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As part of a series with the Smithsonian Institution presenting 25 objects that tell the story of America, Daniel Piazza, chief curator of philately at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, talks about the significance of the first stamps issued by the federal government. 

Plus, few people know the real story of "The Star-Spangled Banner," or that the massive flag that inspired it still exists. Jennifer Jones, a curator of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, shares the history of the banner.

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