1969 Grandma Moses

On May 1, 1969, the U.S. Post Office Department issued a 6-cent commemorative stamp honoring Anna Mary Robertson Moses (1860–1961), better known as Grandma Moses. Part of the American Folklore series, the stamp was designed by Robert J. Jones and features a detail from her 1951 painting July Fourth.

The baseball connection appears near the center of the stamp, where players and spectators gather for a game during a small-town Independence Day celebration. Surrounded by flags, horse-drawn carriages, and holiday festivities, the scene captures baseball’s place in American community life.

A self-taught folk artist, Moses began painting seriously in her seventies and became internationally known for her colorful scenes of rural American life. Her work appeared in museum exhibitions and on widely distributed greeting cards. The original July Fourth painting entered the White House collection in 1952.

A total of 139,475,000 stamps were issued at 6 cents each, representing a total face value of $8,368,500. Printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the stamp is cataloged as Scott 1370.

Stamp Error Variations

There are two rare error variations of the Grandma Moses stamp. The first is missing perforation between two horizontal stamps. This stamp (#1370a) is valued at $140. The second was printed with the black and Prussian blue print plates omitted. This stamp (#1370b) is valued at $400.

First Day of Issue

The USPS issued Grandma Moses as part of the American Folklore Series on May 1, 1969 in Washington, DC.

Fourth of July Painting

Otto Kallir of the Galerie St. Etienne gave Grandma Moses’ painting Fourth of July to the White House as a gift in 1952.

About Grandma Moses

Born on September 7, 1860, in Greenwich, New York, Moses developed an early interest in drawing and color.

As a child, she experimented with lemon and grape juices to create landscapes. The demands of earning a living and raising a family left little time for painting, but she continued making embroidered pictures and quilts for friends and relatives.

When arthritis made embroidery painful, her sister encouraged her to return to painting. Moses adapted to the discomfort, sometimes switching the brush from her right hand to her left.

Her breakthrough came when an art collector spotted her paintings in a drugstore window and purchased them, along with additional works directly from her, for just a few dollars each. In 1939, three of her paintings appeared in the Museum of Modern Art exhibition Contemporary Unknown American Painters, helping introduce her work to a wider audience.

Moses received two honorary doctorates and an award from the Women’s National Press Club for her accomplishments in art. Her life inspired a documentary, and she published an autobiography. In 1960, New York celebrated her 100th birthday as “Grandma Moses Day,” and she appeared on the cover of Life magazine.

Stamp Stats

Value: 6¢
Issue Date: May 1, 1969
City: Washington, DC
Quantity: 139,475,000
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Lithographed, engraved
Perforations: 11
Color: Multicolored

1969 Grandma Moses