1909, 1910
History of Christmas Seals
The first tuberculosis Christmas Seal was Denmark 1904, conceived by Danish postal worker
Einar Holboll. Sweden and Iceland, issued Christmas Seals the same year. The Christmas Seal is a
combination of two ideas:
- a fundraising seal to fight the dreaded disease of tuberculosis, and;
- and a seal issued at Christmas time during the season of giving.
America was not far behind. In 1907 Emily Bissell was responsible for designing, and with the
help of Philadelphia newspaperman Leigh Mitchell Hodges, promoting the first U.S. National Christmas
Seal. Bissell’s inspiration came from a need to raise $300 to save a small tuberculosis hospital in the
State of Delaware.
Our National Christmas Seal issuing society has changed it’s name over the years as follows:
1907 - American Red Cross, Delaware Chapter
1908 through 1910 - American Red Cross
1911 through 1917 - Sponsored and publicized by the American Red Cross, but sold by
the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis
1918 - American Red Cross; given to those who joined the Red Cross Roll Call
1919 through 1968 - National Tuberculosis Association
1969 through 1972 - National Tuberculosis and Respiratory Disease Association
1973 onward - The American Lung Association.
Tuberculosis
Christmas Seals were originally issued to fight TB, a major cause of death, and a dreadful
disease. TB tests indicate that many people who lived during the depression show positive for contact,
but never developed the disease. Since the late 40’s, with a combination of antibiotics, doctors had
nearly eradicated it from the west, but new strains have emerged. As TB became less of a public
health problem, Christmas Seal issuing societies have branched out into other lung diseases, like
emphysema, and asthma, which can be caused by smoking and pollution.
The Double Barred Cross
Most tuberculosis seals include the red double-barred "Lorraine" Cross, adopted by many
countries as the international symbol of the crusade against TB. This cross was added to our National
Christmas Seals in 1919, and has been used ever since.
The double barred cross was originally the coat of arms of Godfrey of Bouillon, Duke of Lower
Lorraine, a leader of the first crusade and elected ruler of Jerusalem after its capture. Having refused
the title of King on religious grounds, he was designated Defender of the Holy Sepulcher. Godfrey was
distinguished for his piety and simplicity. As the first Latin ruler of Jerusalem, he became the central
figure of various legends, and his deeds were glorified in the chansons de geste. His brother, Baldwin I,
succeeded him as ruler of Jerusalem and took the title king.
Collecting US Christmas Seals
Many collectors begin with one Christmas Seal a year. Since the biggest part of your investment
is in the first ten years it doesn't cost a lot more to collect the later years in se-tenant multiples, as
required. For example, it takes a pair of seals to complete the 1936 design, a block of 4 in 1954, and
full sheets in 1970, 1975-80, 1995, 1996, and 1998. Many collectors of US Christmas Seals start with
my 41 page beginner album. This $8.50 album provides spaces for singles, pairs, blocks, slogan
blocks, booklet panes, and full sheets, as required; as well as both types of the first year, 1907. This
album can be filled thru 2007 for $145.00
My specialized US Christmas Seal Album, thru 2007 is 170 pages and costs $33.00. It is the
only album of its kind providing spaces for perforation and type varieties, US lookalikes, perforated
proofs and essays, etc. For a complete description and sample pages of these and my other albums,
as well as collections to fill them, click on the hyperlink.
Many Collecting Areas
Design experiment Christmas Seals were first issued in 1979, to help determine the best design
to be used the following year. Since 1981, the nationally issued Christmas Seal looks very much like a
previous year design experiment, with one notable difference being the date.
The modern series of Silver and Gold Foil Christmas Seals began in 1985. Foil had been used in
the 1930’s on some essays, as well as foreign Christmas Seals, but these 1985 foil issues were
intended for larger donors. Gold foil was discontinued after the first year, and by 1991, silver ink was
added. A dull silver ink background may have been less expensive to print and nearly replaced foil,
Eventually used on some Spanish text, and design experiment sheets. Silver ink was used on the
national Christmas Seal issues in 1994 and 1995. In 2002 a new type of foil came into use. As shiny
as ever, this new, perhaps thinner, foil did not effect the thickness of the paper, and has been used
extensively ever since.
Spring issue Christmas Seals began in 1987 and have been issued ever since. Collectors
speculated that the 1991 Stylized flower issue (Green’s #91-S6), a modern rarity, was withdrawn
because it looked too much like some of the flowers seen on Easter seals.
Most US Lookalike Christmas Seals were printed in the USA for distribution in foreign countries
and commonwealths, such as Bermuda, Canada, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, and the Ryukyu Islands. US
designs, when officially borrowed, were used the year. When unofficially borrowed and used by foreign
TB, or US local TB societies, they are not used the same year, and do not look quite as much like the
original design they copy.
Beginning in 1982 Spanish Text Christmas Seals have been used in all Spanish speaking parts of
the USA Imperforate Christmas Seals are not provided with any means of separation, and therefore
have to be cut apart with scissors. They should always be collected in pairs, or larger multiples as
required, to eliminate any concern that they were not originally perforated seals with the perforations
trimmed off.
Christmas Seal Progressive Color Proofs are trial impressions of one or more of the separate
plates used in color printing. They are usually issued in sets of 7 and show colors separately and in
combination, leading up to the complete design.
Christmas Seal Essays are trial designs different from those accepted and regularly issued.
Christmas Seal Freaks include mis perforated seals, colors printed out of register, offset ink on the
gum side, and printer's waste. Even though seals have some things in common with postage stamps,
fundraising seals were not printed with the quality control used by security printers of postage stamps,
so many varieties of freak printings exist, and most have not been cataloged.
Christmas Seal Errors include horizontal or vertical pairs imperforate between, missing or inverted
colors, etc.Christmas Seals, along with postage stamps, tied on covers or postcards by a postmark,
are known as Tied Ons. To be properly tied, the postmark ties the seal on and matches the date of the
seals issue. Due to the early popularity of postcards, most early Christmas Seal tied ons are on
postcards.
Over the years, our national Christmas Seal issuing society (currently The American Lung
Assoc.) has issued Related Material for publicity including bonds, booth envelopes, buttons,
letterhead, package inserts, posters, window labels, scarves, ties, coffee mugs, etc.
Local Christmas Seals have been issued by various state county and local societies for particular
local needs, and are not affiliated with our national Christmas Seal issuing society. Worldwide
Christmas Seals have been issued from all parts of the globe. The world's first Christmas Seal was
issued in Denmark in 1904. They are collected by the country, topically, and as #1 Christmas Seals of
the world.
Many Christmas Seals, US and worldwide, have been issued in booklet panes which usually have
interesting information, images, and sometimes advertisements printed on the covers. Italy’s 2nd
national Christmas seal issue was issued in 1932 in booklet form, and one of the advertisements is for
cigarettes. I think, even in 1932, many people must have thought that smoking was not compatible with
fighting lung disease.
Specialized collecting by country or a single year of Seals allows the collector to go into much
greater depth. John Hotchner was one of the first to exhibit his single year collection of 1934 US
Christmas Seals in competitive stamp shows. Many others followed. This effort of seal collectors is
one of the reasons why collections of seals, once not eligible for awards, now receive awards regularly.
Topical collecting is a way many have branched out into seals. Most topical seal collectors start
out collecting stamps, and as they become more advanced discovered seals. I recently wrote a list of
Santa Claus on seals, which I believe is near complete, and is located at Santa Topical Christmas
Seals. I would love to see a topical index of US and worldwide Christmas Seals written.
Christmas Seal Terms and Abbreviations
Green's Catalog numbers can be long and confusing, for example 1949-3x is a sheet of 1949
seals printed by the 3rd printer listed, which is Edwards and Deutsch Litho.; 1940NMp1 is a 1940
Negative Maker's proof, variety 1, which is imperforate
E - essay, a proposed design
HBg - horizontal broken gum, a horizontal diamond pattern impressed in the gum to prevent curling
imp, imperf - imperforate
NG - no gum
NM - negative maker's proof, a true printer's proof
p - proof, usually imperforate
pcp - progressive color proof, usually a set of 7 stages showing colors separately and in
combinations, leading up to the complete design.
P4S - perforated on all four sides
perf 12:00x12 - horiz rows of perfs are perf 12, with 2 larger diameter perf holes at intervals;
usually 11 regular perf 12 holes are between pairs of larger holes.
(PH) - Photo in center section
PM - perforated margin
pm - printer's mark. Since 1936 printer's used a tiny letter on seal #56, on sheets of 100, to identify
their product.; "E" Eureka Specialty Printing Co., "S" Strobridge Litho. Co. 1930-58, Specialty
Printers of America 1975-92 "D" Edwards and Deutsch Litho. Co., "U" U.S. Printing and Litho.
Co., "F" Fleming-Potter Co., etc.
r.9, roul.9 - roulette 9
S - Spring issue
SE - straight edge
SE 4S - straight edge on all 4 sides of a sheet
Sg - smooth gum
SqBg - square broken gum - a square pattern impressed in the gum to prevent curling.
T - test seal, usually a design experiment
TB - tuberculosis
UK - unknown printer
UL - Union Label, like printer's marks, these can be used to identify sheets.
VBg - vertical broken gum, a vertical diamond pattern impressed in the gum to prevent curling.
VM - varying margin; a margin made when a cut separates a perforated press sheet into smaller
sheets or panes. Depending on where the knike cut chances to fall, such a margin will be a narrow PM, SE, or perforated edge. From 1932-62 Eureka sheets have a VM on two sides of the sheet.
x - sheet
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Getting Started
