Add coastal flair to your letters with these beautiful vintage unused North American Wildlife Series "American Lobster" postage stamps! This classic wildlife design is perfect for adding a touch of nature's splendor to your save-the-dates, wedding invitations, thank you cards, shower invites, birth announcements, and other snail mail correspondence. In pristine mint condition and valid for current postage use, each stamp holds a face value of 22-cents. These USPS postage stamps are suitable for current mailing when used with the total required postage based on the weight of your mailing. Embrace the call of the wild with this captivating postage stamp!

Purchase includes a total of TEN (10) mint condition postage stamps shown in the product listing photos.

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Name: American Lobster
• Series: North American Wildlife
• Year Issued: 1987
• Face Value: 22-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topics and Themes: Wildlife, Nature, Shellfish, Lobster, Claws, Atlantic Ocean, Coastal, East Coast, New England, Cape Cod, Culinary, Seafood
• Color(s): Gold, Pink, Blue, Black, Multicolored
• Mailing Occasions: Wedding Invitations, Save the Date Announcements, Shower Invitations, Thank You Cards, Birthday Party Invites, Snail Mail, and more
• Printing Method: Photogravure
• Scott Number: 2304
• Adhesion Type: Gummed (see below for adhesion instructions)
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

STAMP DESCRIPTION & HISTORY: Part of the 1987 American Wildlife series, this 22-cent postage stamp showcases a detailed illustration of the American Lobster, commonly found along the Atlantic coast of North America. The stamp’s artwork captures the lobster's distinctive features, including its large claws and segmented body.

American lobsters (Homarus americanus) are found primarily in the Atlantic Ocean, along the eastern coast of North America (in the U.S. States of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and on the Canadian coast including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador). Their range extends from Labrador, Canada, to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, with the highest populations concentrated in the colder, rocky coastal waters of New England and Atlantic Canada.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: The American Lobster holds unique spiritual symbolism, often connected to transformation, protection, resilience, and emotional depth. As a creature that molts its shell in order to grow, the lobster is a powerful symbol of personal growth, renewal, and shedding old layers to embrace new phases of life. It is also associated with strength, endurance, and the ability to navigate difficult emotions and experiences. The lobster is perhaps best known for its process of molting, in which it sheds its old shell to grow a new, larger one. This process symbolizes transformation and personal evolution. Spiritually, the lobster calls you to embrace change and growth, understanding that sometimes you must let go of the old to make room for something new. It encourages you to shed outdated beliefs, habits, or fears that no longer serve you and embrace the process of renewal. The American Lobster spirit is a reminder to embrace change, trust in your resilience, and honor your emotional depths. It encourages you to shed the old, protect your energy, and move forward with patience and grace.

STAMP SERIES HISTORY: On June 13, 1987, the United States Postal Service (USPS) issued the North American Wildlife postage stamp series, a commemorative sheet featuring 50 different gummed 22-cent stamps. This release celebrated the rich diversity of North American fauna, showcasing species from various regions, including Alaska and Hawaii. Renowned wildlife artist Chuck Ripper illustrated the series, capturing the essence of each species with remarkable accuracy and detail. The stamps not only highlight the animals but also incorporate elements of their natural habitats, emphasizing the importance of environmental conservation. USPS and The Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC) originally hoped to represent the State Animal of all 50 states. However, many states do not have a State Animal or share a State Animal with another state. Instead, USPS and CSAC opted to include avifauna, mammals, amphibians, and invertebrates from across the continent. Notably, the First Day of Issue ceremony took place at the Canadian Philatelic Exhibition (CAPEX) in Toronto, Canada, marking the third time a U.S. stamp issue had its inaugural event outside the United States. The North American Wildlife stamp series remains a favorite among collectors and nature enthusiasts, serving as a vivid reminder of the continent's rich and varied wildlife heritage.

GUMMED STAMPS: These postage stamps have a traditional moisture-activated gum on the back. These stamps require licking or wetting to adhere to envelopes or other surfaces. To ensure good adhesion, apply vintage gummed stamps to your mailings with a glue stick (we recommend using Elmer's "Re-Stick" glue sticks).

GENUINE USPS POSTAGE: These unused vintage postage stamps are perfectly valid for use as current postage for mailing with USPS as long as you use the adequate amount of additional postage to achieve standard postage rates according to the weight of your mailing. Check current postage rates at USPS.com.

TELL YOUR STORY IN STAMPS: We’ve worked with hundreds of couples and their stationers to custom design highly stylized personalized postage sets based on our customer’s life stories. We can help you curate personalized vintage postage sets to commemorate your save-the-date, wedding, shower, announcement, and other special occasions in a truly unique fashion. Drawing on our encyclopedic knowledge of every stamp ever issued by the USPS, and sourcing from our extensive inventory of collectable unused vintage stamps, we’ll help you tell your unique story in stamps!

ABOUT HERITAGE POST HOUSE: Jennifer Kramer is the founder of Heritage Post House, a boutique vintage postage house located in Northern California. Jennifer sources the most beautiful unused vintage postage stamps ever issued by USPS and artfully arranges them into curated postage sets that are sure to add a special touch to your invitations, announcements, and special mailings. In addition to creating pre-arranged postage sets, Jennifer also works with couples (and their stationers) to create one-of-a-kind custom postage arrangements for wedding invitations, save the dates, and other special occasions.


Product Specifications

Length: 1.57 in.
Height: 0.01 in.
Width: 0.98 in.
Weight: 0.01 lbs.