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DID YOU KNOW?
The U.S. Postal Service honored HoudiniÂ
with a special postage stamp, issued on July 3, 2002.
And the stamp does a magic trick!
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After many years of lobbying by members of the magical fraternities,Â
the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative postage stampÂ
featuring the image of Harry Houdini.Â
The 37-cent stamp was available at all U.S. post offices
for only several weeks in 2002.
It is a collector's item
now!
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The "First Day Ceremony" was held at the Society of American Magicians 100th Anniversary Convention in New York City.Â
Houdini was president of the S.A.M. for nine years until his death in 1926, and the S.A.M. seal is on his gravestone.
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What makes this stamp really differentÂ
is that it actually does a
trick!Â
The stamp is designed to reveal a hidden imageÂ
when seen through a special UV viewer.Â
In normal light, the stamp shows the colorful image of a youthful Houdini. Under the viewer, Houdini's image is shackled in chains.Â
Viewed in normal light again, the chains vanish!