First Block of Four Different Designs

In the 1964 Christmas issue, The Postmaster General decided to try something new in the form of four stamps with different designs. The four stamps would show holly, mistletoe, poinsettia, and a pinecone. These were issued in sheets of 100 with each sheet having 25 blocks of the four different designs. This first US se-tenant printing of stamps was an important event in philatelic history. The word “se-tenant” comes from a French expression meaning joined together. It refers to an unsevered pair or group of stamps that are different in design, denomination, surcharge, or overprint. Each stamp is printed in holiday red and green against a white background.

The mistletoe symbolizes peace, the holly symbolizes the crown of thorns placed on Christ’s head, the poinsettia is the traditional Christmas flower, and pinecones represent evergreen trees which are symbols of eternal life.

Christmas stamps have always been popular with collectors and the general public. When these four-in-one block of holiday stamps were issued, collectors were excited that they could make up several combinations of the se-tenant pairs either vertically or horizontally. This was the third Christmas issue but the first se-tenant issue.

The US did have stamps with different designs from 1930-1950s. Even though these sheets had different images, they were considered souvenir sheets or miniature sheets that were imperforate and they showed reprints of previously issued stamps.

These four stamps were designed by Thomas Naegele. It was issued on November 9, 1964 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This was the first time the post office issued more than one stamp design on one sheet.

Classroom Activities:

· Have students design four Christmas stamps of their own and color them in.

· What other symbols could be used on stamps that represent other things.

· Find Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on the map. What is the city’s population and any other interesting facts about the location?

Original photo by Pat Hensley