WOW! Complete collection of ALL 120 Numistamps + ephemera.

Welcome! If you've made it this far then you've probably googled Numistamps... and found scant information. A couple of pieces for sale here and there and a few descriptions of the medals but that's it! You can't find any history, no details, not even a comprehensive list of the full set. Well here it is - The complete collection, every medal, every receipt, every insert, all the mailers, production reports, binders, albums, tape, original packaging, relatively unknown pieces - everything! 

Why is so little known about this elusive and hard to come by set? Mainly because the production process and sale of Numistamps  took over 5 1/2 years to complete (02/1976-09/1981). As outlined here, the promotion was beset with numerous problems, delays  and even a company name change. That's a long time to wait to mail order your Numistamps 2 at a time. 

Let's start with what is already commonly known. Numistamps are 1 1/4" x 3/4" stamp shaped medals designed by noted coin enthusiast Mort Reed in the 1970's and originally produced by Art Medals Inc. The goal was to replicate the entire set of US coins. The front of the medals are imprinted with the front and back of the coins, the obverse was imprinted with the "series" number. They were color plated to match the composition of the original coin. 

Here's what we've learned from this unique collection that's NOT commonly known. 

Numistamps were manufactured by Art Medals Inc, a big producer of medals during the 1970's. (Some of their other lines of medals can be seen from the attached fliers). There were a total of 120 different Numistamps produced between 02/1976-09/1981.  They were usually mailed 2 at a time, twice per month. They were placed in plastic pouches along with 2 stickers that were used to mount them in corresponding binders or picture frames. The pouches were then placed in cardboard sleeves and inserted into an envelope for mailing along with a paid receipt - $4.50 per stamp. The envelopes often included informational inserts, fliers, instructions for attaching the stamps to the albums and/or company notes discussing the many production problems encountered during this promotion. The 3rd picture of the attached pictures shows 3 such notes:

     The first one, dated 11/7/1977, reads" ... the Manufacturing Company, Art Medals, Inc, discontinued operations           leaving them without a supplier".

     The second one, 2/24/1978, delay in shipping .... shows production being restarted on the Numistamps and work       continuing on the next album.

     The third note, 8/7/1978 "We are doing everything possible to eliminate the many production difficulties                         encountered..." and another delay in producing the next album. Interesting that this note is from                                         "Presidential Art Medals, Inc", instead of "Art Medals, inc". Page 13 is a flier from "Presidential Art Medals, Inc"           stating they have moved into their new production facilities. Seems like a move and a name change, or both? 

Obviously, these issues and the 5 1/2 year production run severely curtailed the collectors ability to buy  Numistamps. Only the most passionate and persistent of collectors were able to purchase the entire set.

Art Medals Inc sold albums and picture frames to post the stamps in. Each page of the album is shown in the pics with their corresponding stamps. There are 120 different Numistamps (not 117). The pages of the album initially included a hard cover to protect the stamps. The hard cover was discontinued and was not included with the later pages. The attached pictures show all 120 medals, some of the receipts and notes, and some flyers. The last 3, Bicentennial Medals, are very rare. This is the only full set I know of!

Complete list of 120 Numistamps!