This is the first of three parts of the "New U.S. issues" series.

Two iconic Americans known for their points of view from opposite ends of the political spectrum and a popular musical style imported from another country make an intriguing group of new U.S. stamps in July.

First Lady Nancy Reagan, known for her conservative views echoing those of her husband, President Ronald Reagan, was honored with a new stamp as was singer-songwriter Pete Seeger, who championed long and hard for many liberal causes, including civil rights and labor equality.

Reagan is the sixth first lady issued on a U.S. stamp (can you name the five others and how many stamps they each appear on?) while Seeger is the 10th member of the Music Icons series, whose panes look like vinyl records popping out of album covers.

The third July release – a set of five stamps – embraces the often bright and cheerful music of mariachi, imported from Mexico.

All of the stamps are self-stick first-class, domestic Forever stamps, sold for 60 cents, with the new postage increase effective July 10.

Nancy Reagan

The Nancy Reagan commemorative is available from the U.S. Postal Service’s fulfilment division. More information can be found here.

Nancy Reagan became the sixth presidential first lady honored on a postage stamp when a Forever commemorative with her portrait was released July 6, the 101st anniversary of her birth.

The stamp, which enjoyed two formal ceremonies over a month’s time, was officially issued at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. A month before, an unveiling ceremony was held at the White House.

The Postal Service said that “the ceremony serves as the culmination of the Nancy Reagan Centennial celebration,” which was delayed one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The commemorative honors Reagan (1921-2016), wife of 40th U.S. President Ronald Reagan and first lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. The stamp art is a detail from the official 1987 White House portrait by Aaron Shikler. The oil-on-canvas portrait features Mrs. Reagan dressed in her signature red color, in a flowing gown designed by James Galanos. The full-body portrait was cropped to accommodate the stamp format. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp.

“Nancy Reagan helped define the role of presidential spouse for her successors,” said her son-in-law, Dennis C. Revell, at the first day ceremony, according to the Los Angeles News. “It’s fitting that this fiercely vigilant and politically astute first lady, who left her stamp on one of the most consequential presidencies of the 20th century, should now be celebrated and commemorated on a Forever stamp of her own.”

The stamp was dedicated by Revell, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, Ann B. Wrobleski, formerly Special Projects Director for First Lady Nancy Reagan’s Just Say No program, and Pete Wilson, former governor of California and Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation Board member. 

“As a first lady of both California and the nation, she built a legacy of public service throughout her eventful life,” said DeJoy, according to the Postal Service. “Whether she was giving voice to the needs of America’s Vietnam Veterans, promoting foster grandparent programs, or raising visibility for important health issues – she was a passionate and effective public advocate for a wide range of causes close to her heart.”

The stamp, which was not announced until June 1, was unveiled June 6 in a ceremony at the White House overseen by First Lady Jill Biden. 

At the unveiling ceremony, Biden talked about the “incredible platform” first ladies gain to serve the people after “we’re just sort of thrust into the national spotlight in a way that I know none of us could have anticipated,” reported the PBS Newshour. “First Lady Nancy Reagan served the American people with grace. She understood that the role of first lady came with inherent pitfalls and scrutiny, yet she found the humanity in it all. She knew the potential of this role.”

Ryan, a White House aide to President Reagan, said the former first lady advocated for foster grandparents, championed the arts, and restored and remodeled parts of the White House. She is also remembered for her “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign, for undergoing a mastectomy after her breast cancer diagnosis during the Reagan presidency and a fierce devotion to her husband.

Ron Reagan, the Reagans’ son, was unable to attend the events, but said, “Her own stamp! I’m sure she never expected to receive an honor like this,” in a USPS news release. “Neither did she expect to be flying all over the country stuck to the front of envelopes. She would, of course, have reacted modestly to this wonderful commemoration. But secretly she would be very pleased. On her behalf, I thank you.”

Nancy Davis Reagan was an important part of one of the most pivotal presidencies of the 20th century, the Postal Service said. Throughout her life, Reagan held a deep passion for her country. Other causes that she championed included Vietnam veterans, the plight of POWs and MIAs and Alzheimer’s research. Ronald Reagan died in 2004 after suffering for a decade from Alzheimer’s.

Nancy Davis Reagan was an important part of one of the most pivotal presidencies of the 20th century, the Postal Service said. Throughout her life, Reagan held a deep passion for her country. Other causes that she championed included Vietnam veterans, the plight of POWs and MIAs and Alzheimer’s research. Ronald Reagan died in 2004 after suffering for a decade from Alzheimer’s.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum offers the following details about Mrs. Reagan (edited for length):

Nancy Davis Reagan (Anne Frances) was born July 6, 1921, in New York City, the only child of Kenneth Seymour Robbins and Edith Luckett. Her parents separated shortly after her birth. After the separation, Edith continued pursuing her acting career, and eventually placed 2-year-old Nancy in the care of her sister and brother-in-law, Virginia and Audley Gailbraith, in Bethesda, Maryland. Nancy lived with the Gailbraiths for the next six years. 

Other first ladies that have appeared on U.S. stamps include, among others, Martha Washington, Dolley Madison, and Lady Bird Johnson.

Edith Luckett remarried in 1929 to Loyal Edward Davis, a prominent neurosurgeon from Chicago. Mother and daughter reunited in Chicago, where Nancy attended school. Nancy enjoyed a close relationship with her stepfather, and always considered him her father. Loyal Davis formally adopted Nancy when she was a teenager, and she legally became Nancy Davis. 

Davis attended Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she majored in English and drama. She graduated in 1943 and then pursued a professional acting career. She worked in stage, film and television. In 1949, Davis signed a seven-year contract with MGM. She made 11 films in all, including three after her marriage and many television appearances up to her retirement in 1962. She and Ronald Reagan appeared together in her last film, Hellcats of the Navy (1956). 

Davis and Reagan were “set up” on a dinner date to discuss some problems she was having in connection with another Screen Actors Guild actress with the same name. After a nearly two-year courtship, the couple married on March 4, 1952, at The Little Brown Church in the San Fernando Valley, California. It was her first and only marriage and Reagan’s second marriage. He had previously been married to actress Jane Wyman and they had two children, Maureen and Michael. Together, the Reagans had two children, Patricia Ann Reagan (Patti Davis) born on October 21, 1952, and Ronald Prescott Reagan (Ron Reagan) born on May 20, 1958.

Ronald Reagan ran successfully for governor of California in 1966 and Mrs. Reagan became the first lady of California when he was sworn-in in January 1967. Nancy Reagan began some of her more public charitable work at this time starting with regular visits to wounded Vietnam War veterans, hospitals and homes for the elderly, and schools for physically and emotionally handicapped children. She became active in projects concerning prisoners of war (POWs) and servicemen missing in action. 

During one of her visits to the elderly in 1967, Mrs. Reagan observed participants in the Foster Grandparent Program. This program brings together senior citizens and handicapped children, and she soon became its champion. 

The Reagans entered the White House in January 1981 and First Lady Nancy Reagan’s special project was fighting drug and alcohol abuse among youth. To spotlight the problem, she traveled nearly 250,000 miles throughout the U.S. and several countries in conjunction with her campaign to fight substance abuse. She appeared on television talk shows, taped public service announcements, wrote guest articles and visited prevention programs and rehabilitation centers to talk with young people and their parents. 

In spite of some controversies, Mrs. Reagan had many admirers. In each annual Gallup Poll from 1981 to 1989, the American public voted Mrs. Reagan one of the 10 most admired women in the world, and voted her No. 1 in 1981, 1985 and 1987.  

In October 1987, a mammogram detected a lesion in Nancy Reagan’s left breast, and it was cancer. She underwent a radical mastectomy on October 17, 1987. Mrs. Reagan chose to share her diagnosis and treatment with the public, and became an advocate for early detection.

After leaving the White House Mrs. Reagan established the Nancy Reagan Foundation to continue her campaign to educate people about the serious dangers of substance abuse. In 1994, the Nancy Reagan Foundation joined forces with the BEST Foundation For A Drug-Free Tomorrow and developed the Nancy Reagan Afterschool Program, a drug prevention and life-skills program for youth.

In October of 1989, Mrs. Reagan’s memoir, My Turn, was published by Random House. In 1994, Ronald Reagan announced his retirement from public life due to his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

After 2011, her health declined with a series of falls at her home that resulted in broken bones. She died of consumptive heart failure at her Bel Air, California home on March 6, 2016. She was 94. Nancy Davis Reagan is buried on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library grounds next to her husband.

Other first ladies appearing on U.S. postage stamps are, in chronological order of appearance, Martha Washington (1731-1802), Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), Abigail Adams, (1744-1818) Dolley Madison (1768-1849) and Lady Bird Johnson (1912-2017). Washington the first of the first ladies to appear on a stamp, and Roosevelt have each appeared on three stamps; the others one each.

The years of appearance and Scott numbers for each are: Washington (1902-1903, Scott 306; 1923, Scott 556; and 1938, Scott 805); Roosevelt (1963, Scott 1236; 1984, Scott 2105; and 1998, Scott 3185); Madison (1980, 1822); Adams (1985, Scott 2146); and Johnson (2012, Scott 4716f). A more subtle tribute to Adams and her husband, John Adams, was issued in 2001. The design of a pair of Love stamps that year shows details from love letters between the couple.