1997 Flag Over Porch, bklt pane single

U.S. #2921ds
1996 32¢ Flag Over Porch

Issue Date: May 21, 1996
City: Washington, DC

Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Printing Method: Photogravure

Perforations: Serpentine die cut 9.8

Color: Multicolored

Featuring a Victorian-style house behind a waving American flag, this 32-cent stamp was produced as both a self-adhesive and a normally gummed version. The original plans for releasing both versions of the stamps on May 19, 1995, were changed due to the huge demand from the public for the easy-to-use self-adhesives. As a result, the self-adhesive version was released a month earlier than scheduled, on April 18, 1995.

The Flag Over Porch stamp also marked the first time a self-adhesive stamp was issued with simulated perforation die cuts, so that it appeared to be perforated.

In 1996 and 1997, additional Flag Over Porch stamps were issued in self-adhesive format to meet consumer demand. Produced as a coil and booklet, these stamps mark the first time the self-adhesive format was printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing since 1974. The 1997 release differs from the 1996 Flag Over Porch printed by Stamp Venturers only in the perforation measurement and in the absence of a liner or backing paper. Instead of a peel-off backing paper, the front of the linerless stamps received a special silicone coating to prevent the self-adhesive stamps from sticking to one another when coiled.