The Stamp Collectors Corner

Old Faithful is located in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.  It was the first geyser that was seen and then named during an expedition in 1870.  The geyser can shoot up to 8,400 gallons of boiling water each time it erupts.  Each eruption can travel up to 185 feet and can last up to 5 minutes.  Currently, the eruptions occur about every 90 minutes or so.  Here’s an Old Faithful fun fact…after the geyser’s initial discovery, it was used as a laundry!  Clothing was carefully placed in the hole and when an eruption occurred, they were shot out clean as a whistle!  People found this to be a great tool for cotton garments, but wool garments fell apart at the seams!

The United States Postal Service has issued several postage stamps commemorating Yellowstone’s Old Faithful over the years.  In 1934, there was a 5 cent stamp issued as part of a set of ten.  In 1972, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first national park (Yellowstone), and to recognize the US National Park System, an 8 cent Old Faithful stamp was issued as part of a set.  On January 16, 2009, the USPS issued an Old Faithful Express Mail postage stamp as well.  The United Nations even featured the geyser as part of their World Heritage Sites series in October of 2003.