# 2378 - 1988 25c Love Series: Pink Rose

U.S. #2378
1988 25¢ Pink Rose
Love Series

• 7^th stamp in Love Series; second to be issued after Valentine’s Day
• Rose on stamp was actually yellow but changed to pink at the BEP
• Issued at the Rose Bowl on Fourth of July

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Series:  Love
Value:  25¢, first-class rate
First Day of Issue:  July 4, 1988
First Day City:  Pasadena, California
Quantity Issued:  841,240,000
Printed by:  Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method:  Photogravure
Format:  Panes of 100 in sheets of 400
Perforations:  11

Why the stamp was issued:  This was the second time a Love stamp was issued after Valentine’s Day.  That was because there was a postal rate change early in the year that would have made a Love stamp issued before Valentine’s Day obsolete. As the USPS has long said, Love stamps are not just for Valentines, but for all special occasions throughout the year. 

About the stamp design:  Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Coordinator Richard D. Sheaff was tasked with providing the image for this stamp.  He hired photographer Robert Schlowsky and his wife, who purchase a large variety of roses to photograph.  Sheaff created about 20 different stamp designs from these featuring roses of different colors in different arrangements in commemorative, definitive, and square formats.  The committee had comments and two more photo sessions were held 40 more designs were mocked up.  In the end, they selected an image of a single bloom against a leafy green background. 

However, the flower was yellow and they wanted a pink rose.  They decided that the BEP would electronically color the flower.  However, when collectors and rose enthusiasts asked what variety of rose it was, they received different answers.  One said it was “based on a photographic essay showing a bloom of the Tournament of Roses variety,” while another said it was the Color of Magic variety.  In the end, the USPS said they didn’t intend for it to be “any one rose variety.”

Issued a month later, the 45¢ Love stamp (#2379) has a similar design created by the same team and was intended for use on bulky wedding invitations that often weigh more than an ounce.

First Day City:  The First Day ceremony for this stamp was held as part of the Fourth of July Independence Day celebration at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.  That evening’s fireworks show included a fireworks recreation of the Love the stamp!

Unusual fact about this stamp:  A small number of these stamps have been found imperforate.

About the Love Series:  Based on the popularity of Christmas stamps, the USPS issued its first Love stamp in 1973.  It wasn’t intended to be the start of a series, and, in fact, it wasn’t until 1982 that another Love stamp was issued.  Love-themed stamps were issued sporadically over the next few years.  The USPS stated that they weren’t intended just for Valentine’s Day mail, but also for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions.  In 1987, the USPS officially declared it a series, and new Love stamps have been issued nearly every year since.  Love stamps are on sale longer than most commemorative stamps and are usually printed in greater quantities.  They have sometimes been known to go back to press for additional printings if demand is sufficient.

History the stamp represents:  Attar of rose, the essential oil in roses, is used to make perfume.  This oil is also used to make rose water, which is a common ingredient in Asian and Middle Eastern recipes.  It takes nearly 2,000 roses to make one gram of rose oil.

High in vitamin C, rose hips (the fruit of rose plants) are used to make jams, jellies, marmalades, teas, and syrups.  Rose hip seed oil is used in many skin and makeup products.

In ancient Rome, people often hung a wild rose on the door of a room for secret or confidential discussions.  Sub rosa, or “under the rose” means to keep a secret and comes from this ancient tradition.

According to some pagan legends, wild roses were placed on coffins in the belief that they would keep the dead from rising.

Scottish legend states that a white rose blooming in the fall is a sign of an early marriage.

The rose is the national flower of England, the U.S., and Bulgaria.  It is also the state flower of Iowa, North Dakota, Georgia, and New York.

One of Portland, Oregon’s nicknames is the “City of Roses,” and is home to the annual Rose Festival.

The “Rose Capital of America” is located in Tyler, Texas.  The town produces about 20% of the nation’s rose bushes and is home to the country’s largest municipal rose garden.

Rose colors have different meanings associated with them.  Pink roses signify appreciation and are used to say “Thank you.”  Yellow roses are associated with joy, gladness, friendship, and delight.  White roses are a symbol of purity, humility, and reverence.