Santa Claus in Chimney Postage Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Christmas Eve & Santa Tradition | Vintage Unused USPS Postage 29c
Santa Claus in Chimney Postage Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Christmas Eve & Santa Tradition | Vintage Unused USPS Postage 29c
Add classic Santa Claus charm and nostalgic Christmas Eve imagery to your correspondence with these unused vintage Santa Claus in Chimney postage stamps from the USPS Contemporary Christmas series! Featuring Santa Claus squeezing down a chimney with his gift-delivery journey underway, this festive 1991 design evokes Christmas Eve, rooftops, fireplaces, stockings, toy sacks, childhood anticipation, and the timeless story of Santa visiting homes during the night. Perfect for Christmas cards, holiday greetings, Santa-themed correspondence, family Christmas mail, seasonal invitations, gift enclosures, Christmas thank you notes, and other festive mailings, these stamps bring a warm and playful Christmas touch to your envelopes.
In pristine mint condition and valid for current postage use, each stamp holds a postage 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.
STAMP INFORMATION:
- Stamp Name: Santa Claus in Chimney
- Stamp Series: Contemporary Christmas
- Year Issued: 1991
- Face Value: 29-cents (USD) per stamp
- Topic(s): Santa Claus in Chimney, Santa in Chimney, Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Chimney, Fireplace, Christmas Eve, Christmas Night, Rooftop, Santa’s Journey, Christmas Gifts, Toy Sack, Stockings, Gift Giving, Childhood Christmas, Family Christmas, Christmas Tradition, Holiday Tradition, Contemporary Christmas, John Berkey
- Color(s): Red, Green, White, Brown, Multicolored
- Mailing Occasions: Christmas Cards, Christmas Greetings, Holiday Cards, Holiday Greetings, Santa Claus Mail, Family Christmas Correspondence, Christmas Eve Mail, Seasonal Correspondence, Christmas Party Invitations, Holiday Party Invitations, Gift Enclosures, Christmas Thank You Notes, Winter Holiday Mail
- Printing Method: Photogravure
- Scott Number: 2579
- Adhesion Type: Gummed (see adhesion instructions below)
- Stamp Size: 24 × 31 mm / 0.94 × 1.22 in
- Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition
STAMP DESCRIPTION & HISTORY: The 1991 Santa Claus in Chimney stamp was issued as the sheet-format contemporary Christmas design for that year’s holiday mailing season. Created by artist John Berkey, the stamp depicts Santa Claus descending a chimney during his Christmas Eve journey. The design was one of five coordinated Santa scenes prepared for the 1991 holiday issue, although the chimney scene was the only one used on sheet stamps. The non-denominated stamp carried a 29-cent postage value, was issued on October 17, 1991, in Santa, Idaho, and was printed by J.W. Fergusson & Sons for the American Bank Note Company using photogravure.
SANTA CLAUS & THE CHIMNEY TRADITION: Santa’s journey down the chimney is one of the most enduring elements of American Christmas folklore. The tradition was strongly reinforced by the 19th-century poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, commonly known as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” which describes Saint Nicholas entering a home through the chimney. Over time, the chimney became inseparable from popular images of Santa delivering gifts, filling stockings, and quietly visiting homes while families sleep.
CHRISTMAS EVE & SANTA’S JOURNEY: Christmas Eve is the central moment in the modern Santa Claus story. According to tradition, Santa travels by sleigh from home to home, lands on rooftops, enters through chimneys, leaves gifts beneath Christmas trees, fills stockings, and continues his journey before morning. The Santa Claus in Chimney design captures this moment of arrival and gives the stamp an especially strong connection to Christmas Eve anticipation and childhood wonder.
THE 1991 SANTA CHRISTMAS STORY: John Berkey created a coordinated group of Santa Claus illustrations for the 1991 contemporary Christmas issue. Together, the designs form a miniature Christmas Eve narrative showing Santa entering through the chimney, checking his list, carrying a present, preparing to leave through the fireplace, and departing by sleigh. Scott 2579 represents the chimney scene in sheet-stamp format and differs slightly from the related booklet version because the formats were produced by different printers.
THE 1991 NON-DENOMINATED CHRISTMAS ISSUE: When the 1991 Christmas stamps were prepared, USPS expected the First-Class Mail rate might increase from 29 cents to 30 cents. Because the final rate decision had not yet been made, the stamps were printed without a numerical denomination. The anticipated increase did not occur, so the stamps were sold and used at the existing 29-cent First-Class Mail rate.
STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: The Santa Claus in Chimney design can symbolize generosity, anticipation, childhood wonder, secrecy, kindness, tradition, and the joy of giving. The chimney represents Santa’s magical arrival into the home, while his Christmas Eve journey evokes surprise, family memories, and the excitement of waking to gifts on Christmas morning. For Christmas and winter holiday correspondence, the design offers a playful expression of generosity, nostalgia, and festive tradition.
STAMP SERIES HISTORY: The USPS Contemporary Christmas series provided secular holiday imagery alongside the Postal Service’s traditional religious Christmas issues. For 1991, artist John Berkey created a group of Santa Claus scenes depicting stages of a Christmas Eve journey. Scott 2579, 2580, and 2581 identify versions of the Santa in Chimney design, while Scott 2582 through 2585 depict Santa Checking His List, Santa with Present, Santa at Fireplace, and Santa and Sleigh. The coordinated issue became one of the most narrative-driven Santa Claus sets in the history of U.S. Christmas postage.
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.
GUMMED STAMPS: Postage stamps with a traditional moisture-activated gum on the back 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 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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Product features
Product features
- Unused/uncanceled stamps
- Mint condition
- Limited circulation, collectable
- Postage value is face value printed on stamps
- USPS genuine and authentic postage
- Ready to use for mailing today
Handling and care
Handling and care
- Vintage stamps should be handled with care
- Do not expose to moisture
- Store unused stamps in provided glassine envelopes
- Store in a cool dark place
- Avoid long exposure to UV light
- Handle with clean/dry hands, cotton gloves, or tweezers
Application and use
Application and use
- Carefully weigh and measure each mail piece to determine required postage
- Check current postage rates at USPS.com
- Multiple stamps may be necessary to meet required postage for mailing
- Extra postage may be required for envelopes with a wax seal, ribbon, thicker than 1/4-inch, doesn't bend, square shaped, or irregular size
- Your local post office will confirm how much postage is required for your particular mailing
- Gummed stamps should always be applied to your mailing with a glue stick (we recommend Elmer's "Re-Stick" glue sticks)
FREE shipping available
FREE shipping available
- FREE shipping available for all orders over $49 — eligibility calculated after coupons and discounts are applied during checkout
- Expedited shipping and rush order processing available when selected before finalizing your order; consult our Shipping Policy for more details
Shop with confidence
Shop with confidence
- 15 day return window for most stamps (excludes special orders and custom curated stamp sets); consult our Refund Policy for return requirements and details
- USPS package tracking on all orders
- All orders are insured by USPS for up to $100 of loss or damage
- Additional shipping insurance available for purchase for higher value orders
- Visit our FAQ for answers to frequently asked questions
Tell your story in stamps
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 that will 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 postage stamps, we’ll help you tell your unique story in stamps!
- Engage our custom curation services today and we’ll do the work for you…
Have questions?
Have questions?
- Questions about this or other stamps? We love hearing from our customers and replies to inquires are usually answered the same day. Contact us with questions about vintage stamps and our services.
- Need more of this stamp? We usually have access to more quantity than is shown here on our website. If you need more of any stamp, please contact us with the stamp name and quantity desired. We’ll email you with a price quote based on the quantity desired and an estimated delivery timeline.
- Looking for another stamp? We have ready access to virtually every USPS postage stamp ever issued. If you are looking for a particular stamp, please contact us with the stamp name and quantity desired. We’ll email you with a price quote based on the quantity desired and an estimated delivery timeline.
- Need a custom curated postage set? When you engage our custom curation services we do all the work for you. We have helped hundreds of customers by designing custom-curated postage for save-the-dates, wedding invitations, bridal shower invitations, birth announcements, reunion invitations, and more! We’d be delighted to help you tell your story in stamps…
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