About This Stamp
The Lunar New Year is celebrated by people of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan, and Mongolian heritage. In observance of this holiday, the U.S. Postal Service issued the first of 12 stamps in its award-winning Lunar New Year series in 1992. In succeeding years, additional stamps were issued until all 12 animals associated with the Chinese lunar calendar were represented.
In chronological order, the stamps in the series marked the Year of the Rooster, Dog, Boar, Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, and Monkey. People born in the year of a particular animal are said to share the characteristics of that animal.
Also called the Spring Festival, the traditional Chinese New Year is a time of renewed hope for a prosperous future. The 12 colorful stamps in this series are gathered together for one stunning souvenir sheet.
Art Director
Terrence W. McCaffrey
Terrence W. McCaffrey attended the Corcoran School of Art, majoring in graphic design. Prior to joining the U.S. Postal Service®, he was employed by a Bethesda-based computer firm, where he advanced from intern designer to Assistant Art Director.
McCaffrey joined the Post Office Department in 1970 as a designer in the Communications Department. His original duties included redesigning the employee magazine and all other corporate materials to reflect the new corporate identity that came into effect in 1971 when the Department became the U.S. Postal Service.
Over the next 20 years McCaffrey was responsible for the design of more than 300 lobby posters; promotional material for various services such as Express Mail and Priority Mail™; employee magazines, newsletters, and slide shows; and philatelic products.
In 1990, McCaffrey joined Stamp Services as a member of the stamp design team, also assuming responsibility for the design of all philatelic products. In 1992, he was named Creative Director for the Stamp Design group, with responsibility for all stamp and stationery design. McCaffrey was appointed Manager of the Stamp Development group in 2000. Among his responsibilities were stamp subject and design development, rights of publicity, philatelic products, the USA Philatelic catalog, the philatelic archives, and overseeing the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee.
During his long and productive career at the Postal Service™, McCaffrey served as art director for more than three-dozen issuances. He personally designed a number of U.S. postage stamps, including the Mars Pathfinder Souvenir Sheet; Raphael Cherubs (Love Series); the $2.90 Priority Mail Eagle; the $9.95 Express Mail Eagle; Interphil 76; Energy Conservation and Development; and Happy Birthday. He also co-designed the 15-stamp Star Wars issuance, five Art of Disney issuances, and the Send a Hello and Mail a Smile issuances.
McCaffrey retired in December 2010. He lives in New Braunfels, Texas.