One of our PENPEX cachets this year features the Folk Art Eagle #6 stamp, a 3/4 Water-Activated Gum (WAG) Forever® Stamped Envelope.
Issued on August 9th, 2013, U.S. Postal Service continues a tradition of depicting eagles on postage by dedicating the new Folk Art Eagle Stamped Envelope. Both elegant and bold, this stamped envelope features a photograph of a plaque that shows an eagle carrying two American flags and a shield. The new stamped envelope was dedicated at the American Philatelic Society Stamp Show.
“The Postal Service’s stamp program provides a unique platform for recognizing this Nation’s legacy,” said dedicating official and Postal Service Director, Stamp Services and Corporate Licensing, Susan McGowan. “For more than 150 years, it has focused attention on events, ideals, and people who have made this nation great. These include national symbols like the bald eagle, which has long been depicted on postage.”
This stamped envelope features the image of a carved American eagle wall plaque. Made from pinewood by an unknown carver, the plaque is finished with red, white and blue paint and appears to have its original gilding. Whether shown on the Great Seal of the United States, portrayed majestically in flight, or seen while perched atop a mountain ledge, the eagle has long been associated with 
patriotism. After the eagle was adopted as a national symbol in 1782, Americans used its image as a decorative device to express their patriotism and pride in the new country. Weather vanes, pottery, amateur paintings, furniture, courthouse decorations, quilt patterns and wood carvings are just some of the media that incorporated the eagle motif.
The envelope is being issued at the Forever rate. As with Forever stamps, the value of the postage on Forever stamped envelopes is always equal to the value of the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce rate. Stamped envelopes are available in three standard sizes: #10 regular and window, #9 regular and window, and #6-3/4 regular and window. The Folk Art Eagle Stamped Envelope was designed by Richard Sheaff, one of the stamp program’s art directors.