The U.S. Postal Service on August 3, 2017 issued Protect Pollinator stamps to “pay tribute to the beauty and importance of pollinators.” “Two of our continent's most iconic” insects are featured: the monarch butterfly and the western honey bee. The insects are pictured pollinating five plants native to North America: coneflower, golden ragwort, zinnia, New England aster, and goldenrod. The Protect Pollinators stamps are Forever® stamps for $0.49 each.
Read more about the First Day-of-Issue ceremony and how to obtain First-Day-of-Issue postmarks at www.about.usps.com
This is the first major use of insects on U.S. Postage stamps since the “Insects & Spiders” stamp collection issued in 1999. See the image below and read more about the Insects & Spiders stamps in the ISU Yard & Garden Column from November 5, 1999. First class postage stamps in 1999 cost $0.39.
For those looking to add to your collection of insect stamps, or for those looking for a new hobby, ebay.com currently lists 11,872 items for sale in the category of “Insect & Butterfly Postal Stamps.”
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