Stamp proves you've got love mail

The Victorian Love stamp is unveiled  ALSO: See the Victorian Love stamps and learn more about their design   FRINGE MAIL   Would you like to receive a weekly summary of Fringe news in your inbox? Sign up for Fringe Mail.

February 3, 1999
Web posted at: 10:12 a.m. EST (1512 GMT)

LOVELAND, Colorado (CNN) -- Just in time for Valentine's Day, the Postal Service has a new way to express love. And you don't even need a card, just a stamp.

Actually, the post office hopes the Victorian Love stamp, a heart-shaped floral display on a paper lace background, will be used for greetings of affection mailed all year-round.

Now available nationwide, the Victorian Love stamp is a break from postal tradition. It's not square or rectangle as other stamps are. Victorian Love is the first U.S. stamp to be cut to the shape of the design.

The stamps are being offered in both one-and two-ounce rates (33 cents and 55 cents), with the post office suggesting that the larger size be used for wedding invitations that "can weigh up to two ounces."

The stamps are a hit with this woman

Before going national, the Victorian Love stamps made their debut last week in Loveland, a northern Colorado town that's no stranger to romantic themes. For more than 50 years, volunteers have processed Valentine's Day cards sent from around the world for a Loveland postmark.

As for Victorian Love, the new stamps were a hit in Loveland on their first day of issue.

"I think they are beautiful, the die cut is wonderful," said a woman wearing a hat decorated with hearts.

Stamp collector Tony Vanloij thinks hobbyists will like them, too. "This is one of the most beautiful stamps that's come out lately," he told CNN affiliate KUSA.

CNN affiliate KUSA contributed to this report

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