US #2537
1991 Love Birds
- 11th stamp in the Love series
- 2nd two-ounce stamp in the series
Category of Stamp: Commemorative
Set: Love Series
Value: 52¢, 2nd ounce mail rate
First Day of Issue: May 9, 1991
First Day City: Honolulu, Hawaii
Quantity Issued: 200,000,000
Printed by: American... more
US #2537
1991 Love Birds
- 11th stamp in the Love series
- 2nd two-ounce stamp in the series
Category of Stamp: Commemorative
Set: Love Series
Value: 52¢, 2nd ounce mail rate
First Day of Issue: May 9, 1991
First Day City: Honolulu, Hawaii
Quantity Issued: 200,000,000
Printed by: American Bank Note Company
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 50, from printing cylinders of 300 subjects (15 across, 20 down)
Perforations: 11
Reason the stamp was issued: This stamp was issued to satisfy the mail rate for letters weighing more than one ounce and up to two ounces. It was often used to mail wedding invitations. It is part of the long-running Love series and only the second two-ounce stamp in the series.
About the stamp design: The Love stamp pictures a pair of Fischer’s Lovebirds on a palm frond. Nancy Krause was the artist behind this stamp, which was her first for the Postal Service.
First Day City: Four Love postal items (this stamp in sheet and booklet form, a 52¢ stamp, and a stamped envelope) were issued during the same ceremony, which took place at the Honolulu Zoo. “Mari” the elephant unveiled each design.
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.
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