Add nostalgic flair to your holiday letters with these vintage unused “Child with Tree” postage stamps! This nostalgic holiday design is perfect for adding a touch of class to your holiday cards and letters or winter save-the-dates and weddings. In pristine mint condition and valid for current postage use, each stamp holds a face value of 32-cents. These USPS postage stamps are suitable for current mailing when used with the total required postage based on the weight of your correspondence. Embrace the charm of winter with this enchanting postage stamp!

Includes a total of TEN (10) unused vintage “Child with Tree” postage stamps shown in the photos.

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Name: Santa and Children “Child with Tree”
• Series: Contemporary Christmas
• Year Issued: 1995
• Face Value: 32-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): Christmas, Holidays, Winter, Snow, Toys, Gifts
• Color(s): Green, Red, Multicolored
• Printing Method: Lithographed
• Scott Number: 3006
• Adhesion Type: Gummed (see adhesion instructions below)
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

GENUINE USPS POSTAGE: These unused vintage postage stamps are perfectly valid for use as current postage for mailing with USPS as long as you use the adequate amount of postage to achieve standard postage rates according to the weight of your mailing. Check current postage rates on the USPS website.

STAMP HISTORY: The 1995 32-cent "Child with Tree" postage stamp was part of a four-stamp Christmas set that drew on vintage Victorian-era commercial artwork. The image of a young boy holding a small Christmas tree was created by combining elements from two different antique paper items sourced from The John Grossman Collection of Antique Images. The boy with his arms full of toys was adapted from original "scrap," a type of colorful, embossed paper image popular for decorating during the Victorian period. The background's hillside scene was taken from a vintage greeting card and reversed to fit the stamp's composition. This set was also notable for omitting the word "Greetings," a feature on many previous Christmas stamps. The first day of issue ceremony took place on September 30, 1995, in North Pole, New York, at Santa's Workshop.

This stamp features a Victorian-era style illustration of a young boy dressed in winter attire. The central image of this stamp is a boy in a red coat with dark buttons and blue trousers, wearing a ruffled white collar, stands facing forward, holding a small Christmas tree in his left arm and a toy trumpet in his right hand. He also appears to be carrying other toys in a sack slung over his shoulder. The background depicts a snowy, outdoor scene with rolling hills, people sledding, a few sparse trees, and a sense of winter's chill.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: The figure of Santa Claus developed from a spiritual starting point in the 4th-century Christian bishop Saint Nicholas of Myra, known for his pious charity and secret gift-giving, which he considered an act of Christ-like compassion. This spiritual legacy was integrated into European folklore over centuries, including Dutch traditions involving the gift-giver Sinterklaas and possible pagan influences from figures like the Norse god Odin during Yule. The spiritual significance became heavily secularized in 19th-century America, particularly through literary works like Clement Clarke Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas" and Thomas Nast's illustrations, which cemented his modern, jolly, and elf-like image. Today, interpretations of Santa's spiritual meaning vary widely, from those who see him as a purely secular symbol of generosity and childhood innocence, to some Christians who object to him as a distraction from Jesus, and others who still use his story to teach lessons about selfless giving. The history of Santa Claus thus reflects a complex evolution from a specific Christian devotion into a multifaceted, globally-recognized figure with a layered and sometimes contested spiritual legacy.

SERIES HISTORY: The 1995 32-cent "Santa and Children" postage set is a Christmas stamp series issued by the USPS based on Victorian-era artwork. The designs for the four stamps were drawn from antique commercial art that was originally created by unknown Victorian artists. The original pieces, from The John Grossman Collection of Antique Images, were scanned and edited for the stamps. The set was notable because it was the first time a Christmas issue omitted the word "Greetings" in favor of just the denomination and "USA". One image, “Santa & Chimney”, was adapted from an antique writing tablet cover from the early 1900s, with Santa's original pipe removed due to USPS policy against depicting smoking. The other designs include a child holding a jumping jack, a child holding a tree, and Santa working on a sled. First Day of Issue ceremonies for the stamps took place at Santa's Workshop in North Pole, New York, on September 30, 1995.

As part of the annual USPS Christmas stamp program in 1995, this set features secular, rather than religious, imagery based on vintage Victorian artwork. Historically, the USPS has issued both "contemporary" (secular) and "traditional" (religious) Christmas stamps to appeal to a broad audience and manage public and political criticism regarding the separation of church and state. The 1995 Santa set falls squarely into the secular category, emphasizing themes of childhood wonder, giving, and Christmas cheer, while a separate, distinct religious stamp featuring the Madonna and Child was also issued that year. In fact, the inclusion of the religious stamp in 1995 was a reversal of an earlier decision to drop it, showing the conscious effort by the USPS to balance secular and spiritual holiday themes.

GUMMED STAMPS: These postage stamps have a traditional moisture-activated gum on the back. These stamps require licking or wetting to adhere to envelopes or other surfaces. To ensure good adhesion, apply vintage gummed stamps to your mailings with a glue stick (we recommend using Elmer's "Re-Stick" glue sticks).

QUESTIONS? We love hearing from our customers and replies to inquires are usually sent the same day. Need more of this stamp? Looking for a particular stamp not found on our website? Want a curated postage set for your special life event?

ABOUT HERITAGE POST HOUSE: Jennifer Kramer is the founder of Heritage Post House, a boutique vintage postage house located in Northern California. Jennifer sources the most beautiful unused vintage postage stamps ever issued by USPS and artfully arranges them into curated postage sets that are sure to add a special touch to your invitations, announcements, and special mailings. In addition to creating pre-arranged postage sets, Jennifer also works with couples (and their stationers) to create one-of-a-kind custom postage arrangements for wedding invitations, save the dates, and other special occasions.


Product Specifications

Length: 1.22 in.
Height: 0.01 in.
Width: 0.94 in.
Weight: 0.01 lbs.