The Postal Service issued a nondenominated Antique Toys definitive stamp (37-cent) on June 7, 2002, in Washington, DC. The stamps were designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, and photographed by Sally Andersen-Bruce of New Milford, Connecticut. The stamps were later reissued with a denomination of 37-cents on July 26, 2002 in Rochester, New York and on September 3, 2003 in Washington, DC.
The Antique Toys definitive stamp features four antique American toy vehicles from the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York: a bright red US Mail truck with a spring wound mechanism, a yellow taxicab, a mechanical locomotive of cast iron and stamped tin, and a fiery red steam pumper complete with two firemen. Made primarily of cast iron, the toys were manufactured between 1880 and 1925.
The stamp was first issued in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) vending booklet of 20 (300 million stamps) and a PSA convertible booklet of 20 (1.2 billion stamps). This first issue was printed by Avery Dennison in the gravure process.
The second issuance was issued in a PSA convertible book of 20 (1.8 billion stamps printed by Avery Dennison in the gravure process), PSA vending book of 20 (200 million stamps printed by Avery Dennison in the gravure process), and a PSA coil of 100 (1.5 billion stamps printed by the Banknote Corporation of America in the gravure process).
For the third issuance Avery Dennison, printed 2.25 billion stamps using the gravure process.
