One billion of the first U.S. semi-postal stamps sold!

First published on SébPhilatélie in French, Wednesday December 30th 2015.

The first United States stamp sold with a fundraising added value reached one billion item sold since its first issue on July 29th 1998 (that 10 power 9 for the British among of you), reported on Christmas Day the Sacramento Bee quoting local doctor Ernie Bodai at the initiative of the semi-postal stamp.

Second joy: the Congress voted to extend the sale for four more years, till December 2019, a bill signed by President Obama this December. The research against breast cancer will continue to be helped through this mean.

The first autoadhesive version of the Breast Cancer stamp  (National Postal Museum).

In 1998, it was the very first time the legislative power authorised a semi-postal stamp issued by the United States Postal Service. Ethel Kessler designed mottos on a mythologic illustration by Whitney Sherman: "Fund the fight. Find a cure."

The definitive philatelist will sure be pleased to continue study this annual stamp.

Since 1998, three other causes have got their semipostal help, with a "+" sign to indicate their role, summarizes the National Postal Museum page:
- Heroes in 2001, issued June 7th 2002, to help the policemen, firemen, medical teams and their families, victims during their service on September 11th 2001 in and around the World Trade Center, New York.
- Stop Family Violence, issued October 11th 2003, supported the Health Department to fight domestic violence in families.
- Finally, and the only of the three still on sale, issued September 20th 201, Save Vanishing Species for the protection of the wildlife endangered species.