Mixed-Up Commemoratives
Stan was given a package of commemorative stamps by a friend the other day. As he started to sort them he noticed that they were all different colors, sizes and face values. It was all so confusing! Stan wants to be able to find the stamps in his album and in his catalog. But he doesn't know the best way to do it. Can you help Stan?
1. Keep in mind that the purpose of stamps is to pay the set fee for postage. The fee usually rises as the years pass. So the most important thing to look for is:
F __ __ __    V __ __ __ __

2. Next, we know that stamp printing has advanced by leaps and bounds in the last thirty years. One result is that more colorful stamps with three or more colors are now routinely issued. Older stamps are mostly one, or sometimes two colors. So the second thing we want Stan to look at carefully as he sorts is:
C __ __ __ __

3. Stamps seem to have grown over the years. In the early years, most were smaller than today's stamps, and some looked like regular issues. So the last thing to tell Stan to watch for is:
S __ __ __

Mixed Up Art

4. Here are six stamps that Stan has. If you use the facts we know about face value, color, and size, let's help Stan by putting them in the order they were issued. (Hint: sometimes you can find dates on the stamp that will help).

1. _____ 2._____ 3. _____ 4. _____ 5. _____ 6. _____