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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;gsalexan, post: 2312061, member: 24274&quot;]A new post for the new year on an old thread. This time some cards that haven&#039;t gotten much attention -- philatelic souvenir cards. When the BEP was issuing souvenir cards in the peak years of the 1970s, stamp-themed cards vastly outnumbered numismatic cards. These slowly declined in numbers and have largely disappeared since 2005, when the Bureau got out of the stamp printing business.</p><p><br /></p><p>The three cards here feature an unusual form of postage long since extinct: newspaper and periodical stamps. While most stamp collectors are familiar with these, hardly anyone else is. Newspaper stamps were first issued in 1865 as a way to prepay the bulk postal delivery of newspapers and periodicals. At about 4&quot;x2&quot;, the first series are considered the largest individual U.S. postage stamps ever issued. In 1874, the rates were changed and newspaper stamps were reduced in size. From then on they were attached to memorandums of delivery and held by the Post Office. Consequently, legitimately cancelled examples are far scarcer than mint ones.</p><p><br /></p><p>Not only the largest in size, newspaper stamps also hold the record for the highest postage denominations ever issued, including $36, $48, $50, $60, and $100 stamps. National, Continental, and American Bank Note companies each held the printing contract for these stamps at various times, until the Bureau took on the task in 1895. This form of postage was discontinued in 1898.</p><p><br /></p><p>Imho, newspaper stamps are some of the most attractive postage stamps ever issued, both for their artful depictions of maidens, statues and goddesses, and the spectrum of ink colors used.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]466150[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]466151[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]466152[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]466153[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]466154[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]466155[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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