2019-12-31 Tue

The Holy Childhood Christmas seal of 1931 was recently identified with a major error after 87 years after it was issued.

Rev. George Schaetzle of Sheboygan was examining a small collection of Christmas seals he had been given in 2018. His discovery is illustrated here: a Christmas seal with the central illustration inverted. The Pontifical Association of the Holy Childhood produced seals as part of its fundraising program from 1915 to 2004. Catholic children sold the seals door-to-door.

The Pontifical Association of the Holy Childhood issued this seal in 1931, and the words “Holy Childhood” are inscribed in the red panel at the top. “Christmas Greetings” and “Happy New Year” is inscribed in the green panel at the bottom of the seal. The central design shows a child with a candle that is upside down.

This 1931 seal with the center inverted appears to be the sole survivor of this error as no other collector of this material has previously reported it.

Image Courtesy: https://www.linns.com/

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