| USPS
Wal-Mart Dummy Coils |
| On April 17, 1999, The United States Postal Service
conducted a joint promotion with the retailer Wal-Mart involving
the Daffy Duck stamp issued the previous day.
Daffy Duck Day was held at many Wal-Mart stores
featuring a second day cancellation for the Daffy stamp.
In conjunction with the promotion, Wal-Mart sold
small wooden mailboxes with attached magnets . These refrigerator
magnets sold for $1.97 and had three dummy stamps which were very similar
to the 32¢ Flag over Porch stamp. The dummy stamps are missing
the "32" denomination and "USA". The dummy stamps have a 1998 date
in the lower left corner. Although the dummy stamps appear to be
self-adhesive, they are firmly stuck to the backing paper and can only
be removed by soaking.
Collectors eagerly sought examples of the dummy
stamps and magnets with on-line auction prices at times reaching $20+.
Three varieties of the mailboxes exist: one with
a picture of Daffy, one with Sylvester and one with Bugs. The most
common seems to be the Daffy mailbox.
(Click image for 300 dpi scan)
|
The USPS issued stamps for Sylvester and for Bugs
during the preceding 32¢ rate period. On the front of the mailbox
is the eagle logo of USPS. Licensing credit is given to Warner Brothers
and the USPS on the back of the cardboard packing. Copyright and registered
trademark acknowledgments are printed there as well as on the back of the
mailbox. To see the back of the Wal-Mart packaging click <here>.
The boxes were made in China, blister-packed, and distributed by Acme International,
LLC.
One interesting "variety" on the mail boxes is when one Disney stamp
decal is applied over another as shown on...
(Click image for 300 dpi scan)
|
Like the Flag stamp, the dummies also appear to
have die cuts. Also like the Flag stamps, the dummies have different
patterns of die cuts. Most examples I've seen have 9 peaks
on the left and 8 peaks on the right side of the stamp. A smaller
number of examples have 8 peaks on the left and 9 on the right.
On each of the two die cuts another variety can
be found. Some examples have vertical black lines which can be on
either edge of a stamp.
Shown below are two different varieties of Wal-Mart
demonstration/dummy stamps. Examples are shown at 100% scanned
at 100 dpi with 300 dpi scan available by clicking on the image. |
The most frequently encountered die cuts are 9-8.
Notice the partial vertical black line on the lower left of the first stamp.
(Click image for 300 dpi scan)
|
Shown below are the 8-9 die cuts.
(Click image for 300 dpi scan)
|
I'll bet you noticed what appear to be different
shades of blue. Well, they are different and, as an added "bonus",
they are printed on different paper. The 8-9s have a darker shade
of blue and fluoresce slightly under long wave (LW) ultraviolet light (UV).
That is only the beginning of the story.
Lechters, a store which sold small kitchen appliances, also sold wooden
mailboxes with dummy flag stamps. The mailboxes did not have the
Disney character decals and contained only two dummy stamps. These
boxes, a lighter color blue than the Wal-Mart examples, had a picture of
an eagle on three sides. ACME MAIL was printed below the eagle.
Nowhere is there an indication that this is a USPS licensed product.
(Click image for 300 dpi scan)
|
All the stamps I have seen in the Lechter mailboxes are die cut 8-9.
The blue on these dummies is slightly darker than any of the Wal-Mart examples.
They do not react to LW UV.
(Click image for 300 dpi scan)
|
Lechter boxes were shipped to the retail outlets
in packs of six. The pack had printing on one side of....
ITEM# 92948 P.O. 5061
QUANTITY: 6 PCS
The reverse of the pack had a bar code label.
Printed below the code was:
WOOD MAILBOX MAGNET
6 PCS.
92948 - 006 - 000 - 0000
The back of the mailbox also was bar coded and
had the notation "MADE IN CHINA" and "COPYRIGHT 1998 ACME INTERNATIONAL,
INC."
(Click image for 300 dpi scan)
|
For the STAMP COLLECTOR article on the Lechter dummies click <here>
A most interesting aspect of these dummy stamps is their possible use
as a substitute for real stamps and thus becoming postal counterfeits.
From a recent correspondence I found this Wal-Mart dummy interspersed
with other stamps.
(Click image for 300 dpi scan)
|
If you want more information on postal counterfeits click <here>
If you have examples of other varieties or usages of the Flag over Porch
dummies, I would appreciate the information and will
gladly post scans of your coils giving you full credit.
Hope
to hear from you.
