![YS1964 - 1964 Commemorative Stamp Year Set YS1964 - 1964 Commemorative Stamp Year Set](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-9xwo1raw7u/images/stencil/500x659/products/75562/57084/USA-YS1964__67545.1711054400.jpg?c=1)
# 1254-57 - 1964 5c Christmas
5¢ Christmas Issue
City: Bethlehem, PA
Quantity: 351,940,000
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Giori Press
Perforations: 11
Color: Black, green, and carmine
First U.S. Se-Tenant
![](../../../../content/product_images/USA-1254-57.jpg)
On November 9, 1964, the U.S. Post Office issued its first se-tenant, which was also America’s third Christmas issue.
A se-tenant is two or more stamps with different designs or values printed together on the same sheet. The name comes from the French phrase for “joined together” or “holding together.”
![](../../../../content/product_images/USA-10X1.jpg)
While U.S. #1254-57 is often considered America’s first se-tenant, the U.S. did issue attached stamps with different designs more than a century earlier. Between 1845 and 1847, there were four U.S. Postmasters’ Provisional stamps that were se-tenants. There was the Baltimore Postmaster’s Provisional that had two different images and values on a sheet of 12, the St. Louis Bears provisional that had three different images on a sheet of six, the Providence, Rhode Island provisional with two different images on a sheet of 12, and the Alexandria provisional, which were a pair of similar, but not identical, 5¢ images.
While there were no more se-tenant issues for over 100 years, U.S. did issue stamps with different designs but as part of imperforate souvenir sheets in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. These included #778 for the Third International Philatelic Exhibition, #948 for CIPEX, and #1075 for FIPEX. While these all were sheets with different images, they’re considered souvenir sheets or miniature sheets, pictured reprints of previously issued stamps, and were imperforate.
5¢ Christmas Issue
City: Bethlehem, PA
Quantity: 351,940,000
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Giori Press
Perforations: 11
Color: Black, green, and carmine
First U.S. Se-Tenant
![](../../../../content/product_images/USA-1254-57.jpg)
On November 9, 1964, the U.S. Post Office issued its first se-tenant, which was also America’s third Christmas issue.
A se-tenant is two or more stamps with different designs or values printed together on the same sheet. The name comes from the French phrase for “joined together” or “holding together.”
![](../../../../content/product_images/USA-10X1.jpg)
While U.S. #1254-57 is often considered America’s first se-tenant, the U.S. did issue attached stamps with different designs more than a century earlier. Between 1845 and 1847, there were four U.S. Postmasters’ Provisional stamps that were se-tenants. There was the Baltimore Postmaster’s Provisional that had two different images and values on a sheet of 12, the St. Louis Bears provisional that had three different images on a sheet of six, the Providence, Rhode Island provisional with two different images on a sheet of 12, and the Alexandria provisional, which were a pair of similar, but not identical, 5¢ images.
While there were no more se-tenant issues for over 100 years, U.S. did issue stamps with different designs but as part of imperforate souvenir sheets in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. These included #778 for the Third International Philatelic Exhibition, #948 for CIPEX, and #1075 for FIPEX. While these all were sheets with different images, they’re considered souvenir sheets or miniature sheets, pictured reprints of previously issued stamps, and were imperforate.