U.S. #1455
8¢ Family Planning
Issue Date: March 18, 1972
City: New York, NY
Quantity: 153,025,000
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Giori Press
Perforations: 11
Color: Multicolored

In the early 1970s, there was growing concern about rapid population growth. This stamp was issued to highlight responsible family planning as a way to help control it.

The path to this stamp was far from smooth. Supporters had lobbied for years for a stamp honoring birth control advocate Margaret Sanger, and Planned Parenthood was one of the chief proponents. The effort sparked controversy and drew objections from the Catholic Church and other opponents. After five years of debate, the stamp was finally issued, but without any reference to Sanger. The result was a design centered on the broader theme of family planning rather than on any one person.

In the early 1970s, there was growing concern about rapid population growth. This stamp was issued to highlight responsible family planning as a way to help control it.