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Caption
Lady Liberty and U.S. Flag (2011)
Number
4559
Prompt
A tiny, neon-style sparkle animates in Liberty's eye. The statue turns toward the camera, lowers its torch and then raises it higher toward the camera. The background subtly shifts from a plain color to a pattern reminiscent of casino lights, then back again.
Body

This Forever stamp is perhaps the most famous error in modern philatelic history. The USPS selected a stock photograph for its dramatic and fresh perspective on the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, the photograph was of the replica statue that stands on the Las Vegas Strip. The replica's sculptor, Robert Davidson, had created a face that he described as more "fresh-faced" and "sultry" than the original. After the mistake was discovered, it led to a copyright infringement lawsuit that the USPS ultimately lost. Despite the error, the Postal Service continued to sell the billions of stamps it had printed, making it the most common and widely distributed error stamp in history.