About This Stamp
The Postal Service sent love with the issuance of a pane of 50 and a self-adhesive convertible booklet of 20 nondenominated stamps on February 1, 1995, in Valentines, Virginia. The stamp features one of two cherubs from Raphael's Sistine Madonna painting. The other cherub appears on the two-ounce Love stamp. The 32-cent and 55-cent stamps were issued on May 12, 2005 in Lakeville, Pennsylvania. Both issues were designed by Terry McCaffrey of the Postal Service.
The undenominated stamps were printed in sheet form by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and in booklets by the Banknote Corp. of America in the combination offset-intaglio process.
The 32-cent stamp was available in a pane of 50 or a single stamp and a booklet of 20. The 55-cent Love stamp was available also in a pane of 50 or a single stamp and a convertible booklet of 20 self-adhesive stamps. The stamps were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in the offset-intaglio process.
Stamp Art Director, Stamp Designer
Terrence W. McCaffrey
Terrence W. McCaffrey attended the Corcoran School of Art, majoring in graphic design. Prior to joining the U.S. Postal Service®, he was employed by a Bethesda-based computer firm, where he advanced from intern designer to Assistant Art Director.
McCaffrey joined the Post Office Department in 1970 as a designer in the Communications Department. His original duties included redesigning the employee magazine and all other corporate materials to reflect the new corporate identity that came into effect in 1971 when the Department became the U.S. Postal Service.
Over the next 20 years McCaffrey was responsible for the design of more than 300 lobby posters; promotional material for various services such as Express Mail and Priority Mail™; employee magazines, newsletters, and slide shows; and philatelic products.
In 1990, McCaffrey joined Stamp Services as a member of the stamp design team, also assuming responsibility for the design of all philatelic products. In 1992, he was named Creative Director for the Stamp Design group, with responsibility for all stamp and stationery design. McCaffrey was appointed Manager of the Stamp Development group in 2000. Among his responsibilities were stamp subject and design development, rights of publicity, philatelic products, the USA Philatelic catalog, the philatelic archives, and overseeing the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee.
During his long and productive career at the Postal Service™, McCaffrey served as art director for more than three-dozen issuances. He personally designed a number of U.S. postage stamps, including the Mars Pathfinder Souvenir Sheet; Raphael Cherubs (Love Series); the $2.90 Priority Mail Eagle; the $9.95 Express Mail Eagle; Interphil 76; Energy Conservation and Development; and Happy Birthday. He also co-designed the 15-stamp Star Wars issuance, five Art of Disney issuances, and the Send a Hello and Mail a Smile issuances.
McCaffrey retired in December 2010. He lives in New Braunfels, Texas.