The Postal Service celebrated the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dog, with the issuance of a 29-cent commemorative stamp on February 5, 1994, in Pomona, California. This issuance was held in conjunction with the ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the eighth annual Chinese American Expo.
A second stamp dedication ceremony, hosted by the Chinese Information and Culture Center and the Postal Service, was held on February 8 in New York City.
The stamp features a Pekinese, the royal dog of China. Two Chinese characters on the left read, "Year of the Dog," and in the upper right of the stamp the dog declares, "Happy New Year!" in English. The dog, the eleventh animal in a twelve-animal cycle, symbolized the lunar calendar in 1994.
Designed by Clarence Lee, the stamps were printed in the photogravure process by Stamp Venturers, Inc. The horizontal stamp was available in panes of twenty.
Reference: Postal Bulletin (February 3, 1994).
Scott Catalogue USA: 2817
mint
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Museum ID: 1994.2087.25