Mint. MNH. Original, undisturbed gum. No flaws. From a Smoke-free and Pet-free Environment. 

The U.S. Postal Service issued these Pacific ‘97 gummed triangle 32¢ stamps on March 13, 1997 at the Postage Stamp Mega-Event at the New York Coliseum in New York City, NY – for the purpose of publicizing the Pacific ’97 international stamp show in San Francisco, CA (May 29 - June 8, 1997). The stamps feature two designs, one of a US Mail stagecoach and one of a clipper ship, both 19^th century forms of transportation associated with mail delivery in the San Francisco area. These marked the first triangular stamps the U.S. Postal Service ever issued.

The clipper ship and stagecoach vignettes (based on illustrated covers from the mid-1800s) are centered within ornamented frames reminiscent of classic engraved stamps. These ornamental frames were designed by John Thompson of Hellman Design Associates in Waterloo, Iowa.

The engraving of the clipper ship Richard S. Ely was based on a drawing from an advertising card promoting “Merchants’ Express Line of Clipper Ships for San Francisco” located on New York City’s East River. The background includes an artist’s depiction of Fort Point in San Francisco – a site originally built by the US Army Corps of Engineers from 1853-1861 and now a National Historic Site at the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The engraving of the stagecoach was based on a drawing by Harrison Eastman (1823-1886), a post office clerk in San Francisco in 1849 until he became a painter, engraver, lithographer, and illustrator. Some small changes were made to the stagecoach image for use on this stamp.

Scott # 3130 - 3131