This ongoing project of our Seal News Editor, David Teisler, is making our journal more useful. As new issues of Seal News are released, the project is expanding, and includes, issue, page, author, date, and title of scholarly articles.
There are four major types of the 1913 Christmas Seal, and varieties within these types. Also illustrated are some of the proposed designs, or essays created in the development of the finished seal, as well as the Chicago local that closely resembles the type 1.
1) Poinsettia flowers in the side panels. This, the holy grail of US Christmas Seal collecting is very rare, with only one sheet believed to have been produced.
2a) Poinsettia flowers removed, but green circles around the crosses in the side panels remain. Bottom left of upper ribbon with “American Red Cross” has closed curl (filled in green).
2b) Poinsettia flowers removed, but green circles around the crosses in the side panels remain. Bottom left of upper ribbon with “American Red Cross” has open curl (filled in red).
Type 2a&b varieties only discovered in the new melinum by CS&CSS member, Joseph Ward
3) Green circles around the crosses in the side panels removed.
4) Imperforate, issued without gum, with printed dashes (simulated roulette) between seals. Unknown origin, but some examples have partial printing on back; an important clue yet to be decyphered. I'm also illustrating the only known tied on
Some Essays - imperforate, issued without gum in panes of 10 (2x5) One bears a strong resemblance to the type one, with poinsettias in the side panels, but sharper, with proof like details. Varieties include, black vignette, green vignette, incomplete poinsettias, and fewer shading lines above the highest mountain.
Chicago local TB Christmas Seals used US National designs from 1912-1914. The1913 issue bears a strong resemblance to type 1, but is easily distinguished by comparison. Both have poinsettias in the side panels, but the Chicago local is lighter green, and Santa's sleigh has red in it. The Chicago local is not as finely printed as the the national issue. Though not visible on this illustration, the Chicago local has a Union Label, just below the center bottom of each seal.
There are three major types of the 1925 Christmas Seal, and varieties within these types.
Type One, printed by Eureka - The red line around "1925" stops at the green line at the top of the bottom panel and does not join the red background below. The rays around the flames are like the Type II in early impressions, but more frequently show signs of wear, are only slightly tapered, and are blunt at the tips. Rays mostly alternate long and short.
Type Two, printed by Edwards & Deutsch - The red line around "1925" crosses the green line and joins the red background of the bottom panel. Rays are tapered and sharp pointed, mixed long and short as Type I.
Type Three, printed by Gugler - Similar to Type I but rays around flames are shorter and of a more even length, and usually have sharper points. Letters "ea" of "Health" are smaller and more nearly closed. They come in two types of letters, one with heavy "rr" and the other with thin "rr" in "Merry".
The four stages of the 1934 light blue plate are confusing and often difficult to see on the complete Christmas Seals. These images were photo-shopped from a stage one light blue plate, Eureka progressive color proof.
Clearly, the National Tuberculosis Association kept cutting away more and more of the light blue plate so the wording, "Season's Greetings", the date, "1934" and finally the double barred cross, were more visible. Unless the plates were aligned perfectly, these details were hard to see.
The first 3 stages of the light blue plate were used on common Christmas Seal printings. Eureka, early printing of Strobridge, and Edwards & Deutsch used stage one. Stage two was used by USPS. Stage three was used on later printing of Strobriodge and Stage four is a rare Strobridge variety, existing only as a complete seal.
Light Blue Plate Stages
1) “Season’s Greetings 1934” is in characters slightly larger than on the ultramarine plate
2) “Season’s Greetings” has been cut away leaving a white panel in its place, but “1934” is still as in stage 1
3) “1934” has also been cut away leaving a squat T-shaped white panel in place of lettering and date
4) The cross has also been cut away bringing the white panel to a point at about the center of the seal. The white panels are covered by the ultramarine screen in the complete seals, but show quite clearly through the screen.
Print your own COVID-19, sheet of 48
The best way to prevent illness from COVID-19 is to avoid being exposed to the virus, as there is no vaccine to prevent COVID-19.
According to the CDC, the virus is thought to be spread mainly from person-to-person. This means it may spread between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet), or through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
The CDC also reports that it may be possible for someone to get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object with the virus on it, and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
These beautiful volumes have been re-done, written and kept up to date for over ten years by CS&CSS member Cliff Beattie. Cliff, a member of the CS&CSS Board of Governors, has also been an editor for the Canadian Christmas Seal section of the Unitrade Catalogue, and is a member of the Saskatoon Coin Club. Due to the high cost of printing and shipping, many CS&CSS titles are sold on CD, all priced at $8.95 + $3.25 shipping (regardless of the size of the order)
Collectors who prefer a bound color catalog may request a printed copy from your webmaster, John Denune, jr., john@christmasseals.net. The cost is 12 cents a page on premium 32 lb paper + $2 comb binding + $3.25 domestic Media Mail shipping + $10 donation to the CS&CSS. A 175 page catalog would be 175 x .12 + $2 + $3.25 + $10= $36.25
1) Green's Catalog of Canadian Local & Provencial TB Christmas Seals, 2020 edition, 175 pages
2) Mosbaugh Catalog of Canadian Red Cross Seals, 2020 edition, 80 pages
3) Beattie Canadian National, Provincial & Local Easter Seal Catalog, 2020 edition, 120 pages
From 1927 through 1931 the National Tuberculosis Association Publicity Department created a series of bold poster stamp designs. These were created for Publicity rather than Fund Raising. Posters of these poster stamps were only recently discovered. The first 4, 1927 #201-.4 measure 15.5 x 19.75"; the two Doctor and Patient designs, 1927/1929 #203-4 come in 2 sizes, small 11x14" and large 18x22"; David & Goliath, 1931 #206 measures 11 x14"
Poster stamps of the first 4 designs were also used in 1927 as US Local TB fundraising seals, with "Brooklyn TB & Health Assn."added at top, and "293 Schermerhorn Street" added at bottom.
The long awaited 2020 edition is HERE. For the first time, many exceedingly rare and desirable Local TB Christmas Seals are illustrated in full color. Over the decades nearly all of these associations were absorbed by the national.
There has been talk about updating this important piece of Christmas Seal & Charity Stamp Society literature for over 20 years. Brian McInturff stepped in and did it! We are taking orders for the CD edition $8.95 (+ $3.25 S&H) or the printed editon, 218 pages (full color comb bound) $39.00 (+ $3.25 S&H). Make your check payable to "CS&CSS" and mail to: John Denune, CS&CSS Catalog Chairman, 234 E. Broadway, Granville, OH 43023 (740) 587-0276 john@christmasseals.net
Used to distribute Christmas Seals from Booths set up, sometimes inside a Post Office.
This is the collection of John Denune, ex Dick Green.
Many early Cinderella Stamps are event seals, often issued for World's Fairs, or Expositions. These are neither "Christmas Seals" or "Charity Stamps", but they are still of great interest to members of the Christmas Seal & Charity Stamp Society. Early events are usually hinged, sometimes removed from cover, and many have small faults, but some can be found in mint never hinged condition. This group is from Belgium.
