SCOTT #716 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES 2 CENT

On January 25, 1932, the US Post Office Department issued its first stamp honoring the Olympic Games.  This year marked the third time the Winter Olympic Games were held – and it was the first time they took place in the United States.

The 1932 Winter Games were hosted by Lake Placid, New York, a small town in the Adirondack Mountains with less than 3,000 year-round residents.  The Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce asked the village postmaster to suggest a commemorative stamp for the event.  A New York congressman was able to persuade reluctant officials, and the stamp was approved.

US #716 1st U.S. Stamp to Honor the Olympics 1932 3rd Olympic Winter Games Shop Now

The 2¢ Winter Olympic Games stamp was issued just days before the opening ceremonies and sold only in Lake Placid and Washington, DC.  Stamps were in high demand from the moment the Lake Placid Post Office opened at 7 a.m.  The town’s entire supply of 400,000 stamps was completely sold out by mid-morning.  State police even had to be called in to control the crowd!