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The Stealth Christmas Stamp.

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.

[Bing Crosby White Christmas :08 and under]

The 1988 U-S non-religious Christmas stamp is called "The White Christmas stamp." It shows 
a couple in a sleigh and a snow-covered village.

But writer-editor Wayne Youngblood calls it a "stealth commemorative." That is, it's a stamp 
that commemorates a subject, but the Postal Service doesn't ADMIT that it does.

You see, 1988 was the 100th anniversary of the birth of songwriter Irving Berlin, whose many 
songs include "White Christmas." There was a push to honor Berlin with a stamp.

But the U-S can't issue stamps to honor people until they've been dead 10 years -- and Berlin 
was STILL ALIVE. So, says Youngblood, the Postal Service issued this White Christmas stamp.

The clincher? The ceremony launching the stamp was held in the New Hampshire town of...BERLIN!

I'm Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting, and to 
see a picture of the stamp, visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.

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