US #2718
1992 29¢ Steamship
Christmas Toys
- Contemporary Christmas stamps for 1992
- Issued as sheets and booklets
- Pictures antique toy steamship
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Value: 29¢, First Class Mail rate
First Day of Issue: October 22, 1992
First Day City: Kansas City, Missouri
Quantity Issued: 108,137,500 stamps
Printed by: American Bank Note Company
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Booklets of 20
Perforations: 11
Why the stamp was issued: This stamp is part of a set of four stamps that was the Contemporary Christmas issues in 1992.
About the stamp design: The stamp art was the work of Lou Nolan. He painted his designs of four antique toys on illustration board. The steamship was based on photos taken of a friend’s handmade toy steamship.
Nolan’s work can be seen on several stamps in the Transportation series and other US stamps.
Special design details: To prevent counterfeiting, Ashton-Potter printed the “29” and “USA” using a special green ink that contained metallic elements. If the stamps were photocopied, the colors would have separated. In addition, each stamp has a microscopic “© 1992” included on the red trim on the top deck of the ship. A third security feature is a small patch of magenta dots located under the open deck at the back of the ship.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue ceremony for the Christmas Toys stamps took place at Hallmark Cards Corporate Headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri.