# 1336 - 1967 5c Traditional Christmas: Madonna and Child
Issue Date: November 6, 1967
City: Bethlehem, GA
Quantity: 1,208,700,000
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Lithographed, Engraved
Perforations: 11
Color: Multicolored
The sixth U.S. Christmas issue utilizes the same design as the previous year, the "Madonna and Child With Angels," by Hans Memling. However, because the stamp is nearly twice the size of the original issue, greater detail can be enjoyed.
First Traditional Christmas Stamp
By the early 1960s, the US Post Office was receiving 1,000 letters a year (for several years) asking for a Christmas-themed stamp to frank their holiday mail. The idea was approved and the US issued its first Christmas stamp on November 1, 1962.
The stamp was wildly popular, featuring popular holiday decorations of a wreath and candles. The Post Office had expected there would be a great demand for the issue, so they printed 350 million stamps – the largest print run for a special stamp up to that time. Those 350 million stamps sold out quickly, leading the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to produce more stamps – reaching over 860 million by the end of the year.
Then in 1970, the Post Office made a big change. To keep people in both camps happy, they issued one traditional Christmas stamp, picturing a classic painting of the Nativity, plus a block of four picturing Christmas toys. That decision proved popular and they have continued to issue stamps with both traditional and contemporary Christmas themes ever since.
Click here to view all the Contemporary Christmas stamps.
Issue Date: November 6, 1967
City: Bethlehem, GA
Quantity: 1,208,700,000
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Lithographed, Engraved
Perforations: 11
Color: Multicolored
The sixth U.S. Christmas issue utilizes the same design as the previous year, the "Madonna and Child With Angels," by Hans Memling. However, because the stamp is nearly twice the size of the original issue, greater detail can be enjoyed.
First Traditional Christmas Stamp
By the early 1960s, the US Post Office was receiving 1,000 letters a year (for several years) asking for a Christmas-themed stamp to frank their holiday mail. The idea was approved and the US issued its first Christmas stamp on November 1, 1962.
The stamp was wildly popular, featuring popular holiday decorations of a wreath and candles. The Post Office had expected there would be a great demand for the issue, so they printed 350 million stamps – the largest print run for a special stamp up to that time. Those 350 million stamps sold out quickly, leading the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to produce more stamps – reaching over 860 million by the end of the year.
Then in 1970, the Post Office made a big change. To keep people in both camps happy, they issued one traditional Christmas stamp, picturing a classic painting of the Nativity, plus a block of four picturing Christmas toys. That decision proved popular and they have continued to issue stamps with both traditional and contemporary Christmas themes ever since.
Click here to view all the Contemporary Christmas stamps.