Dozens flooded the Irvine Harvest Station Post Office Sept. 26 in Southern California to purchase a limited edition postmark commemorating the office’s once-a-century alignment of the date on the calendar—9.26.23—with its ZIP Code 92623.
The alignment occurs only once a century, according to officials from the post office and in relatively few locations nationwide.
The event was marked by a special postmark featuring a “92623 Date Meets Zip Station” designation, stamped in black ink on small envelopes.
The designation, which featured palm trees flanking a Ferris wheel signifying the city’s Irvine Spectrum shopping center, along with a hot air balloon in honor of Irvine Great Park, was accompanied on the envelope by a colorful “celebrate” stamp, sold for $3 each, with hundreds of residents filing in throughout the day to purchase a copy.
Also printed on the envelope was a black and white photo of the original Irvine Harvest Station Post Office after its original build in the 1890s.
Irvine residents were invited from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to visit the office to purchase the commemorative cancellation stamp, as well as receive free pastries and refreshments.
“We’re excited and honored to host this rare event a century in the making,” Irvine Postmaster Lam Le said in a recent statement. “It recognizes the unique ties between USPS and our community.”
According to Ms. Le, Irvine saw a 5,000-person increase in its local residents in the last year, many of whom, she said, stopped by the office to purchase a copy of the stamp.
“This is a special day for us, I’m very honored to be here,” Ms. Le told The Epoch Times. “Not many post offices have the opportunity to celebrate this type of date. It’s a very rare event.”
Some shared their excitement at the event as well.
“I’m adding this [stamp] to my collection,” Irvine resident Barbara Nichols told The Epoch Times. “It’s not every day you get a commemoration like this. I love stamps.”
