| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Date of Issue | November 19, 2014 |
| Year | 2014 |
| Quantity | 200,000,000 |
| Denomination |
First-Class Mail, Forever, 49 Cents
|
| Denomination Value | $0.49 | Color | Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, PMS 8520 |
| Perforation or Dimension | 0.91 x 1.19 in./23.11 x 30.23 mm |
| Issue Location | Washington, DC 20066 |
| Postal Administration | United States |
| Condition | Name | Avg Value |
|---|
The U.S. Postal Service® celebrates one of the most beloved stories of the Nativity with an evocative and elegant new stamp, Christmas Magi.
The stamp art illustrates the traditional tale of the Magi, who came bearing gifts for Jesus. The three regal figures sit atop a trio of bedecked and harnessed camels, the animals almost at the summit of a small hill. Guiding them is a large, dazzling star shining in the sky. The colors in the sky range from a rose near the horizon, darkening to a rich purple at the top, suggesting that the travelers are moving through the desert at dawn. The figures are silhouetted against the background, with the details of their headdresses and the camels’ saddles just visible in the brightening light. The star, located in the upper left-hand corner of the picture, is a brilliant white.
The story of the Magi appears in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2. There is little detail about the Magi in the Gospel. Matthew called them "Magi," a term for Persian priests, astrologers, or scholars. The Gospel never refers to a specific number; the number three was likely influenced by the number of gifts left for the child-gold, frankincense, and myrrh. However, the earliest traditions are inconsistent with regard to how many Magi there were. The Eastern tradition favored twelve Magi, while in the West, several early Church fathers accepted the number three.
Over the centuries other details have been added to the story, including the names of the Magi: Gaspar, or Casper; Melchior; and Balthasar. One early reference to their names comes in a seventh century work attributed to St. Bede. He gave the Magi the attributes of men at different stages of life, elderly, young, and middle-aged: Melchior, an old man with white hair and a long beard; Caspar, young and beardless with a ruddy complexion; and Balthasar, with black skin and a heavy beard. Later traditions added the notion that the three came from Europe, Asia, and Africa, thus completing their symbolism as representatives of the world as it was known to Europeans at the time.
Represented in art and music since the earliest centuries of the church, the Magi are a much-loved part of the Christmas tradition. The story is retold many times each season in hymns and in Christmas pageants and performances.
Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp; Nancy Stahl was the artist.
The Christmas Magi stamp is being issued as a Forever® stamp. This Forever stamp will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.
Made in the USA.
Issue Date: November 19, 2014
SKUs featured on this page: 689704
Remember a timeless holiday narrative with this new 11.5 x 9.5-inch press sheet with die-cuts, containing eight double-sided booklets of Christmas Magi Forever® stamps positioned two across by four down.In the stamp art, a large, dazzling star guides the three Magi and their camels through the desert at dawn, with the sky behind them fading from rich purple to rose pink.
Made in the USA.
SKUs featured on this page: 689706
Remember a timeless holiday narrative with this new 11.5 x 9.5-inch press sheet without die-cuts, containing eight double-sided booklets of Christmas Magi Forever® stamps positioned two across by four down.In the stamp art, a large, dazzling star guides the three Magi and their camels through the desert at dawn, with the sky behind them fading from rich purple to rose pink.
Made in the USA.
SKUs featured on this page: 689708
Celebrate one of the most beloved stories of the holiday season with this new Christmas Magi First Day Cover. The #6 3/4 envelope bears one affixed Christmas Magi Forever® stamp cancelled with an official First Day of Issue postmark.
In the stamp art, a large, dazzling star guides the three Magi and their camels through the desert at dawn, with the sky behind them fading from rich purple to rose pink. The standard four-bar cancellation marks the date and location of stamp issuance: November 19, 2014, Washington DC 20066
Made in the USA.
SKUs featured on this page: 689716
Remember a timeless holiday narrative with this new Christmas Magi Digital Color Postmark First Day Cover. The #6 3/4 envelope bears one Christmas Magi Forever® stamp cancelled with an official First Day of Issue color postmark.
In the stamp art, a large, dazzling star guides the three Magi and their camels through the desert at dawn, with the sky behind them fading from rich purple to rose pink.
The color postmark repeats the star that shines in the stamp, which appears between the words “Christmas” and “Magi” in purple type. Also included are the words “First Day of Issue” and the date and location of stamp issuance: November 19, 2014, Washington DC 20066.
Made in the USA.
SKUs featured on this page: 689721
Celebrate a timeless holiday narrative and the First Day of Issue of the Christmas Magi Forever® stamp with this new official ceremony program and cover.
The full-color program features the First Day Ceremony agenda and participants on one side, with a narrative describing the holiday story and the stamp design on the reverse.
The program is tucked inside a 9 x 6-inch envelope bearing an affixed Christmas Magi Forever® stamp and the official First Day of Issue cancellation, along with the United States Postal Service® logo and the words “First Day of Issue Ceremony.”
Made in the USA.
SKUs featured on this page: 689730
Celebrate one of the most beloved stories of the holiday season with this new keepsake combination - a booklet of 20 Christmas Magi Forever® stamps and a Digital Color Postmark First Day Cover.
In the stamp art, a large, dazzling star guides the three Magi and their camels through the desert at dawn, with the sky behind them fading from rich purple to rose pink.The color postmark repeats the star that shines in the stamp, which appears between the words “Christmas” and “Magi” in purple type. Also included are the words “First Day of Issue” and the date and location of stamp issuance: November 19, 2014, Washington DC 20066.
Made in the USA.
SKUs featured on this page: 689710
Celebrate one of the most-beloved stories of the holiday season with this new 11.5 x 16.5-inch framed piece. Displayed on a double mat, the enlarged Christmas Magi Forever® stamp depicts the tale of the Three Wise Men, journeying to see a newborn king.
A block of four Christmas Magi Forever® stamps are mounted beside a brass plate inscribed with the First Day of Issue details. Depicting the three Magi atop their camels and near the summit of a small hill, the stamp art displays the wise men guided by a large, dazzling star. The colors in the sky fade from rich purple at the top to rose pink near the horizon, suggesting that the travelers are moving through the desert at dawn.
Showcased in a handsome gold-toned frame, the piece also includes a dust cover and sawtooth hanger on the back for easy display.
Made in the USA.
SKUs featured on this page: 689724
On November 19, 2014, in Washington, DC, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Christmas Magi stamp (Forever priced at 49 cents), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive (PSA) Booklet of 20 stamps.
The stamp will go on sale nationwide November 19, 2014. The U.S. Postal Service® celebrates one of the most beloved stories of the Nativity with an evocative and elegant new stamp, Christmas Magi.
The stamp art illustrates the traditional tale of the Magi, who came bearing gifts for Jesus. The three regal figures sit atop a trio of bedecked and harnessed camels, the animals almost at the summit of a small hill. Guiding them is a large, dazzling star shining in the sky. The colors in the sky range from a rose near the horizon, darkening to a rich purple at the top, suggesting that the travelers are moving through the desert at dawn. The figures are silhouetted against the background, with the details of their headdresses and the camels’ saddles just visible in the brightening light. The star, located in the upper left-hand corner of the picture, is a brilliant white.
The story of the Magi appears in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2. There is little detail about the Magi in the Gospel. Matthew called them "Magi," a term for Persian priests, astrologers, or scholars. The Gospel never refers to a specific number; the number three was likely influenced by the number of gifts left for the child-gold, frankincense, and myrrh. However, the earliest traditions are inconsistent with regard to how many Magi there were. The Eastern tradition favored twelve Magi, while in the West, several early Church fathers accepted the number three.
Over the centuries other details have been added to the story, including the names of the Magi: Gaspar, or Casper; Melchior; and Balthasar. One early reference to their names comes in a seventh century work attributed to St. Bede. He gave the Magi the attributes of men at different stages of life, elderly, young, and middle-aged: Melchior, an old man with white hair and a long beard; Caspar, young and beardless with a ruddy complexion; and Balthasar, with black skin and a heavy beard. Later traditions added the notion that the three came from Europe, Asia, and Africa, thus completing their symbolism as representatives of the world as it was known to Europeans at the time.
Represented in art and music since the earliest centuries of the church, the Magi are a much-loved part of the Christmas tradition. The story is retold many times each season in hymns and in Christmas pageants and performances.
Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp; Nancy Stahl was the artist.