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Philatelic News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 23, 2002
Stamp Release #02-045
TEDDY BEARS STAMPS TO BE ISSUED BY THE POSTAL SERVICE
Teddy Bears Celebrate 100th Anniversary
Teddy Bears Celebrate 100th Anniversary
WASHINGTON - Teddy bears, enormously popular symbols of human caring and loving, will be honored by the U.S. Postal Service next month with the issuance of the Teddy Bears commemorative stamps. The 2002 issuance of the stamps coincides with the 100th anniversary of teddy bears.The Teddy Bears stamps will be dedicated at a noon ceremony on Aug.15, held in conjunction with the American Philatelic Society (APS) STAMPSHOW 2002, which runs from Aug.15-18 at Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel, One Ocean Way, Atlantic City NJ 08401.
The Teddy Bears stamps will be available at the ceremony and at Atlantic City post offices starting Aug.15. The stamps will be available at post offices across the country beginning Aug.16.
Although APS STAMPSHOW 2002 encourages registration, the stamp show, as well as the stamp ceremony, will be free and open to the public. The ceremony will take place in room 402.
"It will be a pleasure to participate at STAMPSHOW 2002," said John F. Walsh, presidentially appointed member of the Postal Service Board of Governors and the dedicating official. "The Postal Service has been considering commemorative stamps honoring these toys for many years. Now that the teddy bear has reached an important milestone-its 100th anniversary-we have the perfect opportunity," he said.
Scheduled to join Walsh at the ceremony are Peter McCann, president, American Philatelic Society; Jackson Taylor, president, American Stamp Dealers Association; and Bruce Raiffe, president, GUND, Inc.
The idea of the teddy bear was born in 1902 when President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a captive bear during a hunting trip. Washington Post cartoonist Clifford Berryman depicted the incident on the front page of the newspaper, and soon toymakers began to manufacture the "teddy" bears associated with the president's name. People in all walks of life love teddy bears, and enthusiasts—known in the teddy bear world as arctophiles—pay top dollar for the collectibles.
Today there are teddy bear magazines, clubs, collector shows and programs, both educational and medical, that feature these little stuffed companions. Teddy bears have had endless books, songs and poem written about them. Widely viewed as symbols of security and comfort, teddy bears are often used by police officers and hospital staff to calm the young and old alike in traumatic situations.
The Teddy Bears pane of 20 self-adhesive stamps depicts four lovable, cuddly teddy bears. Photos of the bears appear in the header; details of the photos appear on the stamps. The four stamp designs are repeated five times each on the pane. All four teddy bears were manufactured in the United States and are now owned by private collectors. The Ideal bear dates to circa 1905, the Bruin bear from circa 1907 and the Gund bear from circa 1948. The unlabeled "stick" bear dates from the 1920s. Mass- produced stick bears were characterized by their short arms, thin legs and upright posture. The Ideal bear, the Bruin bear and the stick bear belong to Paul and Rosemary Volpp of Carson City, Nev. The Gund bear belongs to Helen Sieverling of Pasadena, Calif.
The stamps were designed by Margaret Bauer of Washington, D.C. Bauer is a book designer at the National Gallery of Art, where she has been designing exhibition catalogues and other museum publications since 1994.
In addition to Teddy Bears stamps uncut press sheet and stamped cards, the Postal Service is also featuring the stamps and background information on a special Teddy Bears Commemorative Panel. The panel will be available at the APS STAMPSHOW on Aug.15. Part of the American Commemorative Collectibles program, this panel will be available at selected post offices Aug.16 and by mail order through the fall edition of the "USA Philatelic" catalog.
To see the Teddy Bears stamps, visit the Postal Service Web site at www.usps.com and locate the online version of this press release by clicking on "News and Events" then "Philatelic News."
Current U.S. stamps, as well as a free comprehensive catalog, are available toll free by calling 1800 STAMP-24. In addition, a selection of stamps and other philatelic items are available in the Postal Store at www.usps.com.
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TECHNICAL DETAILS
Issue: Teddy Bears
Item Number: 453500
Denomination & Type of Issue: 37-cent Commemorative
Format: Pane of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: August 15, 2002, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Designer: Margaret Bauer, Washington, DC
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Margaret Bauer, Washington, DC
Existing Photos: Dorling Kindersley Ltd.
Modeler: Donald H. Woo
Manufacturing Process: Gravure
Printer: Sennett Security Products (SSP)
Printed at: American Packaging Corporation, Columbus, WI
Press Type: Rotomec, 3000
Engraver: Southern Graphics
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 200 million stamps
Paper Type: Pre-phosphored, Type I
Gum Type: Pressure Sensitive
Processed at: Unique Binders, Fredericksburg, VA
Colors: Magenta, Yellow, Cyan, Black, PMS 485 (Red),
PMS 7409 (Yellow), PMS 660 (Blue)
Stamp Orientation: Square
Image Area (w x h): 1.10 x 1.10 in./27.94 x 27.94 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.25 x 1.25 in./31.75 x 31.75 mm
Pane Size (w x h): 6.667 x 8 in /169.34 x 203.20 mm
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: "S" followed by seven (7) single digits
Marginal Markings: " © 2001 USPS" "Gund bear Gund, Inc" " Price " Plate Numbers in all four corners " Plate Position Diagram
2 barcodes on back" Header
Catalog Item Number(s): 453540 Full Pane of 20 w/plate no. and header - $7.40
453530 Block of 10 - $3.70
453520 Block of 4 - $1.48
453463 First Day Cover (Set of 4) - $3.00
453584 Uncut Press Sheet - $44.40
453566 Stamped Cards (5 Sheets of 4) - $9.25
453593 Pane of 20 and First Day Cover (Set) - $10.40
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Issue: Teddy Bears
Item Number: 881700
Denomination & Type of Issue: 23-cent Postal Stamped Card
Format: $9.25 Postal Stamped Card Set
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: August 15, 2002, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Designer: Margaret Bauer, Washington, DC
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Existing Photos: Dorling Kindersley Ltd.
Typographer: Margaret Bauer, Washington, DC
Engraver: N/A
Modeler: Banknote Corporation of America, Inc. (BCA)
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America, Inc. (BCA)
Printed at: BCA, Browns Summit, NC
Press Type: Komori, Lithrone
Cards per Set: 20
Print Quantity: 71,000 sets (1,420,000 cards)
Paper Type: Phosphor tagged
Gum Type: N/A
Processed at: BCA, Greensboro, NC
Colors: Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Stamp Image Area (w x h): 1.25 x 1.25 in./31.75 x 31.75 mm
Card Size (w x h): 4.25 x 5.50 in./107.95 x 139.70 mm
Plate Size: 36 cards per revolution
Plate Numbers: N/A
Marginal Markings: N/A
Catalog Item Number(s): 453566 Stamped Card (5 Sheets of 4) - $9.25
HOW TO ORDER THE FIRST DAY OF ISSUE POSTMARK
Customers have 30 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, by telephone at 1 800 STAMP-24, and at the Postal Store at www.usps.com. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:
TEDDY BEARS STAMPS
POSTMASTER
1791 PACIFIC AVE
ATLANTIC CITY NJ 08401-9991
After applying the first day of issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by September 16, 2002.
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Since 1775, the U.S. Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. It is an independent federal agency that visits 137 million homes and businesses every day and is the only service provider to deliver to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of more than $65 billion, it is the world's leading provider of postal services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume-some 207 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year-and serves 7 million customers each day at its 40,000 retail locations nationwide.
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