Sage Herb Stamps (Herbs, Culinary, Flowers, Bridal, Pink) Vintage Unused USPS Postage 29c

Add a touch of timeless elegance to your save-the-date, bridal announcement, wedding invitations, and letters with this gorgeous vintage stamp from the “Herbs” series. Mint condition and unused, this beautiful stamp features a flowering sage plant with its characteristic two-lipped pink blooms and gray-green oval-shaped leaves on a woody green stem.

Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a woody, aromatic perennial shrub with fragrant leaves and colorful flowers. It's a member of the mint (Lamiaceae) family and is native to the Mediterranean and Middle East. Sage has both culinary and medicinal uses. As a culinary herb, sage can be used fresh, dried, or as a tea. It is high in antioxidants and may help with brain function, oral health, and blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Sage essential oil is sometimes used as an anti-inflammatory treatment for skin conditions like acne and eczema.

Sage was used in ancient Egypt as a fertility treatment and to treat stomach ailments, toothaches, and asthma. The Romans called it the "holy herb" and used it in religious rituals, while both Greeks and Romans used it as a diuretic, to treat wounds, and for women's health.

The word sage has come to mean wise or a wise or learned person. It’s scientific name, Salvia, means to be in good health, to save, or salvation while officinalis is an old reference to an herb store, pharmacy, or drugstore. Sage is often mentioned as the herb of immortality, domestic virtue, health, and wisdom. Sage was a sacred ceremonial herb of the Romans. It has been cultivated for both culinary and medicinal purposes for many centuries in Europe.

Part of the Herbs series, this 29-cent stamp was first issued by the United States Postal Ser­vice (USPS) on April 7, 2011, in New York, New York. These self-adhesive stamps were designed by Phil Jordan of Falls Church, Virginia. The five stamps in this series feature various flowering herbs used for fragrance, flavoring, med­icine, and/or decoration. Artist Teresa Fasolino of New York, New York, created the original oil paintings for each stamp in the series. Each stamp evokes a vintage-style and depicts a particular species in bloom, as well as a typical leaf and flower or seed capsule. The species featured on these elegant stamps are Origanum vulgare (oregano), Linum perenne (flax), Digitalis purpurea (foxglove), Lavandula angustifolio (lavender), and Salvia officinalis (sage), however, only the common names for these plants appear on the stamps. 29-cents was the postcard rate the year these stamps were released.

These stamps are perfectly suitable 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.

** Please note that you may receive coil stamps for this order which will not have the perforation at the top and bottom like the stamps in the listing photos.