United States, Scott #5650, used(o), 2021 booklet stamp, in readiness for the holiday season, the Post Office issued a double-sided booklet of 20 stamps depicting Otters ‘Playing’ in the Snow; this stamp from the booklet shows an Otter sliding on its back in the Snow; stamp is one of three similar stamps from an internal position on the two bottom rows of the booklet, serpentine die cut simulated perforations: 11 at top, left, and right, imperforated at bottom; the North American river otters are a semi-aquatic mammal that spends much of their time in water, but still require access to dry ground for nesting, protection, and breeding; their diet consists mainly of fish, and with a heavy, water resistant, fur coat, they are well adapted to harsh winter weather and are often photographed tobogganing down icy hills to get to the water,often in pairs; human observers often consider them ‘playing’ in the snow, but is their ‘play’ actual play as it strengthens hunter pack social bonds, aids in honing their hunting techniques as their sliding, turning, rolling, and digging mimics movements involved in hunting, and their rapid, seemingly mindless, movement during cold weather stimulates body heat that induces warmth within their insulatng fur; issued with non-water soluble self-adhesive gum, offset lithography printed by the Banknote Corporation of America (BCA), phosphorus coated, issued as a forever stamp at an individual counter value of 58¢, multicolored, Scott supplemental catalog value: 25¢, nicely centered, light, vertical, black-inked, half counter clockwise turned, large script, message and figure cancellation down across the main surface of the stamp, good perforations, stamp was soaked from the mailing envelope using the Bestine solvent and placed on a piece of black trimmed card stock for an attractive and uniform album mounting; centering and mounting warrants a selling price premium. This is not a 'bait-and-switch;' the stamp you see will be the one you receive.
Please review my terms of sale. If you are not ordering from the United States, there is a $US1.55 additional postage expense that needs to be added to the price of the stamp. If you are ordering from the United States, there is only a $US0.68 added postage expense. Also, if you make additional purchases from my offerings, they can all go in one mailing at no extra shipping expense for the added purchases. I will send the purchase by US first class mail, since the relatively low value of the stamp does not warrant signature or tracking mail. Hence the buyer assumes risk of loss or non-delivery. I will keep a scan of my mailing to verify that the correct mailing address was used. If not satisfied, return the stamp to me at your own expense, and I will refund the cost, but not my postage to you. If the stamp is not as described, I will refund the cost and reimburse you for postage both ways.
By way of reference, I am an American Philatelic Society member (195176) and an American Stamp Dealers Association (ASDA) member. Thank you for looking, and I hope this is the perfect stamp to fill that gap in your collection.
