A West Virginia postage stamp can document statehood, a mountain landmark, rural postal service or a literary figure. Six verified records show those different connections without folding them into Virginia history.
The West Virginia statehood pair
The 1963 5-cent centennial issue and the 2013 Forever sesquicentennial issue share a June 20 anniversary but remain separate postal objects. Their dates and values are the fastest identifiers.
Source-checked West Virginia issue records
New River Gorge Bridge and Glade Creek Grist Mill provide place-based records; Rural Free Delivery and Stephen Vincent Benét use service and cultural connections.
| Issue | Issue date | Value or service | Relationship | Documented subject | First-day place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New River Gorge Bridge | April 11, 2011 | Priority Mail | Other direct state theme | This Priority Mail stamp features a digital illustration by Dan Cosgrove of Clarendon Hills, Illinois, depicting the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia near sunset. | Fayetteville, WV |
| Rural Free Delivery | August 7, 1996 | 32 cents | Other direct state theme | The Postal Service commemorated the 100th anniversary of Rural Free Delivery with the issuance of a 32-cent stamp on August 7, 1996, in Charleston, West Virginia, in conjunction with the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association 92nd National. | Not stated in the extracted record |
| Stephen Vincent Benét | July 22, 1998 | 32 cents | Other direct state theme | The Postal Service issued a 32-cent Stephen Vincent Benet stamp to honor the American author on July 22, 1998, in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. | Harper's Ferry, WV |
| West Virginia Statehood | June 20, 1963 | 5 cents | Statehood | This West Virginia Statehood stamp commemorates the 100th anniversary of West Virginia’s admission into statehood. | Wheeling, WV |
| West Virginia Statehood | June 20, 2013 | Forever | Statehood | With this stamp, the U.S. | Charleston, WV |
| Glade Creek Grist Mill | September 29, 2014 | Priority Mail | Other direct state theme | With this stamp, the U.S. | Danese, WV |
Rural Free Delivery is a postal-history connection
The 1996 issue commemorates a national service milestone and was issued in Charleston with the rural carriers’ convention. Its documented West Virginia setting supports inclusion, but it is not a statehood design.
Keep West Virginia separate from Virginia
The two states are not interchangeable search labels. An issue belongs here only when its archived subject directly concerns West Virginia; generic Appalachian artwork or a Virginia record is not enough.
Issue history versus current availability
These six records distinguish West Virginia subjects and postal services, but they do not authenticate a separate stamp or confirm its condition, price, stock or present mailing value. Those facts require a current item-level check.
West Virginia identifiers
Which West Virginia stamp is Forever postage?
The 2013 statehood anniversary issue is recorded as Forever; the 1963 centennial is 5 cents.
Are both landmark issues ordinary letter stamps?
No. New River Gorge Bridge and Glade Creek Grist Mill are recorded as Priority Mail issues.