Living Persons on Stamps

Denise McCarty, Linn's senior editor and World of New Issues columnist, writes in the April Linn's Stamp News Newsletter,"Living people are not commemorated on United States stamps. The rule is that an individual has to be dead for five years or more before he or she is honored on a stamp. An exception is made for a U.S. president, who is usually honored with a memorial stamp on the first birth anniversary following death. Some other countries, though, have no such postal regulations and often feature living people on their stamps."

More than a dozen countries have already issued stamps celebrating the election and inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Denise points out, "Since 1997, Australia Post has made a point to recognize the outstanding achievements of living Australians in an annual stamp series called Australia Legends. The most recent set, released earlier this year on Jan. 22, features Oscar-winning actors Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe, Geoffrey Rush and Nicole Kidman"

According to Denise, upon receiving the honor, Kidman told Australia Post, "I have a vested interest in Australia. I want my children to live here at certain times of their life and see how wonderful it is. It would be lovely for them to lick a stamp, put it on an envelope and say 'that's my mum'."

Shown above, the Nicole Kidman stamp issued earlier this year by Australia.

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