India’s Commemorative Stamp (1976)
On May 29, 1976, India Post issued a single commemorative stamp to mark the 200th anniversary of American Independence. This release acknowledged the shared democratic values and historical parallels between the freedom struggles of India and the United States.
- Design: The stamp features a reproduction of the famous 1876 patriotic painting The Spirit of ’76 (originally titled Yankee Doodle) by American artist Archibald Willard. It depicts a fifer and two drummers leading Continental soldiers into battle during the American Revolutionary War.
- Inscriptions: It bears the text “Bicentenary of American Revolution” along with “AIR MAIL” at the top right. The country name “INDIA” is written in both English and Devanagari script.
- Denomination: 280 Paisa (2.80 Indian Rupees), which was the prevailing international airmail rate to the Americas at the time.
- Format: Typically printed in sheets of 35 stamps.



