A new 14-cent postal card, due to be issued Dec. 12, used the current state-of-the-art computer technology to enhance key elements of the design on the card. The postal stationery commemorates the 350th anniversary of the National Guard.
The postal card scene was adapted from a painting, ”First Muster”, by Don Troiana. The art contained considerable detail, and the uniformed figures were dark and in shadows. Graphic artist Bradbury Thompson, who in the last 50 years has worked on more than 80 stamps and postal stationery items, cropped portions of the original painting to be used on the postal card.
A large offset printer in Boston put the design on an electronic scanner, which either corrected or enhanced the color according to Thompson`s instructions. Four color separations were then produced by the computer and sent to the Government Printing Office where offset printing plates were made.
This is the first time computer technology has been used in the development of an entire design for a U. S. Postal card. Previously, the design of the 1985 Frederic Bartholdi postage stamp used similar methods.
The National Guard traces its roots to Oct. 7, 1636, when the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony ordered the organization of the colony`s militia companies into three groups, the North, South and East Regiments. All males between the ages of 16 and 60 were obligated to possess arms and participate in the defense of the community. The militia drilled once a week and provided guard details each evening to sound the alarm in case of attack. The title ”National Guard” was first adopted in 1824 when a New York group acted as an honor guard for the Marquis de Lafayette during a visit to the United States. They got the name from France`s Garde Nationale which was led by Lafayette. Soon after, most of the other state regiments changed their name to National Guard.
In the 350 years of its existence, the National Guard has provided military assistance in every major conflict, including 380,000 troops in World War I, 300,000 in World War II and 183,000 in the Korean War. There are currently 439,000 members of the Army National Guard and 109,000 members of the Air National Guard.
Collectors can purchase the National Guard postal card at local post offices after Dec. 13th, apply a self-addressed label or write a return address on the card, and send it in a separate envelope to National Guard Postal Card, Postmaster, Boston, Mass. 02205-9991. All requests must be postmarked no later than Jan. 11, 1987.
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Postal cards may be on their way out. It has been suggested that the Postal Service is supplying a free writing card plus a 14-cent postage stamp for the cost of the stamp alone. The theory is that if the agency sold the stamps and the customer supplied the card, the Postal Service would increase its profit.
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U. S. mail volume exceeded 146 billion pieces in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1986, five billion more than the preceeding year. It is estimated that by the year 2000, it will exceed 250 billion pieces annually. The Postal Service was able to keep its work force intact until 1984 through the use of a work-sharing program, where private industry presorts the mail in exchange for a discount on postage rate. Discussions are currently being held on the use of robotics, laser and machine vision as potential methods of increasing efficiency.
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Plate blocks of the 18-cent alcoholism stamp, issued in 1981 are currently selling in the $25 range. The issue, because of the ”floating”
plate number, which could appear anywhere in the selvage, requires 20 stamps. The high price of the block is due to the shortage of the stamp, caused by lack of use on mail, often construed by letter writers as an insult to the recipient of the letter. The Postal Service had to take large quantities of this stamp off sale.
Another factor that is helping the revival of plate blocks oc-curred on Jan. 1, 1986. On that day, the USPS announced the end of multiple plate numbers, which meant that all future plate blocks would only require four stamps. This also means that stamp mounts and album sup-plements would be less expen-sive. It may be a good time to get back into collecting plate blocks.
