Colorado Hairstreak 2021 $1.27 Stamps — Non-Machineable Surcharge (Not a Forever Stamp)

Please note: this is a denominated non-machineable surcharge stamp, not a Forever Stamp. It suits square, rigid or otherwise irregular envelopes that cannot run through automated equipment.

Issue facts

Value: $1.12 nonmachinable surcharge or 2-ounce rate
Issue Date: March 2, 2021
First Day City: Estes Park, CO
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset, microprint
Format: Pane of 20

The butterfly

A vivid purple species native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, named Colorado's state insect in 1996.

It lives in mountainous shrubland and depends almost entirely on one tree: the Gambel oak. The oak feeds the caterpillars, and the adults are usually found resting in its branches. Eggs are laid in late summer and hatch the following spring.

How to identify one

Wingspan of one to one and a half inches, with a thin tail trailing from each hindwing — the feature that gives hairstreaks their name. The upper wings are dark purple inside a broad black border, with orange spots along the outer edges. Underneath, the wings are gray with white and black markings and an orange patch or spot.

Habitat loss threatens a great many butterflies, but this one is in reasonable shape, largely because Gambel oak remains plentiful across its range.

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