Patriotic American poster stamp with a portrait of Alexander Hamilton

Poster stamp featuring an image of Alexander Hamilton. The stamp is from the “This is America” series of poster stamps, which was distributed in the 1930s and 1940s. Poster stamps were collectable stamps, slightly larger than postage stamps, with designs similar to posters. Although they were not valid for postage, poster stamps could be affixed to letters and envelopes and were used for fundraising, propaganda, and educational purposes. The “This is America” series of poster stamps was a collection of 99 stamps that each feature a unique illustration. These images depict historical figures, institutions, holidays, past times, landmarks, and events that celebrate the history and heritage of the United States. Alexander Hamilton was a Revolutionary War leader, lawyer, politician, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a key figure in the Constitutional Convention of 1787, a signatory of The Constitution of the United States of America, and served as the first Secretary of the Treasury under President George Washington. Orphaned as a child, his rise from modest beginnings in the Caribbean, to high society and a key leadership role in the new nation is symbolic of the American dream. However, Hamilton was famously killed in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr in 1804.