Skip to main content
Smithsonian main website

Search

Donate

EnglishEnglish
EnglishEnglishArabicArabicChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Simplified)FilipinoFilipinoFrenchFrenchGermanGermanHebrewHebrewHindiHindiItalianItalianJapaneseJapaneseKoreanKoreanPortuguesePortugueseRussianRussianSpanishSpanishSwahiliSwahili
Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
  • Visit
    Visit
    • Location and Directions
    • Calendar of Events
    • Public Programs
    • Tours and Itineraries
    • Museum Highlights
    • Virtual Tour
    • Museum Shop
    • Information Desk
    • Reviews
    • Accessibility
    • Alerts
    Plan a Visit

    TEMPORARILY CLOSED
    Open every day (except December 25)
    10:00 am to 5:30 pm

    Admission is always free!

    2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
    Washington, DC 20002

    street map of Postal museum

    Learn more
  • Exhibitions
    Exhibitions
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    • Virtual Exhibitions
    • Past Exhibitions
    The museum's Atrium
  • Learn & Explore
    Learn & Explore
    • For Researchers
    • For Educators
    • Topical Reference Pages
    • Research Articles
    • Stamp Collecting
    • Social Media
    • Activities
    Front windows showing stamp images at night
  • Collections
    Collections
    • Search the Collection
    • Collection History
    • Collection Plan
    • Collection Projects
    • Object Donations
    • Object Loans
    • Digital Asset Collections
    • Rights and Reproductions
    • Preservation
    • Object Spotlight
    People in front of log post office building
  • About
    About
    • Support the Museum
    • History of the Museum
    • FAQs
    • Host an Event
    • Museum Councils
    • Philatelic Achievement Awards
    • Volunteering
    • Internships
    • Employment
    • Contact Us
    • Smithsonian Affiliations
    • Press
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Site Map
    Historic Lobby
  • Blog
  • Home
  • Collections
  • Search the Collection
  • 20c LOVE hearts single
Click to view social media share links

20c LOVE hearts single

Object Details

Description
A stamp honoring love was issued January 31, 1984, in Washington, DC. The First Day of Issue ceremony was held at the Capital Children's Museum.
Although the Love stamp was issued in time for use on Valentine's Day mail, it was intended to enhance cards and letters on many other special occasions throughout the year such as weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries.
Credit for designing the 1984 Love stamp went to Bradbury Thompson of Riverside, Connecticut. His design featured a repetition of the word LOVE using a heart in the place of the letter V. Each of the five hearts was a different color. The modeler of the stamp was Esther Porter.
This issuance marked the third time the US Postal Service issued a special stamp honoring love. The first Love stamp, issued in 1973, proved so popular that a second stamp was issued in 1982. As with the previous Love stamps, this one was printed in larger than normal quantities and was available for a longer period of time than a standard commemorative postal issue.
The stamp was printed in the photogravure/intaglio process and issued in panes of fifty.
Reference:
Postal Bulletin (December 22, 1983).
Credit line
Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
January 31, 1984
Object number
1999.2004.331
Type
Postage Stamps
Medium
paper; ink (multicolored); adhesive / photogravure, engraving
Place
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Title
Scott Catalogue USA 2072
Topic
U.S. Stamps
Record ID
npm_1999.2004.331
Usage
Not determined
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8f714fb56-e417-4f98-be99-70a574f65064

Related Object Groups

  • We Heart Art
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

HomeSmithsonian National Postal Museum

Plan a Visit

TEMPORARILY CLOSED
Open every day (except December 25)
10:00 am to 5:30 pm

Admission is always free!

2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

street map of Postal museum

Learn more
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Press
  • Site Map
  • e-News
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Flickr

Have you signed up for ourĀ monthly e-newsletter?

Owney, the Railway Mail Service Mascot

Back to Top