U. S. Postage stamps, which appeared on coil stamps denominated between 3.1 cents and 8.4 cents, produced for the use of bulk mailers and other businesses. Among philatelists, the Americana series is most famous for the CIA invert. An invert error of the $1 lamp stamp, it was so named because the original sheet was bought by a CIA employee who had gone to the post office to buy some stamps. Copies have sold at auction for as much as $15,000. The 16 cent and the 29 cent were issued for a proposed, but never implemented "business rate" for first class mail, which was to be higher than the personal rate (only letters with handwritten addresses would be eligible for the lower rate). The proposed rate was rejected by the Postal Rate Commission which chose instead a 15 cent rate (for two ounces, 28 cents) for all mail. Since the 16 and 29 cent stamps satisfied no rate, and were not a convenient round number, they saw little use. The design for the 1 cent stamp was originally designated for a never-issued 26 cent stamp. Many of the stamps were issued in mid-November in New York City. At the time, it was usual to have a stamp issuance during the annual stamp show for the American Stamp Dealers Association, which was then held in mid-November in New York City. The March stamps issued in New York were issued at the ASDA-sponsored INTERPEX show. The series was the first U. S. omnibus definitive series since 1875 not to include a five cent stamp. Denominations, subject, inscription, place and date of issue Sheet stamps: Roots of Democracy 1 cent, quill pen and inkwell, "The Ability to Write * A Root of Democracy", St. Louis MO, Dec. 8, 1977 2 cent, speaker's stand, "Freedom To Speak Out * A Root of Democracy", St. Louis MO, Dec. 8, 1977 3 cent, ballot box, "To Cast A Free Ballot * A Root of Democracy", St. Louis MO, Dec. 8, 1977 4 cent, books and eyeglasses, "A Public That Reads * A Root of Democracy", St. Louis MO, Dec. 8, 1977 Rights and Freedoms of the American People 9 cent, (gray paper) Capitol dome, "Right of People Peaceably to Assemble", Washington DC, Nov. 24, 1975 10 cent, head of statue of Justice, "People's Right To Petition For Redress", New York NY, Nov. 17, 1977 11 cent,