Add nostalgic flair to your holiday letters with these vintage unused Contemporary Christmas "Rural Mailbox" postage stamps! This nostalgic holiday design is perfect for adding a touch of class to your holiday cards and letters or winter save-the-dates and weddings. In pristine mint condition and valid for current postage use, each stamp holds a face value of 13-cents. These USPS postage stamps are suitable for current mailing when used with the total required postage based on the weight of your correspondence. Embrace the charm of winter with this enchanting postage stamp!

Purchase includes a total of TWENTY (20) mint condition 13-cent "Rural Mailbox" vintage postage stamps shown in the product listing photos.

COMPLEMENTARY VINTAGE HOLIDAY STAMPS:

"Sleigh with Presents" Postage Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Unused USPS Postage 25c | Pack of 20

"Sleigh and Village Scene" Postage Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Unused USPS Postage 25c | Pack of 20

"Teddy Bear and Sleigh" Postage Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Unused USPS Postage 20c | Pack of 20

"Santa in Chimney" Postage Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Unused USPS Postage 29c | Pack of 20

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Name: Rural Mailbox
• Series: Contemporary Christmas
• Year Issued: 1977
• Face Value: 13-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): Mailbox, Christmas Mail, Christmas Parcels, Christmas Cards, Snow, Rural America
• Color(s): Red, White, Multicolored
• Printing Method: Photogravure
• Scott Number: 1730
• Adhesion Type: Gummed (see adhesion instructions below)
• Condition: Genuine Unused USPS Postage Stamps, Ready to Use for USPS Mailings, Mint Condition

GENUINE USPS POSTAGE: These unused vintage postage stamps are perfectly valid for use as current postage for mailing with USPS as long as you use an adequate amount of additional postage to achieve standard postage rates according to the weight of your mailing. Check current postage rates on the USPS website.

STAMP HISTORY: The 1977 13-cent “Rural Mailbox” postage stamp was issued by the U.S. Postal Service on March 18, 1977, in Memphis, Tennessee, as part of the long-running "American Folk Art" series. Designed by James L. Calder, the stamp celebrated the creativity and personal expression found in everyday rural America—specifically, the hand-crafted and often whimsically decorated mailboxes that became a familiar sight along country roads throughout the 20th century.

The Rural Mailbox design reflected a larger cultural moment in the 1970s when the U.S. was rediscovering and celebrating its folk heritage. Museums and cultural institutions had begun mounting exhibitions on “naïve” or “outsider” art, and the U.S. Postal Service embraced that spirit, turning the country’s functional and decorative objects into miniature pieces of national art. The rural mailbox, in this sense, symbolized connection and creativity—a handmade portal of communication linking far-flung homes to the wider world.

Issued in Memphis, a city historically tied to communication and commerce, this stamp carried additional resonance: it honored the ingenuity of the rural postal system itself. Rural Free Delivery (RFD), introduced in the late 19th century, had revolutionized life in the American countryside, bringing news, goods, and information directly to farms and small towns. The humble mailbox became a daily symbol of progress and connection—both practical and poetic.

Today, the 1977 Rural Mailbox stamp is admired for its blend of simplicity and symbolism. It stands as a tribute to rural creativity, community spirit, and the enduring role of the Postal Service in binding the nation together—one handmade mailbox, one handwritten letter, and one small piece of art at a time.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: The “Rural Mailbox” stamp speaks to the sacredness of connection, communication, and the humble beauty of everyday creativity. Though it appears simple—a mailbox perched by a country road—its deeper meaning rests in what that image represents: the human longing to reach out, to be heard, and to remain connected across distance and time. The mailbox, in this sense, becomes a vessel of spirit—an open invitation to communion. Each letter it receives or sends is a tangible expression of thought, love, and relationship, bridging the physical and emotional spaces that separate us. In the stillness of rural life, that small box waiting faithfully by the roadside becomes a quiet symbol of faith and expectancy: the belief that a message will come, that someone cares enough to reach out. This simple act of waiting for the mail can be seen as a metaphor for prayer, hope, and trust in unseen connections.

The Rural Mailbox stamp celebrates the spirituality of the everyday. It honors the holiness found not in grand cathedrals or monuments, but in acts of care and creation, in the way people decorate their lives with warmth and imagination. It reminds us that the sacred often arrives quietly—tucked inside a simple envelope, resting in a handmade box by the road, carrying the eternal message that we are never truly alone.

GUMMED STAMPS: These postage stamps have a traditional moisture-activated gum on the back. These stamps require licking or wetting to adhere to envelopes or other surfaces. To ensure good adhesion, apply vintage gummed stamps to your mailings with a glue stick (we recommend using Elmer's "Re-Stick" glue sticks).

PROCESSING & SHIPPING: Orders are typically processed and shipped within 1-3 business days of placing your order. All orders are shipped from California — please allow additional time for transit.

QUESTIONS? We love hearing from our customers and replies to inquires are usually answered the same day. Need more of this stamp? Looking for a particular stamp not found on our website? Want a curated postage set for your special event? Contact us with questions about vintage postage stamps and our services…

VISIT MY MINTED STORE: https://www.minted.com/store/heritageposthouse

TELL YOUR STORY IN STAMPS: We’ve worked with hundreds of couples and their stationers to custom design highly stylized personalized postage sets based on our customer’s life stories. We can help you curate personalized vintage postage sets to commemorate your save-the-date, wedding, shower, announcement, and other special occasions in a truly unique fashion. Drawing on our encyclopedic knowledge of every stamp ever issued by the USPS, and sourcing from our extensive inventory of collectable unused vintage stamps, we’ll help you tell your unique story in stamps!

ABOUT HERITAGE POST HOUSE: Jennifer Kramer is the founder of Heritage Post House, a boutique vintage postage house located in Northern California. Jennifer sources the most beautiful unused vintage postage stamps ever issued by USPS and artfully arranges them into curated postage sets that are sure to add a special touch to your invitations, announcements, and special mailings. In addition to creating pre-arranged postage sets, Jennifer also works with couples (and their stationers) to create one-of-a-kind custom postage arrangements for wedding invitations, save the dates, and other special occasions.


Product Specifications

Length: 0.87 in.
Height: 0.01 in.
Width: 0.98 in.
Weight: 0.01 lbs.