First USPS stamp booklet made outside the BEP
First stamp booklet made for the new 25¢ first-class rate
Why the stamp was issued: The USPS created this booklet in response to customer calls for booklets with more color and variety.
About the stamp design: Wildlife artist Chuck Ripper painted the ring-necked pheasant on this stamp. He originally produced the painting at a larger size for a priority mail stamp. But the USPS decided to use the design for the booklet stamp instead. He created his painting from photos, but was also familiar with the birds, having seen them frequently growing up in Pennsylvania.
First Day City: The First Day ceremony for this stamp was held in Rapid City, South Dakota. The ring-necked pheasant is the South Dakota state bird.
Unusual fact about this stamp: During the initial printing of the stamp, the sky was a darker blue, make from small dots of blue and red ink. However, the USPS decided they wanted the sky to be lighter, so in later printings, they eliminated the red dots and only printed the blue, resulting in a noticeably lighter sky. The lighter sky is its own variety, identified by Scott Catalogue as 2283b. Imperforate pairs and scarce imperforate panes from printers waste also exist.