1999-2000 33c Fruit: Berries, Set of 16 Stamps

Are You Missing the Complete Fruit Berries Set?

Scott #3294–3407 is a set of 16 stamps from the 1999–2000 Fruit Berries series, featuring four designs repeated across multiple formats: blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. The designs were issued in several different configurations — perforated sheet stamps, booklet stamps, and coil stamps — which accounts for the range of Scott numbers in the set. Each stamp is denominated at 33 cents and printed in bright, naturalistic color that makes the fruit practically pop off the paper. The 2000 issues (from booklets) are noted by their slightly different appearance and Scott numbers in the 3400s.

The Berries series was part of the U.S. Postal Service's ongoing effort in the late 1990s to issue stamps featuring American food and agriculture in a style that appealed to a broad audience. The four berries chosen — blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries — are among the most widely grown and consumed fruits in the United States. All four are native to North America or have been cultivated here for centuries. Blueberries in particular are one of the few fruits native to North America, and the United States remains one of the world's top producers today.

The Berries stamps were popular with the general public and with topical collectors alike, and their repeated appearance across sheet, coil, and booklet formats gives collectors a satisfying variety to assemble into a complete set. The bright, close-up photographic style of the designs was a departure from more traditional engraved stamp art, reflecting the USPS's move in the 1990s toward offset printing and photographic imagery for definitive and commemorative issues.

Here's what you'll get:

3294-97   

3298-3301 

3302-05   

3404-07