United States, Scott #5740 used(o), 2023, American School Bus stamp (24¢) for the 'additional ounce' rate which is used on letters that weigh more than the standard ounce; the stamp shows the standard American School Bus in front of a silhouetted and gray shaded school house and flag pole; it is the bright yellow bus that transports some 25 million students to classrooms across the United States every day; in 1939, Frank W. Cyr, the 'Father of the American School Bus" was a professor of rural education at Columbia University when he organized the conference in to establish national school bus construction standards; in consequence, a group of state transportation officials and bus and paint manufacturers gathered at Columbia University’s Teachers College, in New York City, to develop safety and fabrication standards for the nation's school buses; among many features, the group tested various colors and determined that black lettering showed most legibly on the vibrant “National School Bus Chrome,” which became the vehicle’s standard color, which all Americans would immediately know as the color 'yellow;' thirty-five states immediately began mandating the color, form and features of the American School Bus; as the post office noted in its publicity announcement:" ... the school bus is a common childhood experience for millions of Americans, as a youthful world where childish joys and dramas play out, friendships form and dissolve, and daydreams are dreamed as children are ferried to and from school;" artist Steve Wolf, on his first commission with the post office, worked with art director Greg Breeding and designer Mike Ryan to create this stamp, offset lithography printed by the Banknote Corporation of America (BCA); serpentine die cut simulated perforation 11, issued on non-water soluble self-adhesive panes, Scott Supplemental Catalog Value: 25¢, nicely centered, light, black-inked, horizontal, wavy line cancellation over the right half of the stamp and extending into the main image, good perforations, this stamp was soaked from the mailing envelope using the Bestine solvent and placed on a piece of black trimmed card stock for an attractive album mounting, good perforations; mounting and centering warrants a selling price premium. This is not a 'bait-and-switch;' the stamp you see will be the one you receive.
Please review my terms of sale. If you are not ordering from the United States, there is a $US1.55 additional postage expense that needs to be added to the price of the stamp. If you are ordering from the United States, there is only a $US0.68 added postage expense. Also, if you make additional purchases from my offerings, they can all go in one mailing at no extra shipping expense for the added purchases. I will send the purchase by US first class mail, since the relatively low value of the stamp does not warrant signature or tracking mail. Hence the buyer assumes risk of loss or non-delivery. I will keep a scan of my mailing to verify that the correct mailing address was used. If not satisfied, return the stamp to me at your own expense, and I will refund the cost, but not my postage to you. If the stamp is not as described, I will refund the cost and reimburse you for postage both ways.
By way of reference, I am an American Philatelic Society (APS) member (195176) and an American Stamp Dealers Association )ASDA) member. Thank you for looking, and I hope this is the perfect stamp to fill that gap in your collection.
