2016 49¢ Richard Allen
Black Heritage Series
Born into slavery, Richard Allen (1760-1831) was destined for greater things. In his late teens, he was drawn to religion. After hearing a white Methodist preacher speak against slavery, Allen adopted the faith and became immensely devoted. It gave him “eternal hope that no master could deprive him of.” His piety was contagious – Allen’s master eventually converted as well. Fearing slave-holding to be sinful, he allowed Allen to purchase his freedom in 1783.
Allen settled in Philadelphia and attended St. George’s Methodist Church, which catered to both blacks and whites. But as the black congregation grew, the services were segregated. Allen soon left St. George’s to form Bethel Church – the nation’s first independent black church. In 1816, Bethel adopted its own denomination and created the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Allen was ordained its first bishop.
Richard Allen’s dedicated religious and social work has been called “the first wavering step of a people toward organized social life.” The early black congregations he fostered and their abolitionist efforts are often credited with beginning the civil rights movement. Allen is celebrated by many not only as a Founding Father of African America, but as a Founding Father of all America.
Value: First-Class Mail Forever
Issued: February 2, 2016
First Day City: Philadelphia, PA
Type of Stamp: Commemorative
Printed by: Ashton Potter
Method: Offset, Microprint in Panes of 20
Quantity Printed: 30,000,000
The 2016 49¢ Richard Allen stamp is the 39th issue in the Black Heritage series. The stamp’s release lines up with the 200th anniversary of Allen’s founding of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of his most important accomplishments. The portrait featured on this stamp is from an 1876 print called “Bishops of the A.M.E. Church.”