Issue Date: April 4, 1985
City: Boston, MA
Quantity: 1,032,510,000
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Engraved
Perforations: 10
Color: Black and multi

 

This booklet was also another "first" - it was the first time the USPS had ever featured seashells on any of its postal products. Collected for their beauty and rarity, shells were once used as tools and currency. American Indians used shells, called wampum, for money. The more colorful the shell, the more valuable the wampum. Polished shells were also used for ornamental beadwork on their clothing. The five shells pictured on these stamps are all found in North American waters.