Existing comment:
1993
Elvis
The King of Rock & Roll adorns the top-selling postage stamp in US history.
Issued on Elvis Presley's 58th birthday (January 8, 1993) at his Graceland mansion, this stamp was part of the Legends in American Music Series. The US Postal Service invited the public to vote on two proposed designs by artist Mark Stutzman. More than 75 percent of voters selected this design, which shows Elvis preforming early in his career. The Postal Service sold more than 517 million Elvis Presley stamps.
1979:
Olympic Boycott:
Six stamps became embroiled in a political boycott of the 1980 Olympics.
In 1979 the US Postal Service announced six new stamps to honor the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics. Then the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. President Carter decided that the United States would boycott the Moscow games in protest. In March 1980, the Postmaster General announced that the USPS would withdraw the Olympic stamps from sale. The announcement set off a buying frenzy. Financial speculation ended when the stamps were re-released on August 6. |