Chinese New Year (Monkey)

DGX #132 CHINESE NEW YEAR (MONKEY)

An orange and white border sets this cachet design off. Inside are three monkeys, one with a ‘furry’ tail. The symbol for Year of the Monkey is shown below the stamp.

Air Force Academy

DGX #133 AIR FORCE ACADEMY

This composite all-over design shows five scenes — the Academy exterior and interior, the sanctuary, the Air Force Academy in assembly, and the Air Force Flag. The stamp and postmark become part of the cachet design.

Choreographers

DGX #134 CHOREOGRAPHERS Block/4

The cachet design is based on a 3-dimensional collage made from an art print in the 1970s. Each cover has two pairs of stamps with the First Day of Issue pictorial postmark between them.

Federal Duck – Redhead

DGX #135 FEDERAL DUCK – Redhead

A Redhead Duck is the center of attraction in this water scene. A flock of Redheads in the background swoop in for a landing. Much detail has been shown in the feathers, and the ‘raised’ eyeball on the central duck gives a three-dimensional look.

The Art of Disney: Friendship

DGX #136 Disney Friendship: Little Mermaid

Over the years, Walt Disney created many different characters, all considered friends. This cachet is based on the fairy tale “Little Mermaid.” The all-over design is a deep sea scene featuring Ariel and her friends. Read the insert text for the story.

John Wayne

DGX #137 John Wayne

Legendary actor, John Wayne was Hollywood’s image of the Old West. He could always be counted on for separating the good guys from the bad. He remains one of our country’s most beloved celebrities. Other interesting facts about the actor are found in the insert text enclosed in each FDC. The cachet is an all-over montage depicting scenes from some of his movies.

Hanukkah Rekindles Faith

DGX #138 HANUKKAH

Question: What do (1.) Dedication, (2.) Spinning Tops, and (3.) Oil, have in common?
Answer: All play an important role in the celebration of Hanukkah.

The cachet design is hand painted in water colors and mixed media, reproduced in full color. The design is a depiction of the Maccabees purifying the Temple. The colors used in the design complement the colors in the stamp issue.

The Dreidl

This year’s Hanukkah stamp features a dreidl (spinning top). It is a tradition to play dreidl on Hanukkah. Why, you may ask is a toy so important on this holiday? Probably because it is fun, but some say that in acient times, the game was a ruse. When Antiochus outlawed the study of the Torah, the children placed a dreidl on the table so that the soldiers would think they were playing a game instead of studying.

Puerto Rico – Feliz Navidad

This year we follow how Christmas is celebrated in Puerto Rico. Although Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, Spanish is the dominant language, and the Christmas greetings are Felíz Navidad.

Christmas in Puerto Rico is like no other – it extends from early December to mid January! Children in Puerto Rico acknowledge both Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men as gift bearers. Both the cachet (Wise Men) and the stamps (Santa) directly relate to the traditions of the country.

The Three Kings, as they are known locally, are featured in the artwork, while the Santa Holiday Ornaments block/4 stamps are used on each FDC. Further information on Puerto Rican holiday traditions can be found in the text insert included with each FDC.

The cachet design is a colorful rendition of The Three Kings in their vivid costumes, set upon a background reflecting the Hispanic influence. The design has been hand-drawn and hand-printed, then reproduced in full color. Note how the stamp and cachet colors complement each other, and both become an integrated part of the all-over design. The full block/4 stamps is used on all of the covers.