogravure process by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.