U.S. #2253
5¢ Milk Wagon
Transportation Series Coil Stamp
Issue Date: September 25, 1987
City: Indianapolis, IN
Quantity: 23,800,000
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Engraved
Perforations: 10 vertically
Color: Black
From the 1850s to the mid-1930s, home delivery was the most practical way for dairies to sell their milk, and the milk wagon became a popular sight on town and city streets. Eventually, trucks began to replace the wagons during the 1920s, and by the 1940s, the amount of milk sold in stores exceeded the amount sold on delivery routes.
The Transportation Series
A ground-breaking stamp was quietly issued on May 18, 1981. For the first time in U.S. history, a coil stamp featured its own unique design rather than simply copying that of the current definitive stamp. Fifty more coil stamps would be issued over the course of the next 15 years, each picturing a different mode of transportation.
The various denominations provided face values to exactly match the rates for several categories of Third Class mail (bulk rate and quanity-discounted mail). As the rates changed, new stamps with new values were added. Never before had a stamp series included so many fractional cent values.
Most of the stamps in the Transportation Series were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, although a few were printed by private contractors. All but a few of the later stamps were produced by engraved intaglio. Differences in precancels, tagging, paper and gum provide a large number of varieties.