| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Date of Issue | January 20, 2012 |
| Year | 2012 |
| Quantity | 67,800,000 |
| Denomination |
First-Class Mail Rate
|
| Denomination Value | $0.45 |
| Perforation or Dimension | 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.09 x 24.89 mm |
| Series | Weather Vanes |
| Series Time Span | 2012 |
| Issue Location | Shelburne, VT 05482, (No Ceremony) |
| Postal Administration | United States |
On January 20, 2012, in Shelburne, Vermont, the Postal Service™ will issue a 45-cent Weather Vanes First-Class Mail® stamp in five designs in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) coil of 3,000and a PSA coil of 10,000. The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 20, 2012.
These stamps feature photographs of five eye-catching weather vanes made in the United States during the 19th century. All five weather vanes — a cow, an eagle, two roosters, and a centaur — belong to the collection of the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont.
Prior to the invention of the barometer in the 17th century, weather vanes were indispensable instruments for observing and predicting the weather. Before 1850, American weather vanes were largely the work of individual craftsmen or skilled amateurs. However, during the second half of the 19th century, factories around Boston and New York City began mass-producing them, ushering in what collectors now consider the “golden age” of American weather vanes. Today, weather vanes from this period are not only valuable collectibles, but also intriguing examples of American folk art.
Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps, which feature photographs taken by Sally Andersen-Bruce.
These stamps will be issued in a First-Class Mail large coil format.