The souvenir poster stamp

The free stamp posters were printed in sheets, then cut into columns (like a vertical coil). The original idea was to place them in the model Stickney Press and cut them for visitors on the fly, but this proved to be too slow. Eventually the poster stamps were pre-cut into their 3 x 4 1/2-ish size.

The first batch of stamp posters were gummed, so that visitors could attach them to envelopes or other keepsake papers. Unfortunately, kids had other ideas. They started sticking them on all sorts of things after getting off the truck — other cars, poles, buildings, even the truck itself. To prevent further vandalism and waste, the rest of the batches were ungummed!

3c embossed cacheted envelope

Despite what the illustration says, this envelope could not actually be mailed on the philatelic truck! It was sold on the truck and could then be carried by the truck to the nearest post office, where the envelopes were postmarked.

This example from Phoenix is the only known extant cacheted “Display car” envelope canceled in Arizona. This particular envelope, from the Robert Bechtel collection, contained the souvenir poster shown above.

Junior edition of A Description of United States Postage Stamps

This junior version of A Description of United States Postage Stamps sold for 10c. Regular versions sold for 25c (paperback) and 75c (hardcover).

Inside, every United States stamp from 1893 to date is pictured and described.

Also included is a letter reproduced on White House stationery from FDR that states

TO THE JUNIOR PHILATELISTS OF THE UNITED STATES: I commend stamp collecting to you because I started a collection when I was about ten years old and have kept it up ever since. In addition to the fun of it, it has kept up my interest in history and geography, past and present. I really believe that collecting stamps makes one a better citizen. — Franklin D Roosevelt.

Page 3, A Description of United States Postage Stamps — Junior Edition

The Postal History Foundation’s (PHF’s) copy of this book is stamped, “National Foundation for Asthmatic Children.” This is the organization that started it all! The pioneers of the PHF wanted to help the asthmatic children convalescing in Tucson by teaching them how to collect stamps. The PHF (then known as the Western Postal History Museum) and the Arizona Philatelic Rangers were formed to help educate the kids at this facility. This particular book, then, has been in our possession since we were founded in 1960.

Back cover of the Junior edition of A Description of United States Postage Stamps