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Celebrate The Century Series On February 3, 1998, the USPS issued the first sheet in the Celebrate the Century Series.As America approached the end of the century, the USPS sought a way to honor the wide variety of events that had taken place. This led them to the massive 150-stamp Celebrate the Century Series.The USPS issued the first Celebrate The Century souvenir sheet on February 3, 1998, in Washington, DC. It began one of the largest stamp series in US history. Highlighting the important ev …

The first characters fans meet in the first “Star Wars” film, “Star Wars: A New Hope,” are droids — namely C-3PO and R2-D2 — and droids have continued to play pivotal roles throughout the “Star Wars” galaxy.With 10 dazzling new character-inspired stamps, the Postal Service salutes beloved droids from the “Star Wars” galaxy and the imagination that brings these technological marvels to the screen.Representing more than four decades of innovation and storytelling, the droids featured in this pane …

About 250th Anniversary Birth Of Ludwig Van Beethoven 1770-2020Ludwig van Beethoven is acknowledged as one of the world's renowned pioneers in classical music of the 18th and 19th Century. Beethoven was born in December 1770 in the city of Bonn in Germany. At a very young age he was taught music by his father, where he soon showed talent.At just ten years of age he withdrew from school and started studying music full time. His music tutor was Christian Gottlob Neefe, who at the time had just bee …

Sometimes when I talk to other stamp dealers, they mournfully tell me their business is "in the toilet."  No new collectors, few serious buyers, no shows or travel during the pandemic, etc. Well, now not only can new issue dealers refer to their business in bathroom terms, but  Austria has given them the opportunity to sell an actually semi-postal stamp sheet made from toilet paper!Austria's 2020  innovative stamp is unique for the material used in production: in an ironic allusio …

The small independent monarchy of Monaco is renown for many large international events. Celebrated on stamps are its dog and cat shows, car races, art festivals, stamp and coin shows, but even of greater notoriety are its stamps celebrating circuses and circus performers.The International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo is an annual festival established in 1974 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco to recognize and promote outstanding circus performers .  During the festival, circus …