American Bald Eagle

Front:
Vignettes of Americana issued for the new Postage Rates 1975 E PLURIBUS UNUM USA1 DEC FIRST DAY OP 13SUE 1975 99801 The American Bald Eagle National Emblem oftheUnited States By Act of Congress 1782 ficial First Day Cover AK ONE NAT ON INDIVISIBL

Back:
Heetwood 13c AMERICAN EAGLE AND SHIELD Not only was July 4, 1776, noted as the day when the many.) As symbols of war and peace, the eagle grasps a Declaration of Independence was adopted, it was also the bundle of thirteen arrows in one foot, and an olive branch day when the Continental Congress appointed a in the other. Protected in all states, our national bird is committee “to bring in a device for a seal of the United the only eagle whose exclusive home is North America. States of America.” Three famous men, members of Some years following the adoption of the American bald many other committees, comprised this new group: eagle for the Great Seal, Franklin wrote a friend, “I wish Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams. the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative Nearly six years passed before Congress could agree on of our country; he is a bird of bad moral character; like an emblem. Finally on June 20, 1782, William Barton's those among men who live by sharping and robbing, design was approved. It shows an American bald eagle he is generally poor, and often very lousy. The turkey is a (Haliaetus leucocephalus) bearing a ribbon in its beak much more respectable bird, and withal a true original bearing the inscription É pluribus unum (One out of native of America.”