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RW67 featured in Linn’s Interactive Poll

RW67, the 2000 federal duck stamp, was issued this past July 1. Many format changes came with this duck stamp, which carried the catchy promotional title "Dawn of a New Millennium."

In his August 2000 Duck Stamp Column in Linn’s Stamp News, Bob Dumaine addressed the purple color of the stamp along with the format changes.

Lucky for the ducks, that week Linn’s selected the duck stamp story to be the subject of their Interactive Poll. The question of the week is displayed on page 3 of each issue, urging readers to go to the publication’s website – www.linns.com – and voice their opinion. The polls are archived, so it is still not too late to cast your vote if you missed this the first time around.

The survey inquired if you liked the stamp with the purple border, would prefer a white border, a border of a different color, or no border at all - with the design covering the entire stamp. A computer-generated sample of RW67 with a white border was pictured next to the actual stamp.


As of November 15, the totals are:

Purple border 25.4%

White border 63.9%

Another color 3.3%

No border 7.5%


Dumaine writes in the article, "The new stamp image itself is very bright, but because of the ‘purple everywhere’ concept, the stamp reflects a dull look, and distracts from the beauty of the mottled duck. When stamps are separated from each other, white perf tips result, giving the stamp a shabby look.

"Additionally, the borders diminish the effectiveness of the design, which itself is very strong, and I feel would be better presented with normal white borders on the stamp. All you see is purple when glancing at the stamp, and not the elegant design itself. This is purely a matter of personal choice, but the white borders bring life to the artwork.

"In this case, the finished stamp does not flatter the artwork, and I would like to see it reprinted with the white borders and selvage. Since the gummed versions are only sold sparingly to mostly collectors, a small quantity could be prepared. The negative side is collectors would need to buy both versions, since they would be different colors. In this case, I wouldn’t mind the extra dough to have the white border.

"During World Stamp Expo 2000 held in early July in Anaheim, California, we showed both designs to many, many collectors passing our booth. Of 15-20 collectors, every single one preferred the white border, and I thank them for their opinions. I also asked Adam Grimm, the stamp’s artist for his opinion, but he diplomatically declined comment."


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