Name: US 2021 Colorado Hairstreak Stamps Forever
SKU: 001-ZHD
Price: 29.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5.00 (6 reviews)

The Colorado hairstreak butterfly graces the eighth non-machineable butterfly stamp for use on irregularly sized envelopes, such as square greeting cards, invitations, or announcements.

The stamp art was digitally created using images of preserved butterflies as a starting point. The result is a highly stylized, simplified image of a Colorado hairstreak rather than an exact replica.

The shimmering purple Colorado hairstreak butterfly (Hypaurotis crysalus) dwells in the forest canopy of that state and much of the Southwest. Never venturing far from its host plant, the Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii), it feeds on tree sap and fallen raindrops.

The Colorado hairstreak – Colorado’s official state insect – has slender, hair-like, hind-wing appendages that resemble antennae. Nearby, on the underside of the wings, are spots that look like eyes and the thin streaks that give the hairstreak its name. Pointing its abdomen upward with false antennae held high, the butterfly’s evolutionary decoys fool predators into attacking the false head on the wing. A hungry bird ends up with an unsatisfying beakful of scaly wing.

In autumn, after mating, the female lays her eggs. The plump, green caterpillar hatches in spring and feeds on tender new oak leaves. After metamorphosis, the Colorado hairstreak butterfly, with a wingspan of about 1^1/2 inches, darts in and out of the tree branches in quick, erratic flight.

The square format of the stamp was developed in partnership with the greeting card industry specifically for oversized or square envelopes. These envelopes cannot pass through the automated Postal processing system and have to be hand-cancelled. They are charged a non-machineable surcharge even if they weigh less than one ounce. Greeting card envelopes printed with a silhouette of a butterfly indicate the need for additional postage or the use of a butterfly stamp. Any non-machineable envelope, like oddly shaped or vertical envelopes, as well as lumpy envelopes, rigid envelopes, or mail with clasps, ribbons, or buttons, may use this stamp.

Colorado Hairstreak is available in sheets of twenty. The words “NON-MACHINEABLE SURCHARGE” on the stamp indicate its usage value. Like a Forever stamp, this stamp will always be valid for the rate printed on it.

Nationally known artist Tom Engeman created the stamp art. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.

Made in the USA

SKUs featured on this page: 121204

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Style	100 Pieces / 5Books

General Questions

A: We legally acquire our postage stamps from businesses and the general public; from leftover business mailings and company liquidations, to wedding invitations and stamp collections. Our process, product acquisition, and transactions are legally backed by our all-star legal team. All transactions are in compliance with the laws of the United States of America.

A: Yes. They are authentic USPS issued postage. All of our postage undergoes a series of tests for authenticity, and is money-back guaranteed to our customers. All fraudulent and counterfeit items we receive are reported to the United States Postal Inspectors Office. We have aided law enforcement in several fraudulent and counterfeit postage cases over the past years, and have direct access to an inspector agent representative specializing in such cases.

A: Yes. There are no laws or regulations prohibiting the buying and selling of second-hand postage for less than face value. Just ask a stamp collector.

A: All of our postage is in complete sheets, books, or rolls. Unless otherwise stated, they are unfolded and in post-office-fresh new condition, ready for resale.

A: No. We can sell our postage to anyone as long as their purpose is to use the postage to mail items.

Ordering

A: Yes, these are Forever Stamps so they will always be equal to the value of one ounce, first-class letter in the U.S. The stamps can be used to mail a letter, or towards the total postage cost of any US-PS shipment, or can be saved as a collectible.

A: Yes. We accept returned items within 14 days from when they were confirmed delivered. We will provide a refund in full for all items that are returned in the original condition in which they were received. Please read our Terms & Conditions for more information about returns.

A: No. The sales tax law states “Gross receipts from the sale of U.S. Postal Service stamps sold for the purpose of postage are not subject to tax.”

A: No. Our margins are small and we set our pricing at our lowest prices.

A: Once you place your order we will hold your items for up to 10 days to allow you time to make your payment. If no payment is received within that time, you will be notified and the items will be relisted in our store. If your payment arrives after we’ve relisted your items and they are no longer available for sale, we will return the payment back to you.

Shipping

A: It depends on your payment method, and when you send it.
All orders will be put on hold for up to 10 days from the date the order was placed until payment is received. Your items will be removed from our website and will no longer be available for sale to anyone during the holding time.
Once payment is received by us, we require an additional holding time from the date it was received to allow for the payment to completely process and clear. Payments by check will require up to 4 business days.

A: Domestic shipping is always free. All items are sent via US-PS Priority Mail with tracking and signature confirmation. We will send you an email to let you know when your items have shipped, and we will provide you with a tracking number.