| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Date of Issue | January 19, 2018 |
| Year | 2018 |
| Quantity | 100,000,000 |
| Denomination |
2-cent Denominated, Mail-use
|
| Denomination Value | $0.02 | Color | Pantone 7413, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black |
| Perforation or Dimension | 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.10 x 24.89 mm |
| Issue Location | Kenner, LA 70062 |
| Postal Administration | United States |
| Condition | Name | Avg Value |
|---|
Give recognition to a fruit prized by chefs with this new Meyer Lemons First Day Cover. The #6 3/4 envelope features an affixed Meyer Lemons two-cent stamp, along with a randomly selected Flowers From the Garden Forever® stamp and an official First Day of Issue postmark.
The stamp features a pen and ink and watercolor illustration of a whole Meyer lemon next to two wedges of the cut fruit.
The pictorial postmark features a black-and-white outline of a lemon surrounding the stamp title in playful script, as well as the date and location of stamp issue: January 19, 2018, Kenner, LA 70062
Made in the USA.
SKUs featured on this page: 760416.
On January 19, 2018, in Kenner, LA, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the 2-cent denominated Meyer Lemons stamp, in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) coil of 10,000 stamps. The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 19, 2018.
The stamp art features an illustration by John Burgoyne. The artist used pen and ink and watercolor to create the stamp art, which depicts a whole Meyer lemon next to two wedges of the cut fruit.
Thought to be a cross between a lemon and a mandarin or sweet orange, the Meyer lemon has its roots in China, though no one knows when the plant first appeared. Frank N. Meyer, for whom the lemon was later named, encountered the dwarf fruit trees in the early 1900s in Beijing where they were grown primarily for ornamental rather than culinary purposes. Meyer, who worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), had been tasked with discovering native plants of other countries that might thrive in the U.S. In 1908, he sent a specimen of the tree to the USDA Plant Introduction Station in California. It rapidly gained popularity with gardeners as an ornamental potted plant.
Sometimes smaller and rounder than true lemons, Meyer lemons have a smooth skin and range in color from deep yellow to light orange, with a dark yellow or orange pulp. Moderately acidic, they are very juicy and somewhat sweeter than true lemons, with hints of mandarin and sweet lime. Their rinds have a complex scent, slightly herbal and spicy. The bitter pith layer found in regular lemons is quite thin in the Meyer, so the fruit can be used in its entirety. Though stories vary about who is responsible for making the fruit a culinary superstar, today Meyer lemons are sought by chefs and home cooks for their aromatic, slightly sweet quality.
Meyer lemon trees are easily grown by individuals in gardens in citrus-growing areas and in containers elsewhere.
Art director Derry Noyes designed this stamp with an existing illustration by John Burgoyne.