US #2489a
1993 Red Squirrel
- Pane of 18
- Part of Flora and Fauna series
- First self-adhesive definitive issued in 1993
- Produced in booklets of 18 and coils of 5004
Stamp Category: Definitive
Set: Flora and Fauna Series
... more
US #2489a
1993 Red Squirrel
- Pane of 18
- Part of Flora and Fauna series
- First self-adhesive definitive issued in 1993
- Produced in booklets of 18 and coils of 5004
Stamp Category: Definitive
Set: Flora and Fauna Series
Value: 29¢, First Class mail rate
First Day of Issue: June 25, 1993
First Day City: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Printed by: Dittler Brothers Inc.
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 18 and coils of 5004, from cylinders of 288
Perforations: Die Cut
Why the stamp was issued: This stamp was issued to cover the First-Class mail rate. It was one of the first self-adhesive definitives of 1993 issued to satisfy customer demand.
About the stamp design: The Red Squirrel stamp features the artwork of natural-history artist Michael Matherly. He was the talent behind three previous stamps in the Flora and Fauna series. After submitting sketches for the new stamp, Matherly produced an acrylic painting of the approved design. The yellow background was added by the printer as a contrast to the image.
Special design details: The name of the species pictured was not included in the stamp design because it was on the cover of the booklet. As a result, the image of the Red Squirrel filled up more of the space on the stamp.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue ceremony took place during TOPEX 93, held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This is the annual convention of the American Topical Association.
About the Flora and Fauna series:
The Flora and Fauna stamps picture plants and animals found in the United States. The definitives were originally called the “Wildlife” series, which replaced the Great Americans series. The first stamp in the series was the $2 Bobcat issued in June 1990. The first time the term “Flora and Fauna” was used for the series was nine years later, when the Red-Headed Woodpecker stamp was used.
The series contained 36 face-different stamps. The flora stamps pictured flowers, berries, fruit, and a pinecone. The fauna stamps mostly depicted birds but also included four-footed animals, a honeybee, and a sunfish. The final stamps in the series were issued in 2001.
History the stamp represents: A lively animal, the squirrel is found throughout the world in a variety of habitats including forests, deserts, plains, and tundra. Although there are over 300 kinds of squirrels, there are basically two main types; tree squirrels and ground squirrels.
Tree squirrels, which have long bushy tails, can be found scampering through parks and woodlands, and live primarily in trees. Gray squirrels, red squirrels, and flying squirrels are some of the more commonly known tree squirrels. Ground squirrels, which have no tail and live primarily on the ground, include chipmunks, prairie dogs, and woodchucks.
The word squirrel comes from two Greek words meaning shadow tail, and was probably used because their large tails seem to curve over their backs, keeping them in the shade. Their tails also help squirrels keep their balance when running along branches and jumping from tree to tree.
Red squirrels, which have reddish-brown fur and white underparts, are the noisiest and most active of all squirrels. They continually seem to scold one another with a variety of loud chirps and whistles, and are known for the large number of pine cones they can cut and store (one squirrel can cut 100 cones in an hour).
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