These Presorted First-Class Mail coil stamps feature an artistic rendering
of a detail of the Great Seal of the United States. In his 1782 design,
Charles Thomson, secretary of the Continental Congress, gave prominence
to the American bald eagle. This majestic raptor, a native of North America,
became a symbol of freedom as well as the emblem of our country. The designs
for the stamps feature the head and outstretched right wing of the American
bald eagle and a portion of the shield is on its breast, with the tip of
the olive branch held in its right talon. The coil has 10 versions of the
eagle - in gold, green, blue, red, and gray - that appear against a background
of a contrasting color.
| Issue Date & City | June 26, 2003, Santa Clara, CA 95050 |
| Denomination & Type of Issue | Presorted First-Class nondenominated definitive (25-cent value), American Eagle, 10 designs |
| Designer | Tom Engeman, Brunswick, MD |
| Art Director | Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD |
| Typographer | Tom Engeman, Brunswick, MD |
| Modeler | Donald H. Woo |
| Engraver | Southern Graphics |
| Manufacturing Process | Gravure |
| Printer | Sennett Security Products (SSP) |
| Printed at | American Packaging Corporation, Columbus, WI |
| Press Type | Rotomec, 3000 |
| Format | Coil of 10,000 (10 designs) |
| Print Quantity | 310 million stamps |
| Paper Type | Nonphosphored, type III |
| Adhesive Type | Pressure sensitive |
| Processed at | Unique Binders, Fredericksburg, VA |
| Colors | PMS 135 (Yellow),
PMS 186 (Red), PMS 348 (Green), PMS 7461(Blue), PMS 646 (Dark Blue), PMS 431 (Gray), Black |
| Image Area (w x h) | 0.72 x 0.832 in./18.28 x 21.13 mm |
| Overall Size (w x h) | 0.87 x 0.982 in./22.09 x 24.74 mm |
| Plate Size | 400 stamps per revolution |
| Plate Numbers | "S" followed by seven (7) single digits (every 20 stamps) |
| Coil Back Number Frequency | Every 10 stamps |
Original information and image from USPS
Bulletin