California Poppy Postage Stamps | American Wildflower Series | Orange Flower | California State Flower | Botanical | Vintage Unused USPS Postage 29c

Add floral style to your letters with these stunning vintage unused American Wildflower series "California Poppy" postage stamps! This classic botanical design is perfect for adding timeless beauty to your save-the-dates, wedding invitations, thank you cards, shower invites, birth announcements, and other snail mail correspondence. In pristine mint condition and valid for current postage use, each stamp holds a face value of 29-cents. These authentic USPS postage stamps are suitable for current mailing when used with the total required postage based on the weight of your mailing. Deliver floral elegance with this exquisite vintage postage stamp!

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Name: California Poppy
• Series: American Wildflower
• Year Issued: 1992
• Face Value: 29-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): Botanical, Flowers, Wildflowers, State Flowers, Nature, Watercolor, California State Flower
• Color(s): Orange, Green, Black, Multicolored
• Mailing Occasions: Wedding Invitations, Save the Date Announcements, Shower Invitations, Birth Announcements, Thank You Cards, Valentine’s Day, Snail Mail, and more…
• Printing Method: Offset Press and Lithography
• Scott Number: 2651
• Adhesion Type: Gummed (see adhesion instructions below)
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

STAMP DESCRIPTION & HISTORY: The 29 cent California Poppy postage stamp was a commemorative issue from the 1992 “American Wildflower" series, celebrating 50 American flowers. Its official first day of issue was July 24, 1992, in Columbus, Ohio, to coincide with the AmeriFlora '92 International Floral and Garden Exposition. This stunning stamp features a watercolor painting of the iconic California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), a species also known as "California sunlight" and "cup of gold," by Alaskan artist Karen Mallary, who designed the entire series. 

FLOWER DESCRIPTION: The California Poppy is a vibrant perennial wildflower known for its brilliant, cup-shaped blossoms and delicate, feathery foliage. It is native to the western United States and thrives in dry, sunny, and often poor soil conditions. The satiny flowers typically have four petals and range in color from golden yellow to bright orange, though horticultural varieties can be found in shades of red, pink, and white. The flowers are solitary, grow on long stems, and are known to close at night and on cloudy or windy days. Native to areas from southern Washington down through California and into northern Mexico, the poppy has also become naturalized in parts of Europe and Australia. The peak blooming period is typically from late winter to early spring (February to May), often carpeting hillsides in spectacular "super bloom" displays, especially in years with significant rainfall.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: As California's state flower since 1903, the poppy is considered a floral emblem of the state's lively and sunny disposition. The flower's ability to flourish in challenging, drought-prone environments reflects a spirit of resilience and adaptability. To early pioneers and modern Californians alike, it symbolizes hope and the ability to find beauty in adversity. The brilliant orange hue of the poppy fields reminded Spanish settlers of "the land of fire," and later, its association with "fields of gold" linked it to the California Gold Rush era and the promise of prosperity. The Spanish name for the poppy, Dormidera, means "to fall asleep," a reference to the flowers' habit of closing at night and their traditional use by Native Americans as a mild sedative to promote relaxation and sleep. Native American folklore, such as in Chumash legends, describes the poppies as if they were "the sun itself is on the ground". Some tales suggest they were created from the spirits of fallen warriors, with their petals carrying the souls to the heavens.

STAMP SERIES HISTORY: The 1992 American Wildflower postage stamp series was a commemorative issue featuring a pane of 50 different 29-cent stamps, with each stamp displaying a unique watercolor illustration of a native U.S. wildflower. The series was released on July 24, 1992, in Columbus, Ohio, to coincide with the AmeriFlora '92 international exposition. Alaska-based watercolor artist Karen Mallary designed the artwork and selected the 50 distinct flowers featured in the collection, with at least one stamp/flower representing each of the 50 states. The U.S. Postal Service described the 1992 American Wildflower series as carrying a message of "natural grace and beauty". In dedicating the pane of 50 different stamps, Assistant Postmaster General Gordon Morison stated they would "blanket the postal landscape" and carry the message that "our nation's wildflowers add natural grace and beauty to our lives". 

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).

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 at USPS.com.

QUESTIONS? We love hearing from our customers and replies to inquires are usually answered 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 event?  Contact us with questions about vintage postage stamps and our services… 

TELL YOUR STORY IN STAMPS: We’ve worked with hundreds of couples and their stationers to custom design highly stylized personalized postage sets based on our customer’s life stories. We can help you curate personalized vintage postage sets to commemorate your save-the-date, wedding, shower, announcement, and other special occasions in a truly unique fashion. Drawing on our encyclopedic knowledge of every stamp ever issued by the USPS, and sourcing from our extensive inventory of collectable unused vintage stamps, we’ll help you tell your unique story in stamps!

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.

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