An innovative new stamp will be issued by the United Stamps Postal Service on June 20th to mark the total solar eclipse that is due on August 21st 2017, which will be visible in parts of the US. In the UK, we will only be able to see a partial eclipse on this day but it still promises to be quite an occasion.
The new stamp will feature thermochromics ink for the very first time. The application of this ink on the black disk in the centre of the stamp design, allows it to transform into an image of the moon when warmed by the body heat of human touch. Once the stamp cools, the image reverts back to the solid dark disk.
The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse stamp has been designed by USPS art director Antonio Alcala and features a photograph by astrophysicist Fred Espenak of an eclipse seen from Jalu, Libya on March 29th, 2006. A map of the projected August 21st eclipse path will be printed on the reverse of the stamp pane.
For specialist collectors, this unique stamp is a must!