# 5209 - 2017 First-Class Forever Stamp - Have a Ball!: Tennis Ball
US #5209
2017 Tennis Ball – Have a Ball!
• Special coating gives this stamp a textured feel
• One of eight stamps that make up the #3 most popular issue of 2017 as voted by stamp collectors
Stamp Category: Definitive
Set: Have a Ball!
Value: 49¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: June 14, 2017
First Day City: Hartford, Wisconsin
Quantity Issued: 80,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset, Flexographic
Format: Panes of 16
Tagging: Nonphosphored Type III, Spot Tag
Why the stamp was issued: To celebrate America’s love of tennis.
About the stamp design: Circular in shape and includes an image of a traditional bright yellow-green and white tennis ball. Stamp art created by artist Daniel Nyari.
Special design details: The design had a special coating applied to certain areas of the stamp during printing to give it a textured feel.
First Day City: First Day of Issue Ceremony was held in Erin, Wisconsin, during the US Open golf tournament which was held from June 12-18.
About the Have a Ball! set: Emphasizes the popularity of sports in the United States, both as players and spectators. Includes eight stamp designs, each picturing a different ball: football, volleyball, soccer ball, golf ball, baseball, basketball, tennis ball, and kickball.
History the stamp represents: Modern tennis was introduced in Birmingham, England, in the late 19th century, though its origins date as far back as the 12th century France. King Louis X played an early version of the game and is history’s first tennis player recorded by name. Tennis arrived in the United States in 1874 by Mary Eqing Outerbridge, who witnessed the sport played by British army officers in Bermuda.
Early tennis balls were made of leather stuffed with wool, but when Charles Goodyear invented vulcanized (very strong) rubber in the mid-1800s, their design changed. The new tennis balls consisted of a rubber ball filled with air and covered in flannel or other cloth. Fluorescent yellow felt replaced the flannel in 1972 to make the ball more visible to fans watching matches on television.
Today, the most popular tennis matches are the four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbeldon, and US Open. Each event features courts made of different materials (including grass and red clay), with the ball reacting accordingly. This makes winning all four very difficult as most players have only one type of court they play best on.
Tennis is played by millions of people of all ages around the world. It is a sport everyone can enjoy, whether as a spectator or an athlete.
US #5209
2017 Tennis Ball – Have a Ball!
• Special coating gives this stamp a textured feel
• One of eight stamps that make up the #3 most popular issue of 2017 as voted by stamp collectors
Stamp Category: Definitive
Set: Have a Ball!
Value: 49¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: June 14, 2017
First Day City: Hartford, Wisconsin
Quantity Issued: 80,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset, Flexographic
Format: Panes of 16
Tagging: Nonphosphored Type III, Spot Tag
Why the stamp was issued: To celebrate America’s love of tennis.
About the stamp design: Circular in shape and includes an image of a traditional bright yellow-green and white tennis ball. Stamp art created by artist Daniel Nyari.
Special design details: The design had a special coating applied to certain areas of the stamp during printing to give it a textured feel.
First Day City: First Day of Issue Ceremony was held in Erin, Wisconsin, during the US Open golf tournament which was held from June 12-18.
About the Have a Ball! set: Emphasizes the popularity of sports in the United States, both as players and spectators. Includes eight stamp designs, each picturing a different ball: football, volleyball, soccer ball, golf ball, baseball, basketball, tennis ball, and kickball.
History the stamp represents: Modern tennis was introduced in Birmingham, England, in the late 19th century, though its origins date as far back as the 12th century France. King Louis X played an early version of the game and is history’s first tennis player recorded by name. Tennis arrived in the United States in 1874 by Mary Eqing Outerbridge, who witnessed the sport played by British army officers in Bermuda.
Early tennis balls were made of leather stuffed with wool, but when Charles Goodyear invented vulcanized (very strong) rubber in the mid-1800s, their design changed. The new tennis balls consisted of a rubber ball filled with air and covered in flannel or other cloth. Fluorescent yellow felt replaced the flannel in 1972 to make the ball more visible to fans watching matches on television.
Today, the most popular tennis matches are the four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbeldon, and US Open. Each event features courts made of different materials (including grass and red clay), with the ball reacting accordingly. This makes winning all four very difficult as most players have only one type of court they play best on.
Tennis is played by millions of people of all ages around the world. It is a sport everyone can enjoy, whether as a spectator or an athlete.