US #2597
1993 Eagle and Shield

Self-Adhesive
Same design produced by three printing companies
Cost of booklet pane included surcharge

Category of Stamp: Definitive
Value: 29¢, First Class mail rate
First Day of Issue: September 25, 1992
First Day City: Dayton, Ohio
Quantity Issued: 360,060,0... more

US #2597
1993 Eagle and Shield

Self-Adhesive
Same design produced by three printing companies
Cost of booklet pane included surcharge

Category of Stamp: Definitive
Value: 29¢, First Class mail rate
First Day of Issue: September 25, 1992
First Day City: Dayton, Ohio
Quantity Issued: 360,060,000
Printed by: Stamp Venturers
Printing Method/Format: Photogravure (Panes of 17 stamps plus 1 message unit, 380 subjects per printing cylinder – 24 across, 15 down, plus 20 coil stamps)
Perforations: Die Cut
Self-Adhesive

Reason the stamp was issued: The Eagle and Shield stamps were issued asself-adhesive. The larger production of these stamps was the next step in the US Postal Service’s series of experiments in introducing pressure-sensitive stamps.

About the stamp design: Airbrush artist Jay Haiden produced the central image for this stamp. He was also the talent behind the 1989 eagle stamp (#2431). The eagle on the 1992 stamp is shown from the side rather than the front and with larger wings.

The American eagle holding a shield and olive branch is similar to the image on the Great Seal of the US. It first appeared on a postage stamp in the 1869 series (#121).

Special design details: This stamp, printed by Stamp Venturers, has the denomination and “USA” in red. The other printers used different colors for this portion of the stamp.
The phrase “ Self-adhesive * DO NOT WET” was repeated on the backing paper because self-adhesive stamps were a fairly new idea for most customers.

About the printing process: The stamps and backing paper were printed in a single pass through the printer. Each booklet pane contained 17 stamps and a message unit that encouraged proper addressing of envelopes.
To ensure that the USPS had the quantity of these stamps to meet demand, three manufacturers were chosen: Dittler Brothers, Stamp Venturers, and Bank Note Corporation.

First Day City: The Eagle and Shield stamps produced by all three printers were placed on sale at Airpex XVII, the annual exhibition of the Dayton Stamp Club.

Unusual thing about this stamp: Customers who purchased the seventeen 29¢ stamps for $5.00 paid a 7-cent surcharge for the convenience of having no-tear, no-lick, self-stick stamps. A survey showed that a significant number of customers were willing to pay the surcharge for the deluxe, self-adhesive issues.

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US #2597
1993 Eagle and Shield

Self-Adhesive
Same design produced by three printing companies
Cost of booklet pane included surcharge