# 3105 FDC - 1996 32c Endangered Species
US #3105
1996 Endangered Species
- First Day Cover
- Set of 15 stamps picturing Endangered Species
- Issued during national Stamp Collecting Month
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Endangered Species
Value: 32¢First-Class mail rate
First Day of Issue: October 2, 1996
First Day City: San Diego, California
Quantity Issued: 14,910,000
Printed by: Ashton-Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Lithographed
Format: Panes of 15 (3 across, 5 down) from printing plates of 90 (9 across, 10 down)
Perforations: 11.1 x 11
Why the stamp was issued: The pane of 15 Endangered Species stamps was issued as part of the US Postal Service’s National Stamp Collecting Month. The theme for 1996 was “Collect and Protect.” The USPS hoped these stamps would appeal to children, who would then become lifelong stamp collectors.
About the stamp design: The stamps show photographs of 15 animal species that live in America and re threatened with extinction. The photos were taken by James Balog. The animals chosen for the stamps are from all major geographic areas of the US.
Special design details: The Florida Panther on the stamp in the lower left corner is the only image that breaks the stamp border. Its legs extend past the stamp to the selvage.
The stamp designs were revealed in November 1995. Immediately, there was a strong outcry against the Manatee stamp because the image seemed unnatural for that mammal. Balog went to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida, and used his underwater equipment to photograph the image of a pair of manatees that was used for the stamp.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue ceremony took place at the San Diego Zoo. In 1996, the zoo was celebrating its 80th birthday. The country of Mexico issued its own pane of endangered species stamps on the same day and took part in the First Day of Issue ceremony. (The stamps were not a joint issue.) In addition to honored human guests, two sea lions, an Andean condor, and a North American timber wolf were also in attendance at the celebration.
Unusual fact about the Endangered Species stamps: The 1996 National Stamp Collecting Month was co-sponsored by the US Postal Service and the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.
About the Endangered Species Set: The species shown on the pane of Endangered Species stamps are: Black-footed Ferret, Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly, Brown Pelican, San Francisco Garter Snake, Ocelot, Gila Trout, Hawaiian Monk Seal, Thick-billed Parrot, California Condor, Wyoming Toad, Woodland Caribou, Florida manatee, Florida Panther, Piping Plover, and American Crocodile. All of them are listed on the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants.
US #3105
1996 Endangered Species
- First Day Cover
- Set of 15 stamps picturing Endangered Species
- Issued during national Stamp Collecting Month
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Endangered Species
Value: 32¢First-Class mail rate
First Day of Issue: October 2, 1996
First Day City: San Diego, California
Quantity Issued: 14,910,000
Printed by: Ashton-Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Lithographed
Format: Panes of 15 (3 across, 5 down) from printing plates of 90 (9 across, 10 down)
Perforations: 11.1 x 11
Why the stamp was issued: The pane of 15 Endangered Species stamps was issued as part of the US Postal Service’s National Stamp Collecting Month. The theme for 1996 was “Collect and Protect.” The USPS hoped these stamps would appeal to children, who would then become lifelong stamp collectors.
About the stamp design: The stamps show photographs of 15 animal species that live in America and re threatened with extinction. The photos were taken by James Balog. The animals chosen for the stamps are from all major geographic areas of the US.
Special design details: The Florida Panther on the stamp in the lower left corner is the only image that breaks the stamp border. Its legs extend past the stamp to the selvage.
The stamp designs were revealed in November 1995. Immediately, there was a strong outcry against the Manatee stamp because the image seemed unnatural for that mammal. Balog went to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida, and used his underwater equipment to photograph the image of a pair of manatees that was used for the stamp.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue ceremony took place at the San Diego Zoo. In 1996, the zoo was celebrating its 80th birthday. The country of Mexico issued its own pane of endangered species stamps on the same day and took part in the First Day of Issue ceremony. (The stamps were not a joint issue.) In addition to honored human guests, two sea lions, an Andean condor, and a North American timber wolf were also in attendance at the celebration.
Unusual fact about the Endangered Species stamps: The 1996 National Stamp Collecting Month was co-sponsored by the US Postal Service and the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.
About the Endangered Species Set: The species shown on the pane of Endangered Species stamps are: Black-footed Ferret, Schaus Swallowtail Butterfly, Brown Pelican, San Francisco Garter Snake, Ocelot, Gila Trout, Hawaiian Monk Seal, Thick-billed Parrot, California Condor, Wyoming Toad, Woodland Caribou, Florida manatee, Florida Panther, Piping Plover, and American Crocodile. All of them are listed on the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants.