Author Archives: VSC

Israel’s February 2018 Issues

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from Israel Post; click on the issue names for more details and larger pictures:

Israeli folk music, animals, trains and history are just a few of the popular topics that are included in the first stamp issues of 2018. Two bands which represent the Israel folk music are: “Ha’ Chizbatron” which was the Palmach and the IDF’s music and entertainment band at the beginning of its establishment, and it existed from January 1948 to 1950. It is considered the first military band established in Israel.”

The band consisted of a group of young actors and singers accompanied by an accordionist.

The Gevatron Chorus, the second band, was founded in 1948 by a group of young people from Kibbutz Geva in the Jezreel Valley to perform at the dedication ceremony for a new basketball court.

The Gevatron has a rich repertoire, comprised of songs written especially for the troupe as well as its own versions of familiar Israeli songs.

The Yotvata Hai- Bar was founded in the 1960’s under the patronage of the nature parks authority, the association’s objective was to restore wildlife species which had become extinct in Israel and repopulate endangered species.

When World War I broke out in August 1914, the Ottoman Empire formed an alliance with the Central powers (Germany and Austria) against the Allies (Brittan, France and Russia).

The Great War, as it was known at the time, went on for more than four years and fundamentally changed world history in general and the situation in Eretz Israel in particular.

Israel Television – 50 Years, the objective of the establishment of a national public television station which also broadcast in Arabic to the residents of the territories was to counter the propaganda which was broadcasted across the border.

[These stamps will be issued February 6th. —VSC]

This year we decided to issue beautiful new series of Trains ATM labels, on January and February we issued two sets: Trains in Israel and the Valley Railway, trains as we know is a very popular theme among collectors all over the world.

Year of The Dog (Canada 2018)

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These stamps will be issued January 15th, when additional information will be provided.

From Canada Post’s Details magazine:

They say “every dog has its day,” but from February 16, 2018, to February 4, 2019, those born in the Year of the Dog will have plenty of days to call their own. They certainly deserve it.

Those lucky enough to be born in the Year of the Dog are some of the most loyal and likeable people around. Possessing many of the same positive attributes as our favourite canines, they are known to be trustworthy, protective, courageous and driven by a sense of duty and justice. If you’re lucky enough to befriend a Dog, your happiness means the world to him or her. And while they can be stubborn and snappy at times, Dogs get along with just about everyone – and are particularly compatible with Rabbits, Tigers and Horses. Famous Canadians born in the Year of the Dog include Justin Bieber, Leonard Cohen and Lucy Maud Montgomery.

This year’s lunar New Year stamp issue was designed by Roy White and Liz Wurzinger at Subplot Design Inc. in Vancouver. When asked about their influences and inspiration, the two highlight the importance of the lantern as a quintessential symbol of the lunar New Year celebrations: “We wanted it to play a pivotal role in the design of these stamps, so we came up with the idea of translating Meimei Mao’s intricate dog illustrations onto these beautiful, illuminated lanterns. Raeff Mile’s photographs of them capture the warmth, richness and depth we were striving for.”

[press release]
Canada Post welcomes Year of the Dog – Lunar New Year stamps adorned in red and gold

VANCOUVER, Jan. 15, 2018 /CNW/ – Canada Post has released its annual two-stamp issue to mark the Lunar New Year, the 10th in this most recent lunar series. True to the traditional aspects of the celebration, the Year of the Dog stamps incorporate Chinese lanterns as a central design element. A Permanent™ domestic-rate stamp features an endearing small dog that looks ready to rush headlong into the year ahead, while the international-rate stamp shows a larger, dignified canine, one foot raised in anticipation. The customary red and gold dominate the design.

“Canada Post is proud to once again mark the vibrant and festive occasion that is the Lunar New Year, celebrated by Canadians of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and other East Asian heritage,” says Canada Post President and CEO Deepak Chopra. “The annual unveiling of this stamp issue has become a much-anticipated event.”

Designed by Vancouver’s Subplot Design Inc., with illustration by Meimei Mao and photography by Raeff Miles, the Year of the Dog stamp issue includes:

  • A traditional gummed pane of 25 domestic-rate stamps, which includes four Chinese blessings, presented in calligraphy by Albert Ng, member of the Order of Ontario, plus both Permanent™ domestic- and international-rate stamp booklets and a broad selection of philatelic collectibles.
  • The international-rate official first day cover (OFDC), which also features a traditional Chinese blessing, is unsealed to facilitate the Chinese New Year tradition of giving money in a red envelope.

The Year of the Dog begins on February 16, 2018, and runs to February 4, 2019. Loyal, trustworthy and courageous, the easy-going individuals born under the sign of the Dog are believed to willingly put others’ well-being above their own. Famous Canadians born under this sign include Justin Bieber, Leonard Cohen and Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Year of The Dog (Australia 2018)

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[press release]
Australia Post celebrates the Year of the Dog

Australia Post will celebrate the Year of the Dog with the release of two Lunar New Year stamps.

Australia Post stamp designer Dani Poon said the stamp issue features traditional Chinese designs and customs, in the hope of giving everyone an opportunity to send wishes of good fortune and health to family and friends, both here and overseas

Ms Poon said she used paper cut motifs, a popular form of Chinese art, to represent the Dog in the $1 stamp. The Chinese calligraphic character for the Dog is shown in the $3 stamp.

“People born under the Dog zodiac sign possess the best traits of human nature. They are intelligent, honest, loving, loyal and quick learners, who hold much of their thought process deep inside,” Ms Poon said.

“The dog minisheet is one of my favourites because it illustrates the dog’s personality traits in such a dynamic, quirky and fun way – rice seeds in the shape of a dog gliding in the sky. While the $1 stamp portraits a loyal dog with the traditional Chinese motifs, the $3 stamp uses a more modern approach.”

The Dog is the 11th sign in the Chinese Zodiac and is a symbol of independence, sincerity, courage and intelligence, as well as loyalty and friendship. Famous people born in the Year of the Dog include Prince William, Dame Judi Dench, Glenn McGrath, Adam Hills and Billy Thorpe.

A highlight of this stamp issue is a special silk minisheet pack, finished with gold foil detailing and where one of the three sheets in the pack is printed on silk. A 999.9 pure gold replica Year of the Dog minisheet in a presentation case is also a highly collectable part of the range.

This year sees the introduction of a new product into the range that will appeal to the young and the young at heart, The Peanuts Year of the Dog stamp pack, which includes a sheetlet of 10 x $1 Year of the Dog 2018 stamps without foiling. Snoopy, the much-loved dog from the Peanuts comic strip, originally created by Charles M Schulz (1922-2000), is featured in the tabs of the stamps.

Other products associated with this stamp issue are a minisheet, zodiac sheetlet, first day cover, stamp pack, postcard, prestige booklet, customisable $1 stamp in the Personalised Stamps™ range, gutter strip of 10 x $1 stamps with design, domestic and international postage paid envelopes, medallion cover, Chinese New Year Dragon postal numismatic cover and a Lunar New Year of the Dog postal numismatic cover.

Nature – Winter (Netherlands 2018)

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[press release]
Experience nature in four seasons with colourful stamps from PostNL

The Hague, 2 January 2018 – PostNL will be issuing the new ‘Experience nature’ stamp series this year. There will be a ten-stamp sheetlet for each season. On 2 January 2018, the first stamps for winter appeared, devoted to reptiles and amphibians. The other seasons will follow in April, June and September, featuring wildflowers, insects and mushrooms respectively.

The photographs on the stamps are colourful portraits of often extraordinary plants and animals in their natural habitats. The images run almost imperceptibly through onto the adjacent stamps. They are also connected with each other through overlapping circles of different sizes. This provides a natural sense of contact between the plants and animals.

The beauty of nature
With the new stamps, PostNL pays tribute to the diversity of nature in our country. “It’s much greater than we sometimes realise at first,” says Stephan van den Eijnden, PostNL’s Commercial Director for Mail. “That makes it even more important for us to work together to maintain the beauty of nature in the Netherlands.”

Thousands of photos
For the ‘Experience nature’ series, graphic designer Frank Janse from Gouda selected thousands of photographs for each of the four stamp sheetlets. He narrowed these down to a shortlist consisting of around a hundred images, from which he chose the ten photographs that made it onto each stamp sheetlet. He was guided by both the beauty of the photograph and the special characteristics of the depicted plants and animals. The photographs are the work of amateur photographers who send their best images to the PIXFACTORY websites.

Availability
Each of the ‘Experience nature’ stamp sheetlets consists of ten stamps marked with ‘Nederland 1’, the denomination for items up to 20g in weight destined for mail in the Netherlands. The stamps are available at all post offices as well as via Collectclub.nl. The stamps are valid until further notice.

Game Of Thrones (U.K. 2018)

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[press release]
ROYAL MAIL REVEALS GAME OF THRONES® STAMP IMAGES• A set of 15 1st Class stamps marks the significant British contribution to the production of the series
• Fans can pre-order the stamps from today by visiting www.royalmail.com/gameofthrones
• Characters featured on the stamps are: Sansa Stark; Jon Snow; Eddard Stark; Olenna Tyrell; Tywin Lannister; Tyrion Lannister; Cersei Lannister; Arya Stark; Jaime Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen
• In addition, a minisheet of stamps [below] also feature: the Night Knight King and White Walkers; Giants; Direwolves and Dragons, as well as a stamp of the contested Iron Throne • There is an extensive range of products – exclusive souvenirs, limited edition products and gifts – not available on the high-street
• The stamps will be available from 23 January 2018 and available at www.royalmail.com/gameofthrones, from 7,000 Post Office branches across the UK and by calling 03457 641 641

Royal Mail today [January 3, 2018] revealed images of a set of 15 first class stamps to mark the significant British contribution to the production of the award-winning HBO® drama series, Game of Thrones.

The series is set on the fictional continent of Westeros and incorporates many plot lines and a conflict among several noble families each claiming the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms.

The stamps depict photographic representations of central characters from across all seven seasons in the Game of Thrones’ series. Each stamp is centred on an individual character and features a montage of images from the series. The result is a set of ten bespoke images that embody the crux of each character’s story.

Characters featured on the stamps are: Sansa Stark; Jon Snow; Eddard Stark; Olenna Tyrell; Tywin Lannister; Tyrion Lannister; Cersei Lannister; Arya Stark; Jamie Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen.

A sheet of five additional stamps features the non-human characters in the series including: the Night King and White Walkers; Giants; Direwolves; Dragons and the Iron Throne itself.

The Game of Thrones production involves a very significant British contribution. Principal filming of the series is at Titanic Studios in Belfast, at the Linen Hill Film Studio in Banbridge and on location elsewhere in Northern Ireland, with additional filming in Scotland and European locations including Malta, Croatia, Iceland, Morocco and Spain.

Additionally, the acclaimed cast is predominantly British and Irish, and British expertise is to the fore in many areas of the production, including award-winning costume design and prosthetic special effects.

Fans can pre-order the stamps now by visiting www.royalmail.com/gameofthrones.

The stamps will be available from 23 January 2018 at www.royalmail.com/gameofthrones, from 7,000 Post Office branches across the UK and by calling 03457 641 641.

In addition to the stamps there is an extensive range of products – exclusive souvenirs, limited edition and gifts – nnot available on the high-street. Products include framed stamps, prints and the Prestige Stamp Book provides behind the scenes access to the Game of Thrones world – from costume designs to filming locations and early set designs.

For full character descriptions and additional information about Game of Thrones, please visit www.HBO.com/gameofthrones.

Meyer Lemons (U.S. 2018)

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The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 5256.

From the USPS; further updates will appear after the initial, introductory entry:

Meyer Lemons Meyer Lemons is a 2-cent definitive stamp. The stamp art features a whole Meyer lemon next to two wedges of the cut fruit.

This stamp will be issued January 19th in Kenner, Louisiana. That coincides with the Winter Stamp Fest & Postcard Show.

Updated December 21st from the Postal Bulletin:

On January 19, 2018, in Kenner, LA, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the 2-cent denominated Meyer Lemons stamp, in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) coil of 10,000 stamps (Item 760400). The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 19, 2018.

The Meyer Lemons stamp is a new 2-cent definitive stamp that features a whole Meyer lemon next to two wedges of the cut fruit. The illustrations were created with pen and ink and watercolor. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp with an existing illustration by John Burgoyne.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 760400, 2-cent Meyer Lemons PSA Coil of 10,000 Stamps
Stamp Fulfillment Services (SFS) will not make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices™.
How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. Each cover must have sufficient postage to meet First-Class Mail® requirements. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop, or by phone at 800-782-6724. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Meyer Lemons Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by March 19, 2018.

Technical details for the Meyer Lemons stamp will appear in a future edition of the Postal Bulletin.

Updated December 27th: Here is the pictorial first-day postmark: It measures 2.03” x 1.5”.

Updated January 5th, from the Postal Bulletin:

Philatelic products for this stamp issue are as follows:

    • 760416 First-Day Cover, $0.95.
    • 760415 coil strips of 500, $10.00 [added February 1]

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Meyer Lemons Stamp
Item Number: 760400
Denomination & Type of Issue: 2-cent Denominated, Mail-use
Format: Coil of 10,000 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 19, 2018, Kenner, LA 70062
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Existing Photos: John Burgoyne, West Barnstable, MA
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Printed at: Browns Summit, NC
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Coil: 10,000
Print Quantity: 100,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit, NC
Colors: Pantone 7413, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.54 x 21.34 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.10 x 24.89 mm
Plate Size: 560 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by five (5) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate numbers every 28th stamp below stamp image

Added February 1:
Collectors can order coil strips of 500 from Stamp Fulfillment Services (USPS.com or 800-STAMP-24). The order number is 760415.

Added January 17, 2019:
A 3,000-stamp coil was added, effective January 27th. It is item 750000.

Sleeping Bear Dunes (U.S. 2018)

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The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 5258.

Sleeping Bear Dunes (Priority Mail Express)With this Priority Mail Express stamp, the Postal Service celebrates the Sleeping Bear Dunes, a national park in Michigan that takes its name from a Native American legend.

This stamp will be issued January 21st in Kansas City, Missouri. There will not be a first-day ceremony.

Updated December 21st from the Postal Bulletin:

On January 21, 2018, in Kansas City, MO, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the $24.70 Sleeping Bear Dunes Priority Mail Express® stamp, in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 4 stamps (Item 119800). The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 21, 2018.

With this new Priority Mail Express stamp, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the Sleeping Bear Dunes, which take their name from a Native American legend. Rising 450 feet above Lake Michigan, the dunes are the highest perched dunes in the Great Lakes region and are protected within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The stamp art celebrates the grandeur and serene natural beauty of the dunes and surrounding park. Dune grasses mark the beach in the foreground, as gulls dive and soar in the breeze. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with original art by Dan Cosgrove.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 119800, $24.70 Sleeping Bear Dunes Priority Mail Express PSA Pane of 4 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services (SFS) will not make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices™.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop, or by phone at 800-782-6724. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Sleeping Bear Dunes Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by March 21, 2018.

Philatelic products for this stamp issue are as follows:

  • 119816 First-Day Cover, $25.14.
  • 119821 Digital Color Postmark, $25.85.

Technical details for the Sleeping Bear Dunes stamp will appear in a future edition of the Postal Bulletin.

Here is the Digital Color Postmark for this issue: It measures 2.62” x 1.47” It measures 2.98” x 1.35”

Updated January 21st, from the Postal Bulletin:

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Sleeping Bear Dunes Stamp
Item Number: 119800
Denomination & Type of Issue: $24.70 Priority Mail Express® rate
Format: Pane of 4 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 21, 2018, Kansas City, MO 64108
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Typographer: Dan Cosgrove, Chicago, IL
Artist: Dan Cosgrove, Chicago, IL
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 4
Print Quantity: 1,260,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 1.085 in/36.07 x 27.56 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 1.225 in/39.62 x 31.12 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 4.12 x 3.45 in/104.65 x 87.63 mm
Plate Size: 24 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by four (4) digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in two corners of pane
Back: ©2017 USPS • USPS Logo • Four barcodes (119800) • Plate Position Diagram • Promotional Text

Byodo-In Temple (U.S. 2018)

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The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 5257.

Byodo-In Temple (Priority Mail)This Priority Mail stamp features a colorful illustration of the Byodo-In Temple, a popular tourist attraction in Hawai‘i.

This stamp will be issued January 21st in Kansas City, Missouri. There will not be a first-day ceremony.

Updated December 21st from the Postal Bulletin:

On January 21, 2018, in Kansas City, MO, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the $6.70 Byodo-In Temple Priority Mail® stamp, in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 4 stamps (Item 114100). The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 21, 2018.

This Priority Mail stamp features a colorful illustration of the Byodo-In Temple, a popular tourist attraction in Hawaii. A smaller-scale concrete replica of a wooden Buddhist temple in Japan, the Byodo-In Temple is located in a private cemetery on the island of O‘ahu. Built in 1968 to commemorate the centennial of the first Japanese immigration to Hawaii, the temple is used for ceremonies, services, and events such as classes and concerts. Art director Greg Breeding designed this stamp with original art by Dan Cosgrove.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 114100, $6.70 Byodo-In Temple Priority Mail PSA Pane of 4 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services (SFS) will not make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices™.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop, or by phone at 800-782-6724. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Byodo-In Temple Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by March 21, 2018.

Philatelic products for this stamp issue are as follows:

  • 114116 First-Day Cover, $7.14.
  • 114121 Digital Color Postmark, $7.85.

Technical details for the Byodo-In Temple stamp will appear in a future edition of the Postal Bulletin.

Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.78” x 1.72” The pictorial postmark measures 2.95” x 1.46”

Updated January 21st, from the Postal Bulletin:

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Byodo-In Temple Stamp
Item Number: 114100
Denomination & Type of Issue: $6.70 Priority Mail® rate
Format: Pane of 4 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 21, 2018, Kansas City, MO 64108
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Typographer: Dan Cosgrove, Chicago, IL
Artist: Dan Cosgrove, Chicago, IL
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 4
Print Quantity: 7,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 1.085 in/36.07 x 27.56 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 1.225 in/39.62 x 31.12 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 4.12 x 3.45 in/104.65 x 87.63 mm
Plate Size: 96 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by four (4) digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in two corners of pane
Back: ©2017 USPS • USPS Logo • Four barcodes (114100) • Plate Position Diagram • Promotional Text

Here is the January 23rd pictorial being offered for this issue; sorry, this is the largest size currently available.

The Art of Magic (U.S. 2018)

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Updated October 2nd: Here are the Scott Catalogue numbers:
5301 (50¢) Art of Magic – Rabbit in Hat
5302 (50¢) Art of Magic – Fortune Teller and Crystal Ball
5303 (50¢) Art of Magic – Levitating Woman and Hoop
5304 (50¢) Art of Magic – Empty Bird Cage
5305 (50¢) Art of Magic – Bird Emerging From Flower
a. Horiz. strip of 5, #5301-5305

Updated August 7th: Here are the product numbers:

  • 476800 The Art of Magic Forever stamp pane of 20, $10.00
  • 476806 Press sheet, $60.00
  • 476810 Keepsake (set of 5), $18.95
  • 476816, First-day cover (set of 5), $4.70
  • 476821 Digital color postmark (set of 5), $8.25
  • 476830 Ceremony program (random), $6.95
  • 476871 Rabbit in Hat poster with souvenir sheet, $19.95
  • 476872 Crystal Ball poster with souvenir sheet, $19.95
  • 476873 Woman Floating poster with souvenir sheet, $19.95
  • 476874 Empty Birdcage poster with souvenir sheet, $19.95
  • 476875 Dove/Flower poster with souvenir sheet, $19.95
  • 565204 3-stamp souvenir sheet, $1.50

Updated May 10th: These stamps will be issued August 7th in Las Vegas.

The Art of MagicThe Postal Service celebrates the art of magic with this pane of 20 stamps featuring digital illustrations of five classic tricks magicians use to amaze and delight audiences: a rabbit in a hat (production), a fortune teller using a crystal ball (prediction), a woman floating in the air (levitation), an empty bird cage (vanishing), and a bird emerging from a flower (transformation).

Updated July 4, 2018:
On August 7, 2018, in Las Vegas, NV, the U.S. Postal Service will issue The Art of Magic stamps (Forever priced at the First-Class Mail rate) in five designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 476800). The stamps will go on sale nationwide August 7, 2018. The Art of Magic pane of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

The Postal Service celebrates the art of magic with digital illustrations of five classic tricks magicians use to amaze and delight audiences:

  • A rabbit in a hat (production),
  • A fortune teller using a crystal ball (prediction),
  • A woman floating in the air (levitation),
  • An empty bird cage (vanishing), and
  • A bird emerging from a flower (transformation).

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps, and Jay Fletcher created the illustrations and served as the typographer.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 476800, The Art of Magic (Forever priced at the First-Class Mail rate) Commemorative Pane of 20 Stamps Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of- issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office or at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop . They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to

FDOI – The Art of Magic Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be post marked by December 7, 2018.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: The Art of Magic Stamps
Item Number: 476800
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (5 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: August 7, 2018, Las Vegas, NV 89199
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Typographer: Jay Fletcher
Artist: Jay Fletcher
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Printed at: Browns Summit, NC
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 20,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit, NC
Colors: Warm Gray 1, Warm Gray 5, Warm Gray 10, Pantone Black 6, Pantone 021, Pantone 7574, Pantone 131, Pantone 139, Pantone 174
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.085 x 1.42 in./ 27.559 x 36.07 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.225 x 1.56 in./31.115 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.38 x 8.75 in./187.45 x 222.25 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 17.5 x 22.14 in./444.5 x 562.36 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by nine (9) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: The Art of Magic • Plate number in two corners of pane
Back: ©2017 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (476800) • Plate Position Diagram • Promotional text

Updated July 19th:
There are SIX first-day postmarks for this issue – five DCPs and one B&W or pictorial:All five DCPs measure 2.29″ x 1.06″. The B&W pictorial is 2.99″ x .99″.