With this stamp, the U.S. Postal Service commemorates Owney, the canine mascot of the Railway Mail Service. Beloved of clerks on mail-sorting trains at the end of the nineteenth century, Owney was hailed as a symbol of good luck. Today he is an icon of American postal lore whose story highlights the historical importance of the Railway Mail Service.
The stamp art features a new illustration of Owney by artist Bill Bond of Arlington, Virginia. The illustration depicts Owney in profile, facing left, with many of his famous tags and medals gleaming in the background.
What a feel-good stamp this is! Love the background of all the medals and tags. For more information on Owney, check out the National Postal Museum.
There's something nicely old-fashioned about stamps featuring ships. For release tomorrow, this issue pays tribute to the U.S. Merchant Marine, the modern name for the maritime fleet. The four-stamp design on this pane features types of vessels that have formed an important part of this history: clipper ships, auxiliary steamships, liberty ships, and container ships.
{Info from Beyond the Perf}
Love the story of Owney - can't wait to get some of those stamps!
Posted by: Suz Warren | July 27, 2011 at 11:10 PM