US #3222-25
1998 Tropical Birds

Set of 4 picturing birds native to islands belonging to US

Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Tropical Birds
Value: 32¢, First Class Mail Rate
First Day of Issue: July 29, 2998
First Day City: Ponce, Puerto Rico
Quantity Issued: 70,000,000
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset, Microprint
Format: Pane of 20
Perforations: 11.2

Why the stamp was issued: This set of four stamps features a popular stamp subject – birds. These species are from tropical areas with strong relationships to the US.

About the stamp design: Artist Robert Giusti was the talent behind the illustrations of tropical birds shown on these stamps. Three of the birds are interacting with flowers native to their home territories. Giusti’s paintings had previously been featured on definitive stamps and the 1992 Wild Animals stamps.

Special design details: Each stamp has a microprinted “USPS” included in the design. On three of the stamps, it’s incorporated into the plant, while it’s on the wing of the Green-throated Carib.

First Day City: The First Day of Issue ceremony took place at the Pontifica Universidad Catolica Amphitheatre in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Two of the bird species are native to this US territory.

History these stamps represent: This four-stamp se-tenant features tropical birds that are native to the islands belonging to the United States. The Antillean Euphonia resides in the thick mountain forests of Puerto Rico. The Green-throated Carib is also found in Puerto Rico, but along the northeast coast. The Crested Honeycreeper is an endangered species from the rain forests of Maui, and the Cardinal Honeyeater lives on the South Pacific island of Samoa.