About This Stamp
The 19-cent Sequoyah regular stamp was issued on December 27, 1980, at Tahlequah, Oklahoma. This stamp honors the Cherokee Native American who brought literacy to his people by devising a written alphabet.
Sequoyah (c. 1760/1770–1843), also spelled Sequoya or Sequoia, was a silversmith, painter, and warrior. Although he was probably born between a British father and Cherokee mother, he never learned English. He believed in the secret power of written language, and by 1821 created a system of writing the Cherokee language consisting of eighty-six symbols. The simplicity of the system enabled Cherokees throughout the nation to learn it rapidly.
The stamp was designed by Roy Andersen and issued in a pane of 100. The stamp was engraved through the intaglio process.