The earliest documented use of the stamp is June 22, 1887.

The new nondenominated (66¢) Winter Woodland Animals stamps will be issued in double-sided panes of 20.

Entries with a touch of humor or irony stand the best chance of winning the contest.

The publications are available for purchase from the Amos Advantage website.

U.S. mail addressed to England sometimes had a black or gray diamond marking on the front.

Also this week, answering questions about an unusual device for creating exhibit and album pages, and an explanation of the origins of bogus stamps picturing the ship Clara Rothe.

Of 199 entries submitted to this year’s competition, 24 entries (including Black’s) made it to the final round of judging.

The first-day ceremony for the new United States Pinatas stamps helped kick off National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.

Renowned portrait artist Michael J. Deas of New Orleans, using a photograph by Philip Bermingham, created the painting of Ginsburg (1933-2020) that appears on the stamp.

Founded in 1949, the American Topical Association is the world’s largest collecting organization specializing in subject-related philately.

Also this week, a review of a new program and additional information on a philatelic website called the Stamp Web, and a word search focused on stamps with what some might consider an unlucky Scott catalog number.

Included in upcoming Scott catalog listings for the Bridges coil stamps are unlettered listings for a plate number strip of seven and a plate number strip of nine.

Both covers are attractive, cost extra at the time, and certainly reflect the love that the senders felt for the recipients.

During its lifetime, the Confederacy produced 14 major-number listed stamps. Of those, the 1¢ orange John C. Calhoun stamp was never issued.

Sale of the stamps was suspended on March 11, 1980, after the U.S. government decided to boycott the Olympics to protest the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.

The new nondenominated (66¢) commemorative for the OSIRIS-REx mission was a surprise addition to the 2023 U.S. program.

Linn’s Stamp News has put together a souvenir collectible for the anniversary with a postmarked postcard and a program.

Both winners will receive a 13-week subscription to Linn’s Stamp News.

A single stamp from a counterfeit pane measures about 1.6 inches by 1.25 inches, whereas a genuine stamp measures 1.19 inches by 0.91 inches.

The cover’s contents, once revealed, weren't an occasion for sadness.