Can You Find the Changes in the

PACIFIC 97 Red Triangle Stamp

from the Original Approved Design?

There are 3 versions of the new PACIFIC 97 red triangle stamp. Two of these are preliminary designs used by the Postal Service for publicity purposes, plus the final stamp as issued. At least 19 differences can be found--11 or more in the central vignette plus 8 more outside the circle. By the way, the Postal Service has admitted yet one other thing that perhaps should have been changed. No stage coach could travel as fast as shown on the stamp. The actual speed on rough dirt roads would have been closer to 5 miles per hour.

The first change came after the preliminary design was released. The world philatelic exhibition being honored was identified as "PACIFIC '97"--but its official name is "PACIFIC 97" without any apostrophe. Black-and-white photographs and color transparencies sent out by the Postal Service show design #1 above, though some subsequent printed USPS materials show version #2.

Other changes outside the vignette:

• the margins on the actual stamp are much larger than on the preliminary design,
• the color of the stamp ink on the preliminary designs is a dark carmine, compared to the much lighter and brighter red on the actual stamp,
• the "USA" and "32" on the actual stamp are smaller than on the preliminary designs,
• the scroll designs on either side of the banner with "PACIFIC 97" were lowered on the actual stamp from their location on the preliminary designs,
• the circle that borders the vignette is wider on the actual stamp than on the preliminary designs
• the circle that borders the vignette drops lower below the bottom horizontal line of the stamp design
• the background behind the "USA" and the "32" was changed from horizontal lines in the preliminary designs to crossed diagonal lines on the actual stamp

As for all the changes in the central portion of the stamp, click here to see enlargements of the vignettes of preliminary design #2 and the actual stamp.

To view the actual stamp under high magnification, click here. (The file is 236K, but if you have a high-speed modem, it's worth the wait to see all the detail possible with intaglio printing.)

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