Value: 66¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: July 17, 2020
First Day City: Charleston, West Virginia
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Double-sided booklets of 20
Why the stamps were issued: To show off the simple beauty of fruits and vegetables.
About the stamp designs: Pictures existing artwork of green and purple figs by Robert Papp.
First Day City: The USPS chose Charleston, West Virginia, for the First Day of Issue postmark because of the city’s famous Capitol Market, a year-round farmers’ market, and nonprofit organization.
About the Fruits and Vegetables set: Includes 10 different stamps designs all picturing a different fruit or vegetable still life by Robert Papp.
History the stamp represents: Grocery stores today frequently mislabel many fruits and vegetables. For example, some people know eggplants, tomatoes, and squash are all fruits, but most do not know that bananas are actually berries and figs are flowers.
Figs are a popular food in the Mediterranean ad Middle East since that’s where they originate. In the United States, on the other hand, they are not as common. In fact, nearly all figs in the US are grown in California. The state has the perfect conditions for this unusual fruit – full sun, warm temperatures, and well-draining soil. The fig-growing season in California ranges from May to November, depending on the species.
When most people think of figs, they picture the dark purple-black Mission figs. However, there are also Brown Turkey (light purple), Kadota (amber), Sierra (light green), and Tiger (green and yellow striped) varieties. Each has a unique flavor ranging from rich and “meaty,” to light and citrusy, similar to a raspberry.
Regardless of the variety, fresh ripe figs are sweet and nutritious. In fact, famous Roman scholar Pliny the Elder once said, “Figs are restorative. They increase the strength of young people, preserve the elderly in better health, and make them look younger with fewer wrinkles.”
