When I ran across it online yesterday, I first looked at the calendar: no, it's not April 1.

Then I looked around the web awhile, and found that CNN and others were indeed reporting the release yesterday, on his 57th birthday, of a commemorative stamp featuring the Governor of California.

His native Austria issued it, and said it was bracing for heavy demand for the 600,000 stamps printed.

Prediction: they'll be going back to the printers for a second run.

Interesting, isn't it, that the U.S. will put no living person on a stamp or coin, unlike most countries, which let the still-kicking honored person enjoy his or her fame on envelopes and postcards world-wide?

As I recall, very dimly, from my tenth-grade U.S. history class, the American antipathy to living people on U.S. stamps and currency has its roots in the American Revolution.

The English monarchy and its centuries-old use of the image of the current ruler on all such things was anathema to the Founding Fathers.

Nevertheless, a significant number were in favor of naming George Washington Emperor of the nascent nation.

The 1-euro stamp (U.S. $1.25) is so popular in Austria, people showed up early yesterday morning at post offices to buy them.

The Schwarzenegger stamp is part of a collectors' series called "Austrians Living Abroad."

The stamps were trading on eBay for U.S. $2 apiece yesterday, well under the U.S. $9.99 they were offered for on eBay two weeks ago, when the Austrian postal service first announced their release.

Schwarzenegger is extremely popular in Austria, where a sports stadium in Graz bears his name.

Arnie's in good company in the world of Austrian stamps: others in recent years have featured Mick Jagger and Pope John Paul II.