1987 22c Love Series: Hearts and Flowers

# 2248 - 1987 22c Love Series: Hearts and Flowers

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311714
Fleetwood First Day Cover ⓘ Ships in 1-3 business days. Ships in 1-3 business days. Free with 590 Points
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U.S. #2248
1987 22¢ Hearts and Flowers
Love Series

  • Sixth stamp in the Love Series
  • First Love stamp produced at definitive size

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Series: 
Love
Value: 
22¢, first-class rate
First Day of Issue: 
January 30, 1987
First Day City: 
San Francisco, California
Quantity Issued: 
811,560,000
Printed by: 
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: 
Photogravure
Format: 
Panes of 100 in sheets of 800
Perforations:  11.5 x 11

 

Why the stamp was issued:  For use on Valentines cards as well as other special occasions.

 

About the stamp design:  This was John Alcorn’s first stamp design.  His image of hearts and flowers in pastel colors and a quilted style were inspired by Pennsylvania Dutch folk art.

 

First Day City:  The First Day ceremony for this stamp was held at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, California.  Tony Bennett, who often performed at the hotel, sang his hit “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” as part of the ceremony.

 

About the Love Series:  Based on the popularity of Christmas stamps, the USPS issued its first Love stamp in 1973.  It wasn’t intended to be the start of a series, and, in fact, it wasn’t until 1982 that another Love stamp was issued.  Love-themed stamps were issued sporadically over the next few years.  The USPS stated that they weren’t intended just for Valentine’s Day mail, but also for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions.  In 1987, the USPS officially declared it a series, and new Love stamps have been issued nearly every year since.  Love stamps are on sale longer than most commemorative stamps and are usually printed in greater quantities.  They have sometimes been known to go back to press for additional printings if demand is sufficient.

 

History the stamp represents:   The stylized heart shape is the universal symbol for passion and love.  There are many theories that seek to explain how the heart shape came to represent love.  One cites the use of the now-extinct silphium plant and the Greek city-state Cyrene in the seventh century B.C.  The silphium plant, which had heart-shaped seeds, was said to be an effective method of birth control. 

 

During the Middle Ages, philosophers and scientists believed the heart was the seat of thought, reason, and emotion.  Early examples of the heart shape can be found in cultures worldwide, dating back several hundred years.  In his 1665 memoir “Travels in India,” jeweler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier describes a 32-carat heart. 

 

During the 1700s, the Asante people of Ghana used heart-shaped symbols on hand embroidered Adinkra clothes to represent the concepts of love and wisdom.  The use of hearts to symbolize romantic love flourished in the Victorian age. 

 

Today, stylized pink or red hearts adorn gifts given as a token of love and friendship.  Heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, engagement rings, and fresh-cut flowers are popular choices for birthdays, anniversaries, and St. Valentine’s Day. 

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U.S. #2248
1987 22¢ Hearts and Flowers
Love Series

  • Sixth stamp in the Love Series
  • First Love stamp produced at definitive size

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Series: 
Love
Value: 
22¢, first-class rate
First Day of Issue: 
January 30, 1987
First Day City: 
San Francisco, California
Quantity Issued: 
811,560,000
Printed by: 
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: 
Photogravure
Format: 
Panes of 100 in sheets of 800
Perforations:  11.5 x 11

 

Why the stamp was issued:  For use on Valentines cards as well as other special occasions.

 

About the stamp design:  This was John Alcorn’s first stamp design.  His image of hearts and flowers in pastel colors and a quilted style were inspired by Pennsylvania Dutch folk art.

 

First Day City:  The First Day ceremony for this stamp was held at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, California.  Tony Bennett, who often performed at the hotel, sang his hit “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” as part of the ceremony.

 

About the Love Series:  Based on the popularity of Christmas stamps, the USPS issued its first Love stamp in 1973.  It wasn’t intended to be the start of a series, and, in fact, it wasn’t until 1982 that another Love stamp was issued.  Love-themed stamps were issued sporadically over the next few years.  The USPS stated that they weren’t intended just for Valentine’s Day mail, but also for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions.  In 1987, the USPS officially declared it a series, and new Love stamps have been issued nearly every year since.  Love stamps are on sale longer than most commemorative stamps and are usually printed in greater quantities.  They have sometimes been known to go back to press for additional printings if demand is sufficient.

 

History the stamp represents:   The stylized heart shape is the universal symbol for passion and love.  There are many theories that seek to explain how the heart shape came to represent love.  One cites the use of the now-extinct silphium plant and the Greek city-state Cyrene in the seventh century B.C.  The silphium plant, which had heart-shaped seeds, was said to be an effective method of birth control. 

 

During the Middle Ages, philosophers and scientists believed the heart was the seat of thought, reason, and emotion.  Early examples of the heart shape can be found in cultures worldwide, dating back several hundred years.  In his 1665 memoir “Travels in India,” jeweler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier describes a 32-carat heart. 

 

During the 1700s, the Asante people of Ghana used heart-shaped symbols on hand embroidered Adinkra clothes to represent the concepts of love and wisdom.  The use of hearts to symbolize romantic love flourished in the Victorian age. 

 

Today, stylized pink or red hearts adorn gifts given as a token of love and friendship.  Heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, engagement rings, and fresh-cut flowers are popular choices for birthdays, anniversaries, and St. Valentine’s Day.