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Christmas Seals  |
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| 4/15/2002 11:30:16 AM, by Stamp2 Staff Writer |
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Click here for Chinese version.
The idea of printing and selling seals for raising money for charity though popular today began more than 100 years ago.
The first stamps ever to be sold in order to raise funds for the dreaded tuberculosis were two issues printed in New South Wales in 1897. They were semi-postal and had a face value of one shilling and two shillings six pence. The stamps were printed to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Since the postal value at that time was one penny and two and a half pence, the difference was donated to a home for consumptives which at that time led the battle against tuberculosis.
Five years later, during the Christmas season of 1903, a postal clerk in a small town in Denmark, a certain Einar Holboell, thought of an idea of selling penny stickers to raise money for a children's hospital. He managed to draw the interest of men of distinction and influence and in the following year the first Christmas Seal was issued in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Then, in 1905, they came to be sold in Finland as well.
In the US, they were introduced in 1907 by a Miss Emily P. Bissell to finance the building of a shelter for poor children who had been referred to the Delaware Anti-Tuberculosis Society. The sale of the seals that year was successful beyond expectations; so much so that a second seal appeared to extend the sale into the new year carrying the message of "Happy New Year".
The movement became national in 1908 and the seals were sold by the American Red Cross. This continued until 1911 after which the seals were issued by the American Red Cross itself and sold by the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis. Then from 1920 till today, the seals have been issued and sold by the National Tuberculosis Association. The National Tuberculosis Association has always been closely connected with the American Red Cross and by its wonderful progress has become a national unit in itself. Up to 6 May 1931 there were 2084 organized associations and committees in the United States and the Christmas Seals continued to be sold to aid in the fight against tuberculosis.
In the US, the National Christmas Seals, as they are called, are sold each year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, to raise funds to fight tuberculosis. Ninety-five per cent of the funds obtained are used in the state where the seals are sold with the remaining five percent being given to the National Tuberculosis Association, which serves as a headquarters for service to the two thousand state and local associations and tuberculosis committees throughout the US.
When first sold, the seals brought in $4,000. This has steadily grown until in 1929 the sales realized a sum of $5,547,550. The increase in the sale has allowed the work to be carried to more remote corners of the country. This has given patients more benefits and comforts in the 600 sanatoriums with over 80,000 beds. There are at least 7,000 public health nurses and 3,600 traveling clinics for free diagnosis, treatment and education of children and adults engaged in the battle against tuberculosis. In addition, there are 1000 open air schools and more than 100 prevention programs and likewise more than 100 summer camps.
Philatelists have, for years, included Christmas Seals for each year in their collections. What they may not know is that in some years there were two or more types. This is mainly because the printing had been done by several printers. Recent studies of Christmas Seals have brought to light various types and varieties of perforations in certain years, and in many cases these varieties identify the printer who produced them. The collecting of the seals has increased to the extent that a Christmas Seal and Charity Stamp Society have been formed and a Standard Check List has been printed which is an excellent guide to those among us who have not really studied their Christmas Seals.
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