US Stamps

Unusual Champion of Sheetmetal holiday card design

Dec 24, 2018, 8 AM
The U.S. Champions of Liberty series began in 1957 and ended in 1961. This 1961 takeoff on the standard design of that series was used as a holiday greeting card.

U.S. Stamp Notes by John M. Hotchner

Sometimes a stamp design begs to be used for purposes that the postal administration never contemplated.

Among the most unusual holiday cards I’ve run across is the example shown here. It uses the U.S. 1957-1961 Champions of Liberty series design as the basis for Joseph Janecka Jr.’s 1961 Christmas greeting.

According to the text around the medal in the center of the design, Janecka was president of the Czechoslovak Philatelic Club of America.

And, according to the text at the bottom of the design, he resided in Riverside, Ill., at the time. Inscribed in capital letters across the top is “Champion of Sheetmetal.”

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