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Philatelic News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2002
Stamp Release #02-050
Night Friends Highlight National Stamp Collecting Month
WASHINGTON - Often misunderstood but highly beneficial to humans, American bats will make their debut on postage stamps in September to help kick off National Stamp Collecting Month, which begins Oct. 1.
The public is invited to the first day of issue ceremony, which will be held on Sept. 13 at 7 PM Central Time at the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas. The event will take place at the bat observation area, which is open to the public with free parking nearby. This bridge, constructed in 1980, houses the largest urban bat colony in the world. Approximately 1.5 million bats emerge each evening at dusk-from mid-March to early November-to devour between 10,000 and 30,000 pounds of insects. The new stamps will be available in Austin starting September 13, and at post offices across the country beginning the following day."With the issuance of the American Bats stamps, we have a wonderful opportunity to help educate the public about something we feel is very important-our ecosystem," said Robert F. Rider, chairman of the presidentially appointed Postal Service Board of Governors, who will dedicate the stamp.
"These colorful and unique stamps will appeal to everyone, the serious and casual collector alike, and will be especially appealing to children. We are proud that the nation's stamp program reaches out to a diverse audience, encompassing a broad range of subjects that highlight the milestones of our scientific, historical and cultural achievements," said Rider.
Each year the Postal Service designates October as National Stamp Collecting Month and issues a commemorative stamp or stamps that appeal to youth. This year the American Bats stamps will help highlight this educational and family-oriented activity.
The Postal Service has the support of the National Wildlife Federation and Bat Conservation International, Inc., to promote the American Bats stamps and National Stamp Collecting Month. Both groups provide educational guides to help children learn about the crucial role bats play in helping to preserve the environment.
This stamp pane consists of four different stamp designs featuring photographs of bats whose ranges include the continental United States.The red bat is found throughout North America, except for the extreme north, the southern half of Florida and arid regions. It is one of the few bat species that bears two or more young each birth. The red bat is solitary, roosting alone in dense foliage. When it hangs upside down by one foot, its predators may be fooled by its resemblance to a dead leaf. The bat on this stamp is also known as the eastern red bat.
The pallid bat is found in western North America, where its pale, sandy color allows it to blend with its desert surroundings. Its prey consists primarily of crickets, grasshoppers, beetles and other denizens of the desert floor.
The spotted bat is found in the western United States, British Columbia and Mexico where the staple of its diet is believed to be moths. Its ears, the largest of any bat on the continent, measure nearly two inches, and help the spotted bat forage for prey; they may also help to dissipate body heat in the desert. The spotted bat earns its name from the white splotches on its black fur.
The leaf-nosed bat is found primarily in caves or abandoned mines in Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and northern Mexico. Its large ears allow it to hear the extremely faint sounds of insects such as grasshoppers and caterpillars walking amid dense foliage, and its large eyes provide excellent night vision. The short, broad wings of the leaf-nosed bat give it a great deal of maneuverability in a manner of flight that has been described as helicopter-like. The bat on this stamp is also known as the California leaf-nosed bat.
The stamp pane's selvage photography depicts two long-nosed bats approaching a saguaro flower. Sometimes known as the lesser long-nosed bat or the southern long-nosed bat, this animal inhabits caves and mines in the American Southwest, as well as in Mexico and northern South America. The long-nosed bat hovers like a hummingbird over the flowers of plants it pollinates, such as the saguaro and the agave. The long-nosed bat is one of six endangered species of bats in the continental United States. Twenty other bat species may be listed as endangered or threatened in the future.
Of approximately 950 bat species in the world, 45 are found in North America. The only true flying mammals, bats have long been feared and misunderstood, but they are actually beneficial to humans. North American bats help balance populations of night-flying insects, including mosquitoes in our own backyards and pests that cost farmers millions of dollars annually. Bats also disperse seeds from fruits, and they are vital to the pollination of desert plants in the American Southwest.
Contrary to one popular myth, bats are not blind. In fact, many have superb night vision. Bats also possess sonar and use a process called echolocation to distinguish prey from obstacles while in flight. They can distinguish general background noise from echoes that carry important information, and each bat in a cave full of other bats is able to follow its own signals. Species of bats that are not chiefly insectivorous probably use sonar primarily for navigation and communication, relying instead on excellent smell and vision to locate food.Also contrary to myth, contracting rabies from bats is an extremely remote threat for anyone who vaccinates pets, avoids handling unfamiliar animals and seeks medical advice if bitten. According to Bat Conservation International, Inc.-an organization based in Austin that is dedicated to protecting and restoring bats and their habitats worldwide-bats accounted for an average of only 1.5 human deaths annually during the past 20 years in the United States and Canada combined.
The selvage photograph depicts two long-nosed bats and a flowering saguaro. The caption reads: "Long-nosed bats approach saguaro flower."
The photographs on the stamps and on the selvage were all taken by Dr. Merlin D. Tuttle of Bat Conservation International, Inc. The bats were released unharmed after being photographed. The selvage text reads: "Night Friends. American Bats. Long misunderstood, bats are essential to nature's balance. They consume billions of costly farm and forest pests, pollinate flowers and carry seeds to new locations."
For additional information about bats and Bat Conservation International, Inc. or the National Wildlife Federation, visit their Web sites at: www.batcon.org and www.nwf.org.
In addition to a first day cover, the Postal Service is also featuring the American Bats stamps on a special American Commemorative Panel. The panel, which sells for $8.50, will be available exclusively at the first day event. Customers may also purchase the panel through the "USA Philatelic" mail order catalog and online.
The American Bats stamps, and all recently issued stamps and philatelic products, as well as the free USA Philatelic catalog, are available by calling toll free 1 800 STAMP 24. The stamps and a selection of current U.S. stamps and gift items are also available at the Postal Store at www.usps.com/shop. Images of many current, past and future stamp issues can be found in the Stamp Issues section of the Collector's Corner.
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TECHNICAL DETAILS
Issue: American Bats
Item Number: 670100
Denomination & Type of Issue: 37-cent Commemorative
Format: Pane of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: September 13, 2002, Austin, TX 78710
Designer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Art Director: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Typographer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Photographer: Merlin D. Tuttle, Austin, TX
Modeler: Donald H. Woo
Manufacturing Process: Gravure
Printer: Sennett Security Products (SSP)
Printed at: American Packaging Corporation, Columbus, WI
Press Type: Rotomec, 3000
Engraver: Armotek Industries
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 111 million stamps
Paper Type: Phosphored Tagged, Block
Gum Type: Pressure Sensitive
Processed at: Unique Binders, Fredericksburg, VA
Colors: Magenta, Cyan, Yellow, Black, Line black,
PMS 346 (Light green), PMS 667 (Light purple)
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.41 x 0.84 in./35.81 x 21.34 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 0.99 in./39.62 x 25.15 mm
Pane Size (w x h): 7.458 x 8.70 in /189.43 x 220.98 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: "S" followed by seven (7) single digits
Marginal Markings: " © 2001 USPS" " Price " Plate numbers in all four corners " Plate position diagram " 2 barcodes on back " Header
Catalog Item Number(s): 453020 Block of 4 - $1.48
453030 Block of 10 - $3.70
453040 Full pane w/plate no. - $7.40
453063 First day cover, set of 4 - $3.00
453093 Full pane of 20 w/FDC, set of 4 - $10.40
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 the new stamps at their local post office, affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to: AMERICAN BATS COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS, POSTMASTER, 8225 CROSS PARK DRIVE AUSTIN, TX 78710-9991. 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 October 13, 2002.
Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first day covers for new stamp issues and postal stationery items postmarked with the official first day of issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by writing to: INFORMATION FULFILLMENT, DEPT 6270, US POSTAL SERVICE, PO BOX 219014, KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9014, or by calling 1 800 STAMP-24.
First day covers remain on sale for at least one year after the stamp's issuance.
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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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