A 16.7-cent stamp featuring a 1902 Charles Cretors' popcorn wagon was issued July 7, 1988, in Chicago, Illinois. The Popcorn Wagon stamp was 1988's third issue in the Transportation Series, which recognized early modes of transportation. The 16.7-cent denomination represented the basic rate for bulk mail at that time.
The design, by Lou Nolan of McLean, Virginia, uses a profile of the Cretors Number Wagon, model 1902. A glass case at the right encloses Charles Cretors' now-familiar popcorn kettle, suspended above a mound of freshly popped product. Under the canopy, his toy "Rosty Tosty" clown dances above the cylindrical peanut roaster.
The Cretors Number 1 Popcorn Wagon was the best thing to happen to popcorn since the first ear of Indian corn caught fire. The wagon followed people wherever they went, producing the unmistakable, mouth-watering aroma of fresh, hot, buttered popcorn. For nearly fifty years, these vending vehicles roamed the streets of our country, introducing the great American public to this great American snack.
The Popcorn Wagon stamp was engraved through the intaglio process (B Press) by the Bureau of Engraving and Painting. The stamp was issued in coils of 500 and 3,000.
