Ever hear of a candy stamp?

Well, there’s one coming up in the U.S. Postal Service 2004 schedule. It’s the new “Love” stamp for release in January ahead of the Valentine’s Day mailings.

The design of the new 37-cent stamp displays two candy hearts — one yellow, in the foreground, and a pink one, slightly behind it.

Artist Michael Osborne, of San Francisco, created the illustration of the pair of hearts. He also designed the colorful 2002 love stamp which featured a stylized block letter and a heart motif spelling the word “love.”

The first love stamp was issued by the Postal Service in 1973. It portrayed an iconic design by pop artist Robert Indiana. Since that time, love stamps have featured a wide range of subjects including flowers, animals, love letters and some abstract designs.

In a special sweet tie-in this year, the USPS approved of the New England Confectionery Co. (Necco) manufacturing a special run of candy hearts bearing the same “I Love You” inscription as the 2004 stamp.

To order your 2004 Love stamps being released in January, you can call toll free (800) STAMP-24. Also ask for a free comprehensive catalog. A selection of stamps and other philatelic items are available at the online Postal Store, www.usps.com/shop.