Christmas Contemporary

Front:
ASHINGTON 19 1989 CHRISTMAS2006HRISTMAS 25 USA25 Carracci, National Gallery Carracci,National Gallery DC

Back:
CHRISTMAS CONTEMPORARY First Day of Issue: October 19, 1989 First Issue Location: Westport, Connecticut For twenty-eight Christmas seasons, America's Christmas stamps have brightened the holidays. And in 1989 the legacy continued — though with a new twist adapted to America's changing needs. For the first time, the two annual Christmas stamps— traditional and contemporary — were issued in two formats: sheet and booklet, creating four new stamps for 1989. The new booklet format made it easier for holiday mailers to purchase their Christmas stamps through automated vending machines in post offices and stores. The appearance of the booklet also led to another interesting first — the U.S. Postal Service split the printing of the 1989 Christmas issue between its usual government printer and a private company. American Bank Note Company, the private firm which produced the contemporary sheet, printed it in five colors rather than the usual four, giving the 1989 contemporary sheet version. Both are presented on this Maximum Card — the American Bank Note stamp contains magenta. No. 89-33 ©1989 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation • Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by Tom McNeely