Stamp Trivia

1. In 1973 Bhutan (an Asian nation in the Himalayan Mountains) issued a stamp in the shape of a record. These stamps had the Bhutanese national anthem recorded on one side of the stamp and could actually be played on a record player.

2. Camels have appeared on two U.S. stamps.

3. The Swedish Three Skilling Banco is believed to be the world's most valuable stamp. It sold for approximately $1.6 million to a unknown collector in 1996. The stamp is a color error. It was mistakenly printed in yellow instead of green.

4. Each time you lick a stamp, you are consuming about 1/10 of a calorie.

5. The United Kingdom is the only country that does not have its name on its stamps, but rather only the profile of the current monarch.
The Universal Postal Union allows this because Britain was the first country to issue stamps.

6. In 1964, William Shakespeare became the first person other than royalty to appear on a United Kingdom stamp.

7. The first ever self-adhesive stamps were issued by Sierra Leone in February 1964

8. In the early 1900s, China issued the largest stamps ever. They measured 210 x 65 mm in size and were used on express letters.

9. The first woman featured on an USA stamp was not Martha Washington but Queen Isabella of Spain.

10. George Washington has appeared on more U.S. postage stamps than any other person.

11. The black 2 cent American stamps featuring a portrait of President Andrew Jackson, issued from July 1 1863 through 1875 were referred to by the general public as "Black Jacks".

12. In 1939, as part of a scientific facility on the sea bed off the Bahamas, the world's first undersea post office was establised. This post office used stamps that had a special oval postmark inscribed with the words "SEA FLOOR/BAHAMAS".

13. South Africa issued the world's first triangular stamps.