La Posta January 2002 3
PUBLISHER'S PAGE
itself is impressive, the fullThe Australian “United We Stand” P-Stamp
sized sheet is all the more
By Cath Clark
so. The most compelling
If people are moved enough by world events, they will icons of the two countries –
not wait for their governments to act, but will take the Statue of Liberty and the
matters into their own hands. A remarkable example Sydney Opera House – are
of this is the new Australian “United We Stand” Per- featured prominently on the
sonalized Stamp (P-Stamp). In the past, people made selvedge with “UNITED
up special cachets and pre-printed covers to demon- WE STAND” printed in
strate their patriotism. Now, an individual or a com- large letters at the top.
pany can have their very own stamp commissioned to
Melbourne stamp dealer Max Stern teamed with a U.S.
do the same thing – at least here in Australia.
marketing firm to produce the P-Stamp. The stamp
The P-Stamp was privately commissioned and released was designed by the American firm, and Stern ap-
on 25 October 2001 (24 Oct. in the U.S.) to coincide proached Australia Post to have it printed. The design
with the issuance of the USPS “United We Stand” was approved quickly, complete with a custom sel-
stamp. It was printed by Australia Post through the vedge surround. It was first made available at the
P-Stamp program, but is not an official issue. While Brisbane 2001 Centennial Stamp Show. According to
plans are said to be in the works by the Coalition coun- Stern, 3000 sheets had been produced at the time of
tries to produce joint issue stamps to demonstrate soli- the show, the majority of which are still in Australia.
darity with the U.S., the P-Stamp has leapt well ahead The total print run will be about 10,000 sheets.
of any Australian government-issued stamp.
Personalised Stamps were introduced in Australia at
The stunning new stamp combines the 45 cent Aus- the 1999 World Stamp Expo and have been used pri-
tralian flag and running kangaroo with a U.S. waving marily by individuals to put their photos on a stamp.
flag and the words “UNITED WE STAND” (figure They have also been used for rugby teams, and as the
1). The two flags combine beautifully since both em- occasional corporate event souvenir. Australia Post
ploy red, white, and blue colors. While the stamp guidelines state that images other than people can be
used on P-Stamps– such as
a car, pet, or company
logo–but do not address the
inclusion of other country’s
flags. Thus, acceptance of
the “United We Stand” de-
sign had to have been a
policy decision made at the
highest level. The stamp
designers were careful not
to make specific references
to the September 11th di-
saster because the P-
Stamps were not intended
to be used for political
causes. But, as they say, a
picture speaks a thousand
words.
Figure 1 The “United We Stand” P-Stamp sheet with the Statue of Liberty and Sydney
Opera House on the selvedge.
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