# 3182d - 1998 32c Celebrate the Century - 1900s: Crayola Crayons

US #3182d
1998 Crayola Crayons – Celebrate the Century (1900s)

• Part of the first sheet in the Celebrate the Century stamp series issued from 1998-2000
• Honors the famous Crayola crayons
• Includes text on the back with historical details

Stamp Category: Commemorative
Series: Celebrate the Century
Value: 32¢ First Class Mail Rate
First Day of Issue: February 3, 1998
First Day City: Washington, DC
Quantity Issued: 188,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset, Intaglio
Format: Panes of 15
Perforations: 11.6
Tagging: Block Tagging

Why the stamp was issued: To commemorate “Crayola crayons and their historical and cultural significance in America.

About the stamp design: Pictures gouache and colored pencil illustration of a vintage box of Crayola crayons by artist Richard Waldrep. Includes the following text on the back “The first box of Crayola crayons was produced in 1903. It cost five cents and contained eight colors: black, brown, blue, red, violet, orange, yellow, and green.”

First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held in Washington, DC, with legendary radio and television host Larry King as master of ceremonies.

About the Celebrate the Century series: The USPS launched the Celebrate the Century series in 1998 to mark the end of the 20th century and herald the arrival of the 21st. The series includes 10 sheets of 15 stamps (150 in total), with each honoring important moments from a different decade (1900s, 10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s). At the time of completion, it was the longest and most ambitious commemorative stamp series in US history.

History the stamp represents: Crayons have become familiar, as well as popular, in American households during the 20th century. Shaped like short pencils, these sticks of colored wax are often a child’s first drawing tools. Children use crayons to create bright, colorful drawings.

Crayons are made by adding pigments to heated wax. The mixture is then poured into molds. As the mixture cools, the crayons harden, and they are wrapped individually in paper.

Wax crayons were used in Europe during the 1700s. They were first made in the United States in 1903 by Binney and Smith, a company located in Easton, Pennsylvania. Their first box of Crayola crayons cost five cents and included eight colors – green, yellow, orange, red, violet, blue, brown, and black. A similar package is still sold today, although there are many different color and size assortments available as well. A box of 24 crayons is actually one of the bestsellers. Newer packages have included gemstone, metallic, and neon colors.

With their Crayola crayons, Binney and Smith, Inc. remains the leader in the manufacturing of colored wax crayons today. In fact, the company makes over 5 million crayons every day – which adds up to nearly 2 billion crayons per year!