29c Speed Skating stamp

The US Postal Service issued five commemorative stamps depicting Olympics winter sports in 1992, in conjunction with the 1992 National Winter Figure Skating Championships. The stamps feature the sports of ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, slalom skiing, and bobsledding.

The descriptive copy on the tabs includes:

The 1980 US Ice Hockey Team's history-making gold medal performance remains one of the country's most emotional and meaningful Olympic Winter Games triumphs.

Figure skaters combine the strength of gymnastics with the grace of dancing in one of the most beautiful and expressive athletic competitions of the Olympic Winter Games.

Speed skaters, dressed to reduce wind resistance, slice around an oval track in races from 500 to 10,000 meters in length, pushing themselves to speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.

Challenging to the beginner and expert, slalom skiing puts a premium on style and speed. It requires great skill as athletes race around flags, called gates, on a zigzag, downhill course.

Bobsled competition may be between teams of two or four and may reach speeds close to 90 miles per hour down an artificial run coated with ice and snow. It is fast, thrilling, and dangerous.

The stamps were designed by Lon Busch and printed in the photogravure press by Stamp Venturers.

Reference: Postal Bulletin (December 26, 1991)

Scott Catalogue USA: 2617
mint

Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Museum ID: 1993.2015.217