US : World Trade Centre.

I am looking at a cinderella produced 1979
by the NYC local post, showing a vignette of the WTC
amongst 4 architecture based vignettes.

Was there ever a genuine stamp produced showing the WTC
before the tragedy?
Anything after is not appropriate for this thread.

Apparently the WTC was due to appear for the first time on a US stamp in the "Greetings from America" issue of 2002, for the state of New York.

Inside Story of 34c Greetings Stamps, by George Amick:

"New York. This montage depicts three of the state's best-known attractions: the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty and Niagara Falls.

The design was subject to a last-minute change. Final electronic files had been prepared, including illustrations to be released to the media. But the skyline as Lonnie Busch had shown it included the World Trade Center, making its first appearance on a U.S. stamp. The landmark was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

"The next day PhotoAssist called to say we needed to take a look at the ... stamp, because it depicted the World Trade Center twin towers," Terry McCaffrey wrote in his magazine article. "There was much soul searching and questioning as to whether we should leave the image in there, as a remembrance, or take it out. Numerous discussions were held as to how the image could be altered. Could we simply remove the towers, or would we have to create a new piece of art? ..."

"Discussions were held with Postmaster General [Jack] Potter, a native New Yorker," McCaffrey continued, "and his decision was to remove the towers. Dodge Color, our prepress contractor, altered the original computer artwork, removing the twin towers, and completing the searchlight, which was originally behind the towers."

I would be interested in seeing a scan of this NYC Local Post Cinderella, as I don't recall ever seeing it before.

As you probably know, the US never issued a WTC stamp (before the 9/11 tragedy), however, they subsequently issued a Semi-Postal entitled "Heroes" that used the aftermath of the tragedy as part of the background of the image:



Actually, that Semi-Postal Stamp made history of sorts, as there still is a longstanding rule that the US will not issue stamps in commemoration of a tragedy or disaster. As stated in the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee guidelines, it specifically reads as follows:




While this has absolutely nothing to do with stamps, about the time of the 9/11 events, my family was in the market for a new 2001 Ford Focus automobile. The dealer handed us a brochure and commented that we had a collectors item of sorts, as Ford had used the background of the WTC on the cover of of their Ford Focus brochure, and their corporate headquarters later required that the image be cut off from all remaining brochures until they were reprinted. Obviously, some dealers (perhaps intentionally) didn't bother to do it, and ultimately the brochures that do have the image on it command a small premium on ebay or other resale markets.

Thanks 22crows, answers my query perfectly.

wt1
I was fairly sure I had a cutout of the top left vignette
but on second thoughts I may be confusing it with a red
empire state building lift ticket.

Image acknowledgement
Mr. Howard J Wunderlich
US

Outside the US, the WTC has appeared on stamps and souvenir sheets. In 1986 the celebration of the centenary of the Statue of Liberty brought forth a group of stamps and sheets from British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Nevis, St Vincent, St Vincent Grenadines and Tuvalu, some of which showed the WTC in the background. In your Statue of Liberty thread, on page 1, the Tuvalu $2 sheet shows the WTC (but not on the actual stamp). The lowest value in the Nevis set of stamps (15c, SG443) shows the WTC prominently, behind the Statue of Liberty.

http://golowesstamps.com/reference/..._liberty.jpg

You are an amazing sleuth 22crows.
Thank you very much,

It's a pity you are not a neighbour,
so you can find my slippers and stamp tongs on occaisions. :)

Get your own slippers. I'm not Eliza Doolittle

Keep up the good work though.