# 5420-23 - 2019 First-Class Forever Stamp - Spooky Silhouettes

US #5420-23
2019 Spooky Silhouettes

• The 3rd time Halloween was commemorated on US stamps (the first was the 1974 Legend of Sleepy Hollow stamp, the 2nd was the 2016 Jack-O’-Lanterns)

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Value:  55¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  October 11, 2019
First Day City:  Milford, New Hampshire
Quantity Issued:  40,000,000
Printed by:  Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method:  Flexographic, Rainbow Foil
Format:  Panes of 20
Tagging:  Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag

Why the stamps were issued:  To celebrate the fun and spookiness of Halloween.

About the stamp designs:  Each design pictures a digital illustration of a traditional symbol of Halloween: black cat and raven, ghosts, spider, and bats. Each is represented in a black silhouette with a backlit window pane of a different color: yellow, orange, red, and purple, respectively.

Special design details:  To add to the fun of these stamp designs, shimmering rainbow foil was added to the printing process. According to the post office, “Beneath the ink of each image lies a layer of iridescent pigment.”

First Day City:  The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at the Milford Pumpkin Festival in Milford, New Hampshire.

History the stamp represents:  Halloween is a holiday with lots of fun traditions like trick or treating, carving pumpkins, and eating candy… But it is also a day when people enjoy putting up spooky decorations in their homes and telling ghost stories.

In 2019, the USPS released four new Forever stamps featuring some of the most popular symbols of Halloween. These issues picture black silhouettes of a cat and raven, a pair of ghosts, a large spider, and a trio of bats. Each Spooky Silhouette stamp was also given a background color classically associated with Halloween: yellow, orange, red, and purple. When you look around every October, you’re sure to see these creatures represented in stores, homes, restaurants, and other public places all over the country.

Since scaring people is one of the traditions of Halloween, these spooky symbols are often used heavily in haunted houses. These attractions pop up in towns everywhere during the early fall months and range from family-friendly (just a little spooky), to over the top and downright terrifying. It often becomes a contest between venues for who can create the most hair-raising experience for guests.

Whichever Halloween experience you are looking for, these traditional spooky decorations help set the scene and make the holiday special.