About This Stamp
The 4.9-cent Buckboard depicts a utilitarian, flat-bottomed wagon of the 1880s. It was issued on June 21, 1985, at the NEVPEX-TOPEX stamp show in Reno, Nevada, the same day and place as the 8.3-cent Ambulance. The two are often found together on the 338,765 first day covers canceled that day.
The 4.9-cent stamp paid the rate for bulk mail of qualified nonprofit, tax-exempt and political organizations sorted to five digits of the zip code. The rate was in effect from February 17 until December 31, 1985. The stamp was later approved for various false frankings until March 31, 1987.
Though intended for the intaglio B press, these issues were printed on the Cottrell press. Like other coil stamps printed on the Cottrell press, there is a plate juncture line to the right of the plate number. Plates 3 and 4 appear both untagged and with overall tagging; plates 1, 2, 5, and 6 are only untagged and precanceled with two parallel bars with the words "Nonprofit Org" between them. Plate numbers alternate at 24 stamp intervals. Tagged stamps were issued in rolls of 500 and the untagged version in rolls of 500 and 3,000.
William Bond of Arlington, Virginia, designed the stamp. Engraving of the vignette was done by Gary M. Chaconas of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the lettering by Robert G. Culin of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.