Philosateleia
Kevin Blackston
PO Box 217
Floresville TX 78114-0217
United States of America

Philosateleian Blog

American Heart Association envelope reuses heart design

My first significant nonprofit mailing of 2024 comes from the American Heart Association, and it features the reuse of imagery first seen on the business reply envelope included in a February 2023 mailing.

The envelope I received last week bears three stamp-sized copies of a preprinted heart-on-heart design.

American Heart Association cover with three stamp-sized designs picturing hearts
American Heart Association cover with stamp-sized designs picturing hearts

And the business reply envelope enclosed in the outer cover has five copies of the same image printed on it.

American Heart Association business reply envelope with five stamp-sized designs picturing hearts
American Heart Association business reply envelope with stamp-sized designs picturing hearts

As I mentioned, I first saw the heart-on-heart design last year. The only difference I can see in what I received in the mail this month is that the designs on both the cover and the business reply envelope have a bold black border; on last year’s BRE, the designs had a pale border.

Minnesota-based local post issues $1 Christmas stamp

The latest local post stamp issue of 2023 of which I’m aware comes from a local post of which I was not previously aware. It’s a $1 Christmas stamp picturing the Madonna and Child issued by Rocking Horse Farm Local Post of Saint Cloud, Minnesota.

The copies of this stamp I received arrived in a cover with a handwritten first day cover notation and a Saint Paul, Minnesota, machine cancellation dated December 28.

$1 Rocking Horse Farm Local Post Christmas 2023 stamp
Rocking Horse Farm Local Post Christmas 2023 stamp

Based on what I’ve been able to find online, Rocking Horse Farm appears to be a Saint Cloud knit shop and textile studio. I’m not sure exactly how that ties in with a local post, but I’m sending a request for additional information and will let you know if I learn more.

Purgatory Post releases Dingleton Hill Covered Bridge stamp

New Hampshire-based Purgatory Post continued a recent run of new issues with the December 22, 2023, release of its 22-sola Dingleton Hill Covered Bridge stamp. In addition to a vignette picturing the bridge, the stamp features a vivid purple frame inspired by the United States 1901 Pan-American Exposition series stamps.

22-sola Purgatory Post Dingleton Hill stamp
Purgatory Post Dingleton Hill stamp

The Dingleton Hill Covered Bridge, which is also known as the Cornish Mills Bridge, dates to 1882 and cost $812 to build new. The 78-foot-long bridge was restored in 1978 and then repaired following a 2016 accident; although it’s on the National Register of Historic Places, the bridge is still used by vehicular traffic in the village of Cornish Mills.

Despite its release in the latter half of December, Purgatory Post’s stamp was not the last local post stamp to be issued in 2023. I know of at least one issued even later, and I plan to share details about it next time.

2023 annual supplement available for The Philosateleian

If you use the recommended quarterly update track for The Philosateleian U.S. Stamp Album, you should already be up to speed on pages for 2023. If, on the other hand, you’re using the annual update track, the 2023 annual supplement is available for you to download and print at your convenience.

The annual supplement includes spaces for all United States postage stamps issued in 2023. Again, if you print updates for The Philosateleian on a quarterly basis, you don’t need to download this update; however, if you print new pages only once per year, this one’s for you.

Thank you for your interest in The Philosateleian, and thanks to the supporters who have contributed to my project.

Philosateleian Post’s 2023 year in review sees new records set

Philosateleian Post in 2023 set new records for the amount of mail carried in a calendar year and on a single day.

The private local post based in Floresville, Texas, carried 525 pieces of outbound mail and processed nearly 25 additional items misdelivered by the United States Postal Service or sent to unknown addressees for an overall total of 547 pieces of mail. That represented a nearly 10% increase in outbound mail volume over the previous year and broke Philosateleian Post’s single-year records of 524 pieces of outbound mail and 535 total pieces of mail set in 2021.

In addition, Philosateleian Post set a new single-day record by carrying 53 pieces of outbound mail on January 30, 2023. That was World Local Post Day and the first day of issue for Philosateleian Post’s Western Cattle Not in Storm stamp.

Finally, the 64 postcards carried by Philosateleian Post in 2023 represented an increase of more than 50% over the previous record of 42 set in 2022.

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