About This Stamp
A 20-cent commemorative stamp marking the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and Sweden was issued March 24, 1983, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The First Day of Issue ceremony was held at the American Swedish Historical Museum.
Sweden also issued a stamp to commemorate the occasion on the same day. Issuance of the two stamps recognized the mutual friendship between the two countries over the past 200 years. By agreement between the two governments, the Swedish stamps were sold by the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. stamps were sold in Sweden for a limited period of time.
The designer of both stamps was Dan Jonsson of Stockholm, Sweden, a well-known Swedish artist and graphic designer. They were engraved by Czeslaw Slania, also of Sweden. The design of the stamp features a portrait of Benjamin Franklin with his signature over his right shoulder. To the right of Franklin is the signature of Gustav Philip Creutz. Both men signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce. The Swedish stamp is similar in design except for the national identification and denomination.
The U.S. stamp was printed in the intaglio process and issued in panes of 50.