United States, Scott #5799e used(o), 2023, Candy Darter, (63¢)

Item Specifics

Country

United States

Catalog Number

5799e

Stamp Type

General Issue

Condition

Used

Centering

Superb

Stamp Format

Single

Topic

Animals - Marine Life

Year of Issue

2023

Item Description

United States, Scott #5799e, used(o), 2023, Honoring the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, legislation which seeks to ‘protect species and the ecosystems upon which they depend with the goal to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction, whatever the cost;’ to honor the event, the post office issued a set of 20 stamps, in a single sheet, each dedicated to a single endangered species; this stamp is dedicated to the Candy Darter fish using a photo from photographer Joel Sartori's ‘Photo Arc’ project with the National Geographic magazine to photograph over 20,000 endangered species around the world; the Candy Darter is found in the eastern United States, specifically in the Kanawha River system in Virginia and West Virginia; its relatively small range led to the species being listed as endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2018; they are small fish that reach a length of approximately three inches when fully grown; males, as seen on the stamp, have black 'saddle' marking on their backs with red-orange and blue-green bands running along the sides of their bodies; females are similarly marked but with a mostly olive green and black coloration; candy darters prefer rocky riverbeds with clear water; they do not mind fast currents and can tolerate cold, cool, or warm water temperatures; cross-breeding is the major threat to the species; the similar Variegate Darter swims in the same waters, and unfortunately, the latter has begun to hybridize with the candy darter; this has led to true candy darter fish being replaced by variegate darters over time; pollution and habitat destruction have also reduced candy darter numbers; it is an uphill battle for these brightly colored little fish, but there is still hope for them to recover in time; issued as a forever stamp at the first class mail counter fee of ( 63 cents), offset lithography and flexographic printed by the Banknote Corporation of America (BCA), the image is printed using a combination of offset and flexographic printing techniques, which enhance detail and color vibrancy, contributing to the dimensional effect of the designs; the standout 3D-like quality arises from the high-resolution imagery paired with the precision of the printing process, issued with non-water soluble self-adhesive gum, serpentine die cut simulated perforations at scale:10¾, multicolored, Scott 2025 Catalog Value: 50¢; nicely centered (superb), horizontal, black-inked, wavy line cancel across the top two-thirds of the stamp and over the main image, good perforations, stamp was lifted from its mailing card using the Bestine solvent and placed on a piece of black card stock for a uniform and attractive album appearance with other stamps from the period similarly mounted; centering and mounting warrants a selling price premium. This is not a 'bait and switch' offer; the stamp you see will be the stamp you receive.

Please review my terms of sale. If you are not ordering from the United States, there is a $US1.65 additional postage expense that needs to be added to the price of the stamp. If you are ordering from the United States, there is only a $US0.73 added postage expense. Also, if you make additional purchases from my offerings, they can all go in one mailing at no extra shipping expense for the added purchases. I will send the purchase by US first class mail, since the relatively low value of the stamp does not warrant signature or tracking mail. Hence the buyer assumes risk of loss or non-delivery. I will keep a scan of my mailing to verify that the correct mailing address was used.

By way of reference, I am an American Philatelic Society member (195176) and an American Stamp Dealers Association (ASDA) member. Thank you for looking, and I hope this is the perfect stamp to fill that gap in your collection.

Seller Information

Seller

JDumville (3891)

Registered Since

06/10/2018

Feedback

100%

Store

Worldwide Used Stamps

• Sales

Item Location

Virginia, United States

Ships To

Worldwide

Returns Accepted

Yes

Returns Policy

If not satisfied, return the stamp to me at your own expense, and I will refund the cost, but not my postage to you. If the stamp is not as described, I will refund the cost and reimburse you for postage both ways.