Add clever meets cute flair to your letters with these vintage unused North American Wildlife Series "Raccoon" postage stamps! This classic wildlife design is perfect for adding a bit of nature to your cards and letters or save-the-dates and wedding invitations. 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 correspondence. Embrace the call of the wild with this captivating postage stamp!

Purchase includes a total of TWENTY (20) mint condition postage stamps shown in the product listing photos.

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Name: Raccoon
• Series: North American Wildlife
• Year Issued: 1987
• Face Value: 22-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): Wildlife, Nature, Nocturnal, Bandit, Black Mask, Ringed Tail, Forager, University of Illinois, Robo the Illini
• Color(s): Black and Grey, Green, Multicolored
• Mailing Occasions: Wedding Invitations, Save the Date Announcements, Shower Invitations, Bachelor Party Invitations, Snail Mail
• Printing Method: Photogravure
• Scott Number: 2331
• Adhesion Type: Gummed (see below for adhesion instructions)
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

STAMP HISTORY: Part of the North American Wildlife series, this vintage postage stamp showcases the Raccoon, a nocturnal mammal known for its distinctive facial mask and dexterous front paws. The stamp’s illustration captures the raccoon in a natural setting, highlighting its characteristic black "mask" and ringed tail. This unused 22-cent gummed stamp celebrates the North American continent's rich biodiversity, showcasing the raccoon in its typical environment, emphasizing the importance of habitat in wildlife conservation.

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are highly adaptable and can be found in a variety of environments, including forests, urban areas, and wetlands across North America. Known for their intelligence and curiosity, raccoons are nocturnal foragers, often using their nimble front paws to search for food.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s mascot was once a Raccoon known as "Robo the Illini”, though it's now a more abstract character.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: The raccoon is a powerful spiritual symbol of resourcefulness, adaptability, curiosity, and transformation. With its masked face and nocturnal nature, the raccoon is often associated with secrets, intelligence, and problem-solving. Many cultures view the raccoon as a trickster, a guide to hidden truths, or a totem of personal reinvention. Spiritually, they symbolize the importance of seeking knowledge, questioning the status quo, and being open to new perspectives. If the raccoon appears, it may be nudging you to investigate a situation more deeply before making a decision. In some Native American traditions, the raccoon is considered a trickster spirit, using cleverness and wit to navigate challenges. This energy teaches the balance between seriousness and playfulness, reminding you to enjoy life and not take everything too seriously.

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.