US #5485
2020 Heirloom and Cherry Tomatoes – Fruits and Vegetables
- Celebrates the tradition of using fruits and vegetables as subjects for still lifes
Stamp Category: Definitive
Set: Fruits and Vegetables
Value: 55¢ Firs... more
US #5485
2020 Heirloom and Cherry Tomatoes – Fruits and Vegetables
- Celebrates the tradition of using fruits and vegetables as subjects for still lifes
Stamp Category: Definitive
Set: Fruits and Vegetables
Value: 55¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: July 17, 2020
First Day City: Charleston, West Virginia
Quantity Issued: 200,000,000
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Double-sided booklets of 20
Tagging: Phosphor tagged paper, block
Why the stamps were issued: To show off the simple beauty of fruits and vegetables.
About the stamp designs: Pictures existing artwork of heirloom and cherry tomatoes by Robert Papp.
First Day City: According to the USPS, Charleston, West Virginia, was chosen for the First Day of Issue postmark because of the city’s famous Capitol Market, a year-round farmers’ market and nonprofit organization. There was no First Day of Issue Ceremony due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
About the Fruits and Vegetables set: Includes 10 different stamps designs all picturing a different fruit or vegetable still life by Robert Papp.
History the stamp represents: When most people think of tomatoes, they picture the bright red varieties that are most common today. However, this has not always been the case. In fact, most tomatoes were multicolored until the discovery of a genetic mutation in the 1940s that led to all-red fruits.
Today, multicolored tomatoes are known as “heirloom” varieties. They exist thanks to small-town farmers and gardeners who have preserved the original form of the fruit. This was made possible because, unlike modern hybrid tomatoes (all-red), heirloom tomato seeds produce identical fruit to their parent.
All-red hybrid tomatoes are still the most common varieties found in supermarkets. Though, a renewed interest in heirloom tomatoes (and heirloom plants in general) began in the 2010s. This is because modern hybrid tomatoes have been bred to hold up better on supermarket shelves, at the expense of their flavor. While heirloom tomatoes are less disease resistant and have a shorter shelf life, they contain more sugar and are much more flavorful than hybrid tomatoes.
Of course, the best tomatoes of all are those picked fresh from the garden during the summer months. And with the heirloom varieties, you’ll have colorful, delicious tomatoes of many sizes to enjoy in your salads, pasta dishes, and much more.
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