2008 Liberty Bell Forever Stamps

The Liberty Bell was originally cast in England in 1752 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Pennsylvania’s constitution. Due to cracking, it was recast twice, but in 1846 it cracked again while tolling for George Washington’s birthday — a fracture that rendered the bell permanently silent.

According to legend, the Liberty Bell rang to announce the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. During the Revolutionary War, patriots removed and hid the bell to keep it from being melted down for cannonballs.

In the 1830s, abolitionists adopted the bell as their symbol, inspired by the biblical inscription on its side: “Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” They gave it the name “Liberty,” and after the Civil War, the bell toured the country, helping to unite a divided nation.

Today, the Liberty Bell is housed at the Liberty Bell Center in Independence National Historical Park. Every Fourth of July, descendants of the Declaration of Independence signers ceremonially tap the bell 13 times in honor of the patriots of the original 13 colonies — a gesture echoed by bells ringing across the nation.

According to the U.S. Postal Service, this stamp offers “freedom and independence from using one- or two-cent stamps” to cover rate changes — providing convenience and value virtually forever.