The History of Hockey stamps that USPS released last week aren’t the first philatelic offerings to celebrate athleticism. Here’s a look at five more sports-themed stamp releases.
1. Sporting Horses. The drama and pageantry of horses in polo, steeplechase, harness and track racing were featured on four 29-cent stamps in 1993.
2. Recreational Sports. Three of these five 32-cent stamps, issued in 1995, commemorated the 100th anniversaries of the invention of volleyball, golf’s national championships and the American Bowling Congress.
3. Cycling. In conjunction with Hong Kong, two international postcard-rate stamps were released in 1996 featuring cyclists in action during a road race.
4. Extreme Sports. Four 33-cent stamps were released in 1999 to acknowledge the growth and popularity of BMX biking, skateboarding, snowboarding and inline skating in the United States.
5. Have A Ball! These eight stamps, released this year, feature a special coating that gives them the textured feel of real balls used in a variety of sports.
The National Postal Museum’s philately site has more information about these stamps and many others. Got ideas for future editions of “The list”? Email them to uspslink@usps.gov.