The U.S. Postal Service issues about 40 billion stamps in an average year. The majority of the stamps are "definitive" issues intended for use to pay postage but not necessarily favorites of collectors.
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"Commemorative" stamps honor anniversaries, important people or special events. They are printed only once, in much smaller quantities than definitives. In addition to beautifying envelopes, commemoratives enjoy a great deal of popularity among collectors who save the stamps because they like their subject matter and colorful designs.- Syd Kronish