US #2719a
1992 29¢ Locomotive, Pane of 18
Contemporary Christmas
- One of the first self-adhesive Christmas stamps.
- Design was adapted from the Christmas Toys set issued the same year.
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Christmas Contemporary
Value: $5.22 (pane of 18 29¢ stamps, First Class Mail rate)
First Day of Issue: October 28, 1992
First Day City: New York, NY
Quantity Issued: 1,200,000 panes
Printed by: Avery Dennison
Printing Method: Photgravure
Format: Self-Adhesive, pane of 18 for use in ATM machines
Perforations: Die Cut
Why the stamp was issued: The Locomotive stamp was part of the 1992 Contemporary Christmas issues. The design is the same as one of the stamps in a set of four Christmas Toys stamps issued the same year. The format of the booklet is the same size as a dollar bill. It was intended to be sold in Automatic Teller Machines (ATM).
About the stamp design: The stamp art was the work of Lou Nolan. He painted his designs on illustration board. Nolan’s work can be seen on several stamps in the Transportation series and other US stamps. The Locomotive was one of four designs used on the booklet and sheet Christmas Toys issue. It was the easiest of the four to adapt to the size needed for the ATM stamps.
Special design details: The train on the ATM stamp is slightly larger in relation to the words below compared to the sheet and booklet stamps. The cowcatcher on the front of the locomotive is in line with the “G” of “Greetings,” while it’s slightly behind on the other stamps.
First Day City: The Locomotive stamp was revealed shortly after the opening of the American Stamp Dealers Association’s Postage Stamp Mega-Event in New York City.