| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Date of Issue | October 13, 2012 |
| Year | 2012 |
| Quantity | 187,500,000 |
| Denomination |
First-Class Mail Forever
|
| Denomination Value | $0.45 |
| Perforation or Dimension | 1.19 x 0.91 in./30.23 x 23.11 mm |
| Series | Santa and Sleigh |
| Series Time Span | 2012 |
| Issue Location | New York, NY 10199 (Mega Stamp Show) |
| Postal Administration | United States |
On October 13, 2012, in New York, NY, at the Mega Stamp Show, the Postal Service™ will issue the Santa and Sleigh First-Class Mail® stamps (Forever® stamp, priced at 45 cents) in four designs in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) booklet of 20 stamps. The stamps will go on sale nationwide October 13, 2012.
These cheerful stamps portray Santa Claus flying through the air in his sleigh. With a cargo of toys and gifts produced in his workshop by elves, he lands on the rooftop of house after house and slides down the chimney to leave presents for girls and boys of all ages. That’s our story, and we’re sticking to it.
Santa’s annual journey is joyfully captured in this block of four holiday stamps, with two rows of two stamps each presenting a “classic” image of Santa and his reindeer circling around snow-covered rooftops.
Though his roots go much further back, the modern Santa Claus, the giver of gifts, captured the American imagination in the Revolutionary War era. At that time, understandably critical of English traditions, people looked to the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas for cultural cues and seasonal inspiration. Since then, Santa has become more popular, and is today beloved by millions of children who write him letters, track his progress on the Internet, and leave him milk and cookies as tokens of their esteem.
To their cards and letters and yours, these stamps will add a dash of holiday merriment. Double-check your mailing list so you don’t forget anyone nice!
Artist Paul Rogers worked with art director Howard Paine to create this block of four holiday stamps. These computer-generated images were originally drawn in pencil on paper.
The Santa and Sleigh stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.