US #5700

2022 Floral Geometry

The first stamp in the Floral Geometry set (issued alongside the 2022 $5 stamp)

Intended for use on packages, large envelopes, and other mailings requiring a higher amount of postage

Stamp Category:  Definitive

Value:  $2

First Day of Issue:  June 20, 2022

First Day City:  Kansas City, Missouri

Quantity Issued:  19,000,000

Printed by:  Banknote Corporation of America

Printing Method:  Foil stamping, Offset, Microprint

Format:  Panes of 10

Tagging:  Phosphor, block tag

Why the stamp was issued:  Began the Floral Geometry set issued to cover higher mail rates for packages, large envelopes, and other heavier items.

About the stamp design:  Includes a watercolor background, foil-stamped details, and typography to create an elegant, ornate look.  The design is intended to mimic the geometric patterns found in flowers in nature.  The stamp was designed and created by Spaeth Hill.

First Day City:  There was no First Day of Issue Ceremony, but the First Day of Issue postmark was from Kansas City, Missouri, home to USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services.

About the Floral Geometry set:  The first two were the $2 and $5 stamps issued in 2022.  As the denomination increases, so does the complexity of the geometric design of the stamp, with the $10 being the most complex up to 2023.  All stamps include watercolor backgrounds and foil stamping.  They were all created by Spaeth Hill.

History the stamp represents:  We all know flowers are beautiful and enjoyable to look at.  What you may not know is that some blooms have a certain geometric principle that makes them especially pleasing to the eye.  This principle is called the Fibonacci spiral, based on the Fibonacci sequence.

The Fibonacci sequence is a never-ending list of numbers in which each number is the sum of the two previous numbers.  The first few numbers in the sequence are 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, and 55.  This sequence was introduced in India around 200 BC, but wasn’t brought to Europe until the 1200s.  It was named after an Italian mathematician who published the principle in his 1202 book Liber Abaci.

The Fibonacci sequence can be used to create a series of connected squares with each square having sides of a length corresponding to the next number in the sequence.  When these squares are positioned in a clockwise or counterclockwise orientation around each other, a spiral can be drawn by connecting opposite corners – creating the Fibonacci spiral.

The Fibonacci spiral can be found in countless forms throughout nature.  Some of the most prominent examples are nautilus shells and flower heads.  Look closely the next time you see a sunflower.  You’re sure to see these amazing spirals!