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| 1939 Centennial Of Baseball
United States FDC - First Day Cover |
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1969 Professional Baseball First Day Cover |
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| 1982 Jackie Robinson U.S.
Postal Service Plate Block |
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Legends – Baseball Scrapbook & Stamp Album |
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USPS Legends Stamp Baseball Cards |
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1995 Recreational Sports, Softball Stamp |
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1996 Folk Heroes
- Mighty Casey FDC & Stamp |
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2000 Youth Team Sports
Baseball Stamp |
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Celebrate The Century: 1950s: stamp pane |
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2006 Baseball Sluggers Postcards |
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2008 Take Me Out To The Ballgame
FDC & Stamp |
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2010 Negro Leagues Baseball Stamps |
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2012 Major League Baseball All-Stars |
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2017 Have a Ball U.S. Postage Stamp |
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2020 Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary - Baseball |
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2021 Yogi Berra
FDC Cancellation Variations & Postage Stamp |
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Baseball-Themed U.S. Postage Stamps Checklist |
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1939 Centennial of Baseball
1969 100th Anniversary of Baseball
1969 Grandma Moses
1982 Jackie Robinson
1983 Babe Ruth
1984 Roberto Clemente
1989 Lou Gehrig
1989 Legends Stamp Album
1992 Olympic Summer Games
1995 Recreational Sports
1996 Centennial Olympic Games
1996 Folk Heroes
1998 The 1900s First World Series
1998 The 1920s: Babe Ruth
1999 The 1940s: Jackie Robinson
1999 The 1950s World Series Rivals
1999 Shot Heard 'Round The World
1999 The 1960s: Roger Maris
2000 1990s: New Baseball Records
2000 Legends of Baseball
2000 Youth Team Sports
2001 Legendary Playing Fields
2006 Baseball Sluggers
2008 Take Me Out To The Ballgame
2010 Negro League Baseball
2012 MLB All-Stars
2017 Have a Ball
2020 Bugs Bunny
2021 Yogi Berra
2021 Backyard Games |
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Abbreviations For
Philatelic
Terminology |
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CAT or CV - Catalog Value
CDS – Circular date stamp.
DCP - Digital Color Postmark
FV - Face Value
FDC - First Day Cover
HORZ - horizontal
IMPERF - imperforate
MNH - Mint Never Hinged
NDC - No Die Cut
NG - No Gum, unused stamp without gum
SC or Scott - Scott Catalog #
STC - Stated to have a catalogue value
of
PC - Postcard
PERF - Perforation
PNC - Plate Number Coil
PO - Postoffice
PSA – pressure-sensitive adhesive.
RG - Regummed
SA – Self-Adhesive or PSA
USPS – United States Postal Service.
VERT - vertical
WAG - water activated gum |
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| KeyMan
Collectibles |
NEWSLETTER |
September 2023 |
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Collecting United States Postal
Service Baseball |
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Steven KeyMan |
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Postage
Stamps -
By Steven KeyMan |
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Founder of
Keymancollectibles.com,
and a long time
collector, Steven
KeyMan has more than 30
years of experience in
researching, and
cataloging information
on Baseball
Memorabilia.
Researching his own personal
collection, and helping others find
information on their
collectibles, the
website grew into the
largest online resource
for baseball
memorabilia |
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Ask
Steven: Direct your questions or feedback,
about Baseball Memorabilia to Steven KeyMan
Steve@keymancollectibles.com You can also Send
KeyMan pictures of your personal Memorabilia Display,
and get your own Free
Collectors Showcase Room featured on the website.. |
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Stamp collecting, philately, has
consistently ranked as one of the
world's most popular hobbies. Nearly
all unused U.S. stamps issued after
1930 are worth face value. An
inexpensive hobby, adding postage
stamps to our baseball card collection
won't break the bank, can be fun, and
teach us things about the game we love.
But, stamp collecting can be quite
challenging if you don’t know the
meaning of the stamp terminology that’s
widely used by collectors and dealers.
Covered below, is the history behind
baseball postage stamps, a checklist,
and basic terminology.
Stamp Collecting Terminology: "Face value" The value of a
stamp as inscribed on its face. For
letter-denominated or non-denominated
stamps, the understood postal value of
the stamp.
The first baseball postage stamp was
issued by the U.S. Post Office on June
12, 1939. The 3 Cent,
Centennial Of Baseball, United States
Postage stamp commemorates the
100-year anniversary of the beginning
of baseball.
The 1939, Centennial of Baseball Celebration ignited national interest, to
millions across the United States and
beyond. People found common ground and
shared enthusiasm for the birthday of
our national pastime, Baseball.
The chosen design for the stamp depicts a sandlot baseball game
between two boy's teams, with a pitcher
watching first base and about to
deliver the ball. Within a wreath,
enclosed crossed bats, a glove and a
ball. In the background a church and a
schoolhouse with the American flag
flying from the playground flagpole. Bureau of
Engraving artist William Roach designed
the stamp, and later explained the site
in his artwork is in Milford, Delaware.
Stamp Collecting Terminology: "Vignette" The central
portion of a stamp's design which has
been printed separately within the
"Frame" The outer portion of a stamp
design.
It was not until 30 years later, when
the Post Office issued it's second
baseball postage stamp.
A 6-cent
postage stamp marking the 100th
anniversary of professional baseball
was issued with first day ceremonies on
September 24, 1969 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The game was strictly amateur until the
mid-1860s when a few cities, eager to
have outstanding teams, offered salary
inducements to star players.
The first completely professional team in baseball with each player
receiving a salary was formed in
Cincinnati, the Red Stockings, in 1869.
The stamp to honor the 100th
anniversary of pro ball was designed by
Alex Ross of Ridgefield, Conn. It
depicts a right-handed batter in white
uniform, red cap and black sweatshirt.
The foreground is green and the
background yellow.
Stamp Collecting Terminology: "First Day Cover" An
envelope or card which has been
postmarked and used on the first day of
issue.
 Jackie Robinson became the first
baseball player featured on a U.S.
postage stamp. The Brooklyn Dodger
great was honored on a 20 cent
commemorative stamp issued in
Cooperstown, August 2, 1982.
The Jackie
Robinson stamp was the fifth in the
black heritage series, initiated in
1978.
Previous stamps issued in the black Heritage USA Series have honored
Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr,
Benjamin Banneker, and Whitney Moore
Young Jr. The Jackie Robinson stamp was
designed by Jerry Pinkney, who also
designed all the previous Black
Heritage stamps.
The vertically-oriented standard commemorative size stamp features a
portrait of Robinson with his name at
the top. Beneath is a scene showing
Robinson sliding into home plate. At
the bottom of the stamp is the
inscription "Black Heritage USA 20˘."
(Stamp ID# Scott 2016)
Stamp Collecting Terminology: "Scott Number" Scott
catalogue numbers are used to identify
specific items when buying, selling or
trading stamps.
On July 6, 1983, the United States Postal
Service issued a
.20˘ commemorative
stamp honoring Babe Ruth. The stamp was
issued in conjunction with the 50th
anniversary of the first All-Star
baseball game in which Ruth hit the
first home run, scoring two runs and
winning the game for the American
League.
It was the third stamp in the American Sports Series which begun in 1981
with stamps honoring golfer Bobby Jones
and all-around athlete Babe Didrikson
Zaharias.
The vertically oriented stamp was designed by Richard Gangel who was art
director of Sports Illustrated for 21
years. It's based on a classic
photograph of Babe Ruth with feet
spread apart and bat pointed almost
straight up. He is looking toward the
fences following a home run swing.
Stamp Collecting Terminology: "Plate Block" When four or
more attached stamps are still fastened
to the margin which has the number of
the printing plate clearly inscribed.
 Continuing with the
American Sports Series, the U.S. Postal
Service issued a
.20˘ commemorative
stamp honoring baseball great Roberto
Clemente on August 17, 1984, in his
birthplace, Carolina, Puerto Rico. The
Roberto Clement stamp design was done
by Juan Lopez-Bonilla, a native of
Puerto Rico.
The stamp features a likeness of Clemente in profile against the flag of
Puerto Rico. "Roberto Clemente" appears
in two lines of black type at the top
of the stamp and "USA 2o˘" is printed
in a single line of black type at the
bottom left.
Stamp Collecting Terminology: "Cancellation" An
authorized mark applied to a stamp to
prevent its reuse by defacing it
surface.
The
25˘ Lou Gehrig Commemorative stamp
was issued at the National Baseball
Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., as
part of the museum’s 50th anniversary
celebration on June 10, 1989. The
Gehrig stamp is the 74th sports related
issue and sixth to honor baseball.
He joins Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, and Roberto Clemente in the "Baseball
Stamp Hall Of Fame." The stamp shows
two likenesses of Gehrig; his batting
stance is superimposed on his profile.
Stamp designer Bart Forbes based his
painting of Gehrig on two photographs
of the "Iron Horse."
Stamp Collecting Terminology:
"Hinge" A small gummed strip which is
used to fix stamps to the pages of an
album
When the 1992 Summer Olympic games in
Barcelona Spain begun, hundreds of
nations competed for the first time in
the sport of baseball. There have been
baseball games at previous Olympics but
they were only to allow the Olympic
committee to determine whether it was
feasible to add the sport.
In 1992, baseball became an official sport and when the teams took the
field in Barcelona it was for the gold.
To mark the addition of baseball to the
Olympic schedule, many nations,
including the United States issued
stamps showing action on the diamond.
The US Postal Service issued a 29˘ commemorative baseball stamp on April
3, 1992, in Atlanta, Georgia. The site
where the 1996 Summer Olympic games
would be held. Anthony DeLuz of Boston
who won a national design contest,
received the standard $3,000. design
fee for his work; showing a runner
sliding into home plate, as a catcher,
ball in mitt, attempts to tag him out.
Stamp Collecting Terminology:
"Booklet Panes" A small leaf or page of
stamps which is sold in a booklet
format
Commemorating the 100th anniversary of
the modern Olympic games, the Postal
Service issued twenty 32-cent 1996
Centennial Olympic Games stamps on May
2, 1996, in Atlanta, Georgia.
As It reads on the Back of the Women's Softball Postage stamp: "Women's
Softball will make it's first
appearance in the 1996 Games. The
United States team is the world
Champion and one of the teams favored
to win a medal." Team USA went on to
win the gold, with an 8-1 overall
record, and defeating China in the Gold
Medal Match, 3-1.
Stamp Collecting Terminology:
"Backprint" printing which
intentionally appears on the back of a
stamp.
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As America approached the end of the
20th century, the USPS sought a way to
honor the wide variety of events that
had taken place. From 1998 to 2000, the
US Post Office issued the Celebrate The
Century series of postage stamps.
Honoring each decade with collectible
15-stamp panes from the 1900s through
the 1990s. Seven baseball
themed stamps were represented out of
the 150.
The Celebrate The Century series,
baseball stamps included;
The 1900s: The First World Series,
The 1920s:
Babe Ruth,
The 1940s: Jackie Robinson,
The 1950s: World Series Rivals and
Shot Heard ''Round The World,
The
1960s: Roger Maris 61 In '61, and
The 1990s: New
Baseball Records.
Stamp Collecting Terminology:
"Cachet" In French, cachet means a
stamp or a seal. On a cover, the cachet
is an added design or text, often
corresponding to the design of the
postage stamp, or some type of special
event.
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The Postal Service issued the
Legends of Baseball pane of
twenty 33-cent commemorative
stamps in Atlanta, Georgia, on
July 6, 2000.
Jackie Robinson straddles second base, holding a gloved baseball to the
dirt to seal a base runner's
doom. Babe Ruth Stares into the
distance after clubbing a home
run. Satchel Paige glares in at
a hitter, a faint smirk on his
face.
The 20 players were picked from a list of 100 nominated the year before
for Baseball's All-Century
team. |
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In order to be featured on a
stamp, they also had to be in the Hall
of Fame and, because of Postal custom,
dead for at least 10 years.
The twenty players appearing on this pane are: Jackie Robinson, Eddie
Collins, Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb,
George Sisler, Rogers Hornsby, Mickey
Cochrane, Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson,
Roberto Clemente, Lefty Grove, Tris
Speaker, Cy Young, Jimmie Fox, Pie
Traynor, Satchel Paige, Honus Wagner,
Josh Gibson, Dizzy Dean, and Lou
Gehrig.
The stamps were designed by Phil Jordan, and illustrated by Joseph Saffold.
Working from historic baseball
photographs, Saffold created the
colorful stamp art with Prismacolor
pencils, airbrushed acrylic and oil
paints. The backprint on the
stamp pane liner describes significant
achievements in the baseball careers of
each player.
Stamp Collecting Terminology: "Pane" The unit into which
a full press sheet is divided before
sale at post offices. A “sheet of
stamps” is more properly called a pane.
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New York's Yankee Stadium,
Boston's Fenway Park, and
Chicago's Wrigley Field are
among 10 ballparks that were
commemorated with stamps issued
by the U.S. Postal Service as
part of it's "Baseball's
Legendary Playing Fields" stamp
series.
The 34-cent adhesive stamps were unveiled at Yankee Stadium before the
game between The New York
Yankees and the Cleveland
Indians, on June 27, 2001.
The other ballparks on the pane
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Chicago's original Comiskey Park,
Cincinnati's Crosley Field,
Pittsburgh's Forbes Field, New York's
Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field,
Philadelphia's Shribe Park and Detroit's
Tiger Stadium. St. Louis's Sportsman’s
Park is on the pane header.
Stamp Collecting Terminology:
"Self-Adhesive" A gummed stamp with a
pressure-sensitive adhesive that does
not need moistening to fix it to the
postal item.
In 2006, baseball Hall of Famers Roy
Campanella, Hank Greenberg, Mickey
Mantle and Mel Ott were immortalized on
the
"Baseball Sluggers" postal stamps.
The 39-cent Baseball Sluggers
commemorative stamps were unveiled on
July 15, 2006, at Yankee Stadium in
Bronx, New York.
With the issuance of the Sluggers stamps, the U.S. Postal Service
recognizes the accomplishments of these
four baseball greats. Remembered as
powerful hitters who wowed fans with
awesome and often record-breaking home
runs, they were also versatile players
who helped to lead their teams to
victory and set impressive standards.
The Self-Adhesive .39-cent Baseball
Slugger postage-stamps, item no.
460100, were made available in panes of
20. The postal clerk received the panes
in 100 count packages (2,000 stamps).
The
top cover card which features the
Mickey Mantle postage stamp, also
included instructions for the clerk on
how to open the package. The Baseball
Sluggers stamps were also available in
six Philatelic Products; First day
Covers, Digital Color Postmark Random
Single, Stamped Postal Cards, Digital
Color Postmark, Uncut Press Sheet, and
Digital Color Postmark Keepsake.
Stamp Collecting Terminology: "Philately" The study of
postage stamps, stamped envelopes,
postmarks, postcards, and other
materials relating to postal delivery.
The term philately also denotes the
collecting of these items.
On July 15, 2010, the United States
Postal Service issued two 44-cent
commemorative Negro Leagues Baseball
postage stamps at the Negro Leagues
Baseball Museum. The set of two stamps,
se-tent printed side-by-side, to make
one continues image, honors black
baseball players and their contribution
to the culture and history of a country
that once shunned them.
One stamp depicts the umpire giving an emphatic safe sign as a player
slide across home plate just ahead of
the tag. The other is a portrait of
Rube Foster, who formed the Negro
National League, in 1920. Kadir Nelson
is the artist for the commemorative
Negro League Baseball stamp.
Stamp Collecting Terminology:
"Se-tenant" French for “joined
together.’’ Two or more un-separated
stamps of different designs, colors,
denominations or types.
Stamp Collecting Terminology:
"Circular Date Stamp" The round part of
a postmark containing information
telling where and when an item was
mailed or processed for mailing,
usually a full date and city.
Linn's
Stamp News Glossary Of Philatelic Terms
- This glossary defines nearly 300
terms frequently encountered by stamp
collectors and cover collectors.
Precise definitions for many philatelic
terms do not exist. One collector,
dealer or society may define a term in
one way, while others will use the term
in a slightly different way.
Stamp Collecting Terminology:
"Add-on Cachet" - A cachet that has
been added to a previously
uncacheted
first day cover after the first day of
issue. (uncacheted
- a cover which has no cachet design)
The add-on could be hand-painted,
hand-drawn, computer printed, rubber
stamped, a glued photograph to name a
few methods, and made in very limited
edition, many are one-of-a-kind.
Unfortunately, many add-ons are not so
identified
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