Add nostalgic flair to your holiday letters with these vintage unused Christmas Issue "Sprig of Conifer" 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 5-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 vintage postage stamp!

Purchase includes a total of TWENTY (20) mint condition 5-cent "Sprig of Conifer" vintage postage stamps shown in the product listing photos.

MORE HOLIDAY BOTANICAL STAMPS:

Set of 4 “Christmas Issue Se-Tenant” Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Vintage Unused USPS Postage 5c | Pack of 10 Sets | 40 Individual Stamps

"Pine Cone" Postage Stamps | Christmas Holidays | Flora and Fauna Series | Unused USPS Postage 29c | Pack of 10

"American Holly" Postage Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Unused USPS Postage 32c | Pack of 10

"Christmas Wreath and Candles" Postage Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Unused USPS Postage 4c | Pack of 20

"Poinsettia Plants" Postage Stamps | Contemporary Christmas Series | Unused USPS Postage 22c | Pack of 10

STAMP INFORMATION:

• Name: Sprig of Conifer
• Series: Third Christmas Issue
• Year Issued: 1964
• Face Value: 5-cents (USD) per stamp
• Topic(s): Conifer, Pine Cone, Evergreen, Tree, Pine Needles, Holiday Decor
• Color(s): Green and Red
• Printing Method: Giori Press
• Scott Number: 1257
• 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 1964 5¢ “Sprig of Conifer” Christmas stamp was issued by the U.S. Post Office Department on November 9, 1964, alongside the better-known 5¢ “Holly” Christmas stamp and two others. Together, the four se-tenant (connected) stamps represented the third annual Christmas issue from the United States and reflected the Post Office’s intent to offer Americans a choice of holiday designs—one centered on a familiar traditional symbol (holly), and another featuring a more subtle, nature-based image (the conifer sprig).

The "Sprig of Conifer" stamp features a simple but elegant illustration of evergreen needles and a pine cone, printed in green and brown against a white background. The image was created under the art direction of Jim Crawford, and the stamp was printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing using the multicolor Giori press, which allowed for precise alignment of multiple colors in a single pass—still relatively innovative for the early 1960s.

The stamp’s subject—an evergreen sprig with cone—was chosen for both its aesthetic simplicity and its universal symbolism. The evergreen had long been associated with life, renewal, and endurance in winter, making it a fitting motif for a holiday celebrated across religious and cultural lines. The Post Office Department, mindful of growing demand for Christmas-themed stamps that would appeal to a wide public, sought a design that conveyed seasonal spirit without overt religious imagery. The result was the Conifer design—a companion to the Holly issue, both conveying messages of nature, peace, and continuity.

STAMP MEANING & SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE: The 1964 5¢ “Sprig of Conifer” Christmas stamp embodies the quiet holiness of endurance, renewal, and eternal life—the evergreen promise that life persists even in the stillness and darkness of winter. Its image—a simple pine sprig with a cone—carries an ancient and deeply layered symbolism, reminding us that spiritual vitality is not always loud or grand, but often rooted in simplicity, patience, and faith in unseen growth.

In Christian symbolism, the evergreen conifer has long represented eternal life through Christ, its unchanging green color a sign that divine love never fades, even in the barren season of the soul. The pine tree endures the coldest storms without losing its vitality, just as faith endures through trials and doubt. The pine cone, with its spiraling form and seeds waiting quietly within, is a symbol of resurrection and new creation—life hidden within apparent dormancy, awaiting its moment to bloom. In this way, the stamp becomes a meditation on the mystery of renewal: that even when the world appears still and lifeless, grace is already stirring beneath the surface.

Beyond Christianity, the conifer carries universal spiritual meaning. Across cultures, evergreens have symbolized the continuity of spirit, the cycle of death and rebirth, and the sacred unity between heaven and earth. Their triangular form—pointing upward—has often been seen as a bridge between the physical and the divine. In this light, the Sprig of Conifer stamp can be viewed as a symbol of hope and balance, a reminder that even amid darkness, the divine order remains intact, and life quietly renews itself through endurance and harmony with nature.

Issued alongside the Holly stamp, the Sprig of Conifer design offers a subtler, more contemplative vision of Christmas. While the holly speaks of joy and protection, the conifer speaks of quiet faith and spiritual endurance—the strength to remain steadfast and alive in spirit, even when the world is cold and dark.

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: 1.02 in.
Height: 0.01 in.
Width: 0.87 in.
Weight: 0.01 lbs.