Elvis Postage Stamp The King Is Dead
I know this may be heartbreaking to some diehard Elvis fans, but "The King" is dead. Among the many rules governing United States Postage Stamps is one that states that no living person can appear on a stamp. Since the U.S. Elvis stamp was issued in 1993, we have to conclude that he has truly passed on. This rule stands in stark contrast to the United Kingdom, where not only can a living person appear on a stamp, but it is the custom for the reining monarch to be on most of the stamps. As previously stated, the United States issued its Elvis stamp in 1993. However, it was not the first stamp issued to commemorate the "King of Rock and Roll." No, that honor falls to - of all nations - the small country of Grenada, a nation known for producing many varieties of colorful postage stamps. In 1978, to commemorate the first anniversary of his death, the country released its Elvis stamp.
Since the 1980's many more nations, over forty in all, have printed some type of Elvis postage stamp. In fact, some have created completely new sets on a regular basis throughout the years. The United States' version was rather unique in the annuals of postage stamps. For the first time, the Postal Service asked the general public to vote on which picture should appear on a stamp. They could opt for the youthful Elvis, or the more mature one. Thus, in 1993, the votes were tabulated and the young Elvis commemorative postage stamp was released to the public. It proved to be a sensation, selling over 517 million copies, and making it the single most popular commemorative stamp ever issued! While very colorful and a great picture, the stamp will never be of any value to collectors. Unfortunately, it violates the cardinal rule of collection for profit: rarity. In order for any stamp to reach the heights of great value, there can not be a lot of copies of it around. Case in point: The most valuable postage stamp in the world is the 1856 one-cent "Black on Magenta" of British Guiana, with a cancellation mark. It is quite the ugly little slip of paper: rectangular, with the corners snipped off to give it a rough octagonal shape. In 1980, the one remaining copy of it sold for $935,000! So, if you go by weight alone, that would make it just about the single most valuable object on the planet. So, the Elvis stamp will never be of any monetary value, probably not even its face value. Yet, it's doubtful that fans will be at all concerned about that. No, they still love it, simply as yet another beautiful memory of "The King." After all, there are other ways of measuring value than simply monetarily. |