Santa and Children Set “Santa & Chimney” Stamps (Victorian Era, Christmas, Holidays, Winter, Toys, Red) Vintage Unused USPS Postage 32c

Add nostalgic flair to your holiday letters with these vintage unused “Santa & Chimney” 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!

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Name: Santa and Children “Santa & Chimney”
• Series: Contemporary Christmas
• Year Issued: 1995
• Face Value: 32-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): Christmas, Holidays, Winter, Toys, Gifts
• Color(s): Red, Blue, Multicolored
• Printing Method: Lithographed
• Scott Number: 3004
• Adhesion Type: Gummed (see adhesion instructions below)
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

STAMP HISTORY: The 1995 32-cent "Santa & Chimney" stamp was part of a larger Christmas series featuring Santa and children, based on vintage Victorian artwork. The image for this specific stamp, which depicts a cheerful Santa on a snowy rooftop preparing to enter a chimney, was adapted from an antique writing tablet cover from the early 1900s. Notably, the original artwork showed Santa smoking a pipe, but the pipe was digitally removed in the final stamp design to comply with the USPS policy against depicting smoking. The issue was also significant because it was among the first Christmas stamps to omit the word "Greetings," featuring only the denomination and "USA". The stamp, and the set it belonged to, was first issued on September 30, 1995, at Santa's Workshop in North Pole, New York. 

Dressed in his traditional red suit with white trim and a fur-lined hat, Santa is depicted with a long white beard and a sack full of toys slung over his shoulder. He is shown with one leg already inside a brick chimney, in the process of descending. The scene is set on a snowy rooftop, with a moon and a starlit night sky in the background. A village scene with snow-covered rooftops and a prominent church spire can be seen in the distance.

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).

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 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?  Contact us with questions about vintage postage stamps and our services… 

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.