Women's Rowing Forever Stamp 2022
The U.S. Postal Service honors the achievements of women in rowing with a new stamp issuance celebrating a sport that combines strength, precision, teamwork, and endurance. American women rowers have built an impressive legacy in this demanding discipline, overcoming barriers and achieving remarkable success on the international stage.
The pane of 20 stamps features four distinct designs arranged in five offset rows of four stamps, with each row forming two connected pairs. Together, the artwork creates a continuous scene covering the entire pane: a stylized view of five eight-person rowing crews moving across the water, capturing the rhythm and energy of training or competition.
The illustration presents the rowers seated in long racing shells, facing toward the stern while their boats glide in the opposite direction. At the front end of each shell is the coxswain, the only member facing forward, whose responsibility is to guide and steer the crew. Because of their exceptional length, the boats extend beyond the edges of the pane, emphasizing their scale and movement.
Women's participation in competitive sports expanded significantly after the passage of Title IX in 1972, a landmark federal law that prohibited sex-based discrimination in education programs receiving federal funding, including athletics. Although many institutions were initially slow to provide equal opportunities, women athletes and advocates pushed for broader access to varsity programs, facilities, and financial support.
Women's rowing became part of the Olympic program in 1976, when the U.S. women's eight earned a bronze medal in its first appearance. The team later achieved Olympic gold in 1984, when the United States returned to the Games, beginning a tradition of excellence. After another period of success beginning in 2004, the U.S. women's eight captured silver in 2004 and followed with consecutive gold medals in 2008, 2012, and 2016, cementing its place among the world's top rowing programs.
Artist Nancy Stahl designed and illustrated the stamps and pane, bringing the movement and teamwork of women's rowing to life. Ethel Kessler served as the project art director.
The Women's Rowing stamps are issued as Forever stamps and will always remain equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price.
