Tap Dance (U.S. 2021)

Announced on January 15th:

Celebrating tap dancing as a uniquely American contribution to world dance, these five stamps feature photographs of different tap dancers performing against brightly colored backgrounds that highlight their form and movement. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps with photographs by Matthew Murphy.

These stamps will be issued July 10th with a ceremony in New York City. The issue date had previously been reported as July 8th. 

Additional information will appear below the line, with the latest at the top


Updated August 2nd:
Here are the Scott catalogue numbers for this issue:

5609 Max Pollak (buff “TAP”)
a. Imperforate
5610 Michela Marino Lerman (rose “TAP”)
a. Imperforate
5611 Derick Grant (greenish blue “TAP”)
a. Imperforate
5612 Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards (light blue “TAP”)
a. Imperforate
5613 Ayodele Casel (bister “TAP”)
a. Imperforate
b. Horiz. strip of 5, #5609-5613
c. Imperforate horiz. strip of 5, #5609a-5613a

Updated June 17th:
Here are the postmarks for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.69″ x 1.25″ The B&W Pictorial Postmark measures 2.74″ x 1.31″

Updated June 3rd from the Postal Bulletin:
On July 10, 2021, in New York, NY, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Tap Dance stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in five designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 480900). These stamps will go on sale nationwide July 10, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Tap Dance commemorative pane of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

With these stamps, the Postal Service™ celebrates tap dancing as a uniquely American contribution to world dance. The five stamps each feature a photograph of a different tap dancer performing his or her craft against a brightly colored background that highlights the dancer’s form and movement. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps with photographs by Matthew Murphy.

No automatic distribution.

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 – Tap Dance 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 postmarked by November 10, 2021.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Tap Dance Stamps
Item Number: 480900
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (5 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: July 10, 2021, New York, NY 10199
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Photographer: Matthew Murphy, New York, NY
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 18,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Custom Spot Grey
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in. / 21.336 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in. / 24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.92 x 8.35 in. / 150.368 x 212.09 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 11.84 x 25.30 in. / 300.736 x 642.62 mm
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits in two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: TAP • Plate number in bottom two corners
©2021 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (480900) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text

Updated February 20th:
As reported below by VSC member Arthur von Reyn, “An article by Lisa Traiger in the February 18, 2021 issue of Dance Magazine indicates these stamps will be issued July 8, 2021, during the New York City Tap Festival.” You can read the article here.

Sun Science (U.S. 2021)

Late Change

The first-day ceremony has been moved. See the June 17th entry below.

Announced on January 15th:

These 10 new stamps in a pane of 20 highlight stunning images of the sun that celebrate the science behind the ongoing exploration of our nearest star. The striking colors do not represent the actual colors of the sun as perceived by human eyesight. Instead, each image is colorized by NASA according to different wavelengths that reveal or highlight specific features of the sun’s activity. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps with digital images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, a spacecraft launched in February 2010 to keep constant watch on the sun from geosynchronous orbit over the craft’s ground station in New Mexico.

Additional information will appear below the line, with the latest at the top


Updated August 2nd:
Here are the Scott catalogue numbers for this issue:

5598 Coronal Hole
a. Imperforate
5599 Coronal Loops
a. Imperforate
5600 Solar Flare
a. Imperforate
5601 Active Sun
a. Imperforate
5602 Plasma Blast
a. Imperforate
5603 Coronal Loops, diff.
a. Imperforate
5604 Sunspots
a. Imperforate
5605 Plasma Blast, diff.
a. Imperforate
5606 Solar Flare, diff.
a. Imperforate
5607 Coronal Hole, diff.
a. Imperforate
b. Block of 10, #5598-5607
c. Imperforate block of 10, #5598a-5607a

Updated June 17th:
The Sun Science stamps dedication ceremony planned for June 18, 2021 at 11:00 a.m., at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center 8800 Greenbelt Rd, Greenbelt, MD 20771 has been moved due to observance of the Juneteenth Federal Holiday and the NASA facility being closed. The new location and time are:

Greenbelt Main Post Office parking lot
7600 Ora Glen Dr.
Greenbelt, MD 20770
June 18, 2021 at 11:15 a.m.

Updated May 20th from the Postal Bulletin:
On June 18, 2021 in Greenbelt, MD, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Sun Science stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in 10 designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 480800). The stamps will go on sale nationwide June 18, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The Sun Science stamps highlight stunning images of the Sun that celebrate the science behind the ongoing exploration of our nearest star. The striking colors do not represent the actual colors of the Sun as perceived by human eyesight. Instead, each image is colorized by NASA according to different wavelengths that reveal or highlight specific features of the Sun’s activity. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps with digital images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, a spacecraft launched in February 2010 to keep a constant watch on the Sun from geosynchronous orbit over its ground station in New Mexico.

No automatic distribution.

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 – Sun Science 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 postmarked by October 18, 2021.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Sun Science Stamps
Item Number: 480800
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (10 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 18, 2021, Greenbelt MD 20770
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria VA
Existing Art: NASA/Solar Dynamic Observatory
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Flexographic, Foil Stamping
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 30,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.085 x 1.085 in. / 27.559 x 27.559 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.225 x 1.225 in. / 31.115 x 31.115 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.12 x 6.25 in. / 180.848 x 158.750 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 21.360 x 12.500 in. / 542.544 x 317.500 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits in bottom two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Sun Science • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2021 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (480800) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text

Also updated May 20th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.98″ x 1.47″ The pictorial postmark measures 2.75″ x 1.14″

Updated March 17th:
These stamps will be issued June 18th, rain or shine, with a first-day city of Greenbelt, MD.

Emilio Sanchez (U.S. 2021)

Announced on January 15th:

The art of Emilio Sanchez (1921-1999) is celebrated with four new stamps featuring his colorful architectural lithographs and paintings: “Los Toldos”(1973), “Ty’s Place” (1976), “En el Souk” (1972) and Untitled (Ventanita entreabierta) (1981). Sanchez explored the effects of light and shadow to emphasize the abstract geometry of his subjects. His artwork encompasses his Cuban heritage as well as his long life in New York City. Antonio Alcalá served as art director and designer for this pane of 20 stamps.

Additional information will appear below the line, with the latest at the top. The full-pane design is at the bottom of this page.


Updated July 5th:
Here are the Scott catalogue numbers for this issue:
5594 Los Toldos
a. Imperforate
5595 Ty’s Place
a. Imperforate
5596 En el Souk
a. Imperforate
5597 Untitled (Ventanita Entreabierta)
a. Imperforate
b. Horiz. or vert. strip of 4, #5594-5597
c. Imperforate horiz. or vert. strip of 4, #5594a-5597a

Updated May 20th from the Postal Bulletin:
On June 10, 2021, in Miami, FL, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Emilio Sanchez stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 480600). The stamps will go on sale nationwide June 10, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Emilio Sanchez commemorative pane of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.The Postal Service™ celebrates artist Emilio Sanchez (1921–1999) with four new stamps featuring four of his colorful architectural lithographs and paintings:

  • Los Toldos (1973),
  • Ty‘s Place (1976),
  • En el Souk (1972), and
  • Untitled (Ventanita entreabierta) (1981).

The selvage features a photograph of Sanchez taken by Alexis Rodriguez-Duarte in June 1993. In the photograph, Sanchez sketches at the drawing table in his New York City loft studio. Sanchez explored the effects of light and shadow to emphasize the abstract geometry of his subjects. His artwork encompasses his Cuban heritage as well as his long life in New York City. Antonio Alcalá served as art director and designer for this pane of 20 stamps.

No automatic distribution.

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 – Emilio Sanchez 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 postmarked by October 10, 2021.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Emilio Sanchez Stamps
Item Number: 480600
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 10, 2021, Miami, FL 33152
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria VA
Artist: Emilio Sanchez
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 18,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS Cool Grey 6C
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 1.085 in. / 36.068 x 27.559 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 1.225 in. / 39.624 x 31.115 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 8.625 x 7.12 in. / 219.075 x 180.848 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 26.125 x 21.610 in. / 663.575 x 548.894 mm
Plate Size: 180 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by five (5) single digits in two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: EMILIO SANCHEZ 1921-1999 • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2021 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (480600) • Plate position diagram (9) • Promotional text

Also updated May 20th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.81″ x 1.42″

There is no pictorial postmark for this issue. The 4-bar FIRST DAY OF ISSUE postmark will be available.

Updated May 18th:
[press release]
Legacy of Acclaimed International Artist Emilio Sanchez Celebrated on U.S. Postal Service Commemorative Forever Stamp

What: The U.S. Postal Service will honor Emilio Sanchez on the anniversary of his 100th birthday with four commemorative Forever stamps featuring his colorful architectural lithographs and paintings.

News of the Emilio Sanchez Forever stamps is being shared with the hashtag #ArtistEmilioSanchezStamps.

Who: The Honorable Roman Martinez IV, vice chairman, U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors

Erik Stapper, trustee, Emilio Sanchez Foundation

Elizabeth Goizueta, author and lecturer, Romance languages and literature, adjunct curator, McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College

Victor Deupi, senior lecturer, University of Miami, School of Architecture

Jeffrey Duerk, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, University of Miami

Richard Blanco, 2013 presidential inaugural poet for President Barack Obama, memoirist and associate professor, Florida International University

When: Thursday, June 10, 2021, at 11 a.m. EDT

Where: LnS Gallery
2610 SW 28th Lane
Miami, FL 33133

Background: With these stamps, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the art of Emilio Sanchez (1921-1999). Best known for his architectural paintings and lithographs, Sanchez explored the effects of light and shadow to emphasize the abstract geometry of his subjects. His artwork encompasses his Cuban heritage as well as his long life in New York City.

Combining naturalism and abstraction, Sanchez’s architectural paintings and lithographs are not precise renderings but rather subjective interpretations of reality. Each work often depicts a single building. All extraneous details have been stripped away, although sometimes he highlights a specific feature, such as a balustrade, arched doorway or balcony. Strong light and deep shadows play across each building’s facade, delineating and emphasizing its abstract geometry without ever obscuring its true character.

Today, Sanchez’s work can be found in permanent collections around the world, where it inspires new generations of artists to look anew at the endless variation of shapes and shadows created by architectural forms.

Antonio Alcalá served as art director and designer for the Emilio Sanchez Forever stamps, which are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Postal Products: Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling (844) 737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide.

Updated March 17th:
These stamps will be issued June 10th with a first-day city of Miami.

Ursula K. Le Guin (U.S. 2021)

Announced on January 15th:

The 33rd stamp in the Literary Arts series honors Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018), who expanded the scope of literature through novels and short stories that increased critical and popular appreciation of science fiction and fantasy. The stamp features a portrait of Le Guin based on a 2006 photograph. The background shows a scene from her landmark 1969 novel “The Left Hand of Darkness,” in which an envoy from Earth named Genly Ai escapes from a prison camp across the wintry planet of Gethen with Estraven, a disgraced Gethenian politician. The artist for this stamp was Donato Giancola. The art director was Antonio Alcalá. The words “three ounce” on this stamp indicate its usage value. Like a Forever stamp, this stamp will always be valid for the value printed on it.

This stamp will be issued July 27th with a ceremony in Portland, Oregon. The Scott catalogue number is 5619.

Additional information will appear below the line, with the latest at the top


Updated June 28th: Ceremony Details
[press release]
New Stamp Highlights Acclaimed Author Ursula K. Le Guin
U.S. Postal Service’s Literary Arts Series Celebrates Author for Writings ‘Ahead of Their Time’

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service honors the cross-genre writings of Ursula K. Le Guin, the acclaimed science fiction and fantasy author, with the 33rd stamp in its literary series.

News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #UrsulaKLeGuinstamp.

WHO: Joseph Corbett, chief financial officer and executive vice president, U.S. Postal Service

India Downes-Le Guin, granddaughter of Ursula K. Le Guin

WHEN: Tuesday, July 27, 2021, at 11 a.m. PT

WHERE:
Evan H. Roberts Sculpture Mall
Portland Art Museum
1119 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR 97205

[Interestingly, no mention of the first day ceremony is on the Museum’s website yet. —VSC]

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at usps.com/ursulakleguinstamp

BACKGROUND: Born on Oct. 21, 1929, in Berkeley, CA, Ursula Kroeber Le Guin began exploring the potential of science fiction and fantasy through writing in the early 1960s. In 1966, she published her first novel, “Rocannon’s World,” which intertwined elements of fantasy and science fiction. It inspired two sequels that established a setting for many later novels and stories.

Educated at Radcliffe College, and after receiving a master’s degree from Columbia University, Le Guin also explored gender identity through “The Left Hand of Darkness.” This ground-breaking novel follows a human ambassador to an icebound planet — where the inhabitants had no fixed gender. The book, which won the Hugo and Nebula awards in science fiction and fantasy, is often praised as the novel that permanently raised the literary expectations for science fiction.

Updated June 17th from the Postal Bulletin:
Here are the postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.54″ x 1.45″The “special” postmark for other post offices to use after the first-day measures 2.74″ x 1.15″

Updated June 17th from the Postal Bulletin:
On July 27, 2021, in Portland, OR, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Ursula K. Le Guin stamp (Non-denominated priced at the 3-ounce rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 121400). This stamp will go on sale nationwide July 27, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The 33rd stamp in the Literary Arts series honors Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018), who expanded the scope of literature through novels and short stories that increased critical and popular appreciation of science fiction and fantasy. The stamp features a portrait of Le Guin based on a 2006 photograph. The background shows a scene from her landmark 1969 novel The Left Hand of Darkness, in which an envoy from Earth named Genly Ai escapes from a prison camp across the wintry planet of Gethen with Estraven, a disgraced Gethenian politician. The artist for this stamp was Donato Giancola. The art director was Antonio Alcalá. The words “THREE OUNCE” on this stamp indicate its usage value. Like a Forever® stamp, this stamp will always be valid for the rate printed on it.

No automatic distribution.

Special postmark

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 – Ursula K. Le Guin 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 November 27, 2021.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Ursula K. Le Guin Stamp
Item Number: 121400
Denomination & Type of Issue: 3-ounce rate, Non-denominated, Mail use
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Literary Arts (33rd in a series)
Issue Date & City: July 27, 2021, Portland, OR 97208
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Donato Giancola, Brooklyn, NY
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint “USPS”
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 10,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 0.84 in. / 36.068 x 21.336 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 0.98 in. / 39.624 x 24.892 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.24 x 5.92 in. / 183.896 x 150.368 mm
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits in two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Literary Arts – 33rd in a series • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2021 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (121400) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text

Updated January 17th:
The official Ursula K. Le Guin Twitter account announced the stamp, garnering much reaction from her fans. You can follow the discussion here. The message was retweeted by DisCon III, the 79th World Science Fiction convention, which will be held in Washington, DC, August 25-29.

Yogi Berra (U.S. 2021)

Announced on January 15th:

Honoring Yogi Berra (1925-2015), this stamp salutes one of the best and most celebrated baseball players of his era, winning a record 10 World Series with the New York Yankees. The stamp art is an original digital portrait of Berra dressed in his Yankees cap, pinstripes and catcher’s chest protector. Considered the best catcher in the American League in the 1950s, he was also a feared hitter, and in 1972 was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Antonio Alcalá was the art director and stamp designer. Charles Chaisson was the artist. The “Yogi Berra” lettering was created by Michael Doret.

Additional information will appear below the line, with the latest at the top


Updated August 2nd:
Here are the Scott catalogue numbers for this issue:
5608 for the regular stamp and 5608a for the imperforate variety.

Updated June 17th:
Here are the postmarks for this issue:

The Digital Color Postmark for this issue measures 2.99″ x 1.32″ The pictorial postmark for this issue measures 2.73″ x 1.26″ The “special” postmark, which other cities may use, but not on the first day, measures 2.84″ x 1.17″

Updated June 17th from the Postal Bulletin:
On June 24, 2021, in Little Falls, NJ, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Yogi Berra stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 480300). This stamp will go on sale nationwide June 24, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.
This stamp honors Yogi Berra (1925-2015), one of the best and most celebrated Major League Baseball™ players of his era, winning a record 10 World Series™ with the New York Yankees™. The stamp art is an original digital portrait of Berra dressed in his Yankees cap, pinstripes, and catcher’s chest protector.
Considered the best catcher in the American League™ in the 1950s, he was also a feared hitter, and in 1972 was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Antonio Alcalá was the project art director and stamp designer. Charles Chaisson was the artist. The lettering for “Yogi Berra” was designed and created by Michael Doret.

No automatic distribution.

Special Dedication Postmarks

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 – Yogi Berra 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 October 24, 2021.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Yogi Berra Stamp
Item Number: 480300
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 24, 2021, Little Falls, NJ 07424
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Charles Chaisson, New York, NY
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Flexographic, Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 25,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Blue PMS 2135, Blue PMS 2767, Blue PMS 7681
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in. / 21.336 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in. / 24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.92 x 7.75 in. / 150.368 x 196.85 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 23.25 x 11.84 in. / 590.55 X 300.736 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by seven (7) single digits in bottom two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Major League Baseball™ All-Star • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2021 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (480300) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text • MLB info

Updated May 12th:
[ceremony details]
All-Star Baseball Player Yogi Berra Celebrated on Forever Stamp

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service will honor Hall of Famer Yogi Berra with a commemorative Forever stamp.

News of the stamp is being shared with hashtags #YogiBerraStamp and #BaseballStamps.

WHO: The Honorable Ron A. Bloom, Chairman, U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors

Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General and CEO, U.S. Postal Service

Bob Costas, Emmy Award-winning sportscaster

WHEN: Thursday, June 24, 2021, at 9:30 a.m. EDT

WHERE: The First Day of Issue stamp event will be held at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, 8 Yogi Berra Drive, Little Falls, NJ 07424.

For more information, visit usps.com/yogiberra. [This page includes registration for the first-day ceremony.]

A pictorial postmark of the First Day of Issue location in Little Falls, NJ, is available at usps.com/stamps.

BACKGROUND: Beloved by fans across the country, Yogi Berra (1925-2015) was one of the best Major League Baseball players of his era. Berra won a record 10 World Series with the New York Yankees and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

During his career, Berra won three AL MVP awards and was an 18-time MLB All- Star. Considered the best catcher in the American League in the 1950s, he was also a feared hitter, averaging better than .300 four times — finishing with a .285 lifetime average — knocking in 100 runs five times and hitting 358 home runs.

Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with original art by Charles Chaisson. The artist first sketched the image with graphite and pastel oil pencils. He then scanned the image and finished the portrait digitally by applying layers of color to add highlights and detail. Michael Doret designed and created the lettering for “Yogi Berra” in blue script under the image of the player.

The Yogi Berra stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp in panes of 20. These Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1 ounce price.

Updated March 17th:
This stamp will be issued June 24th, with a first-day city of Little Falls, NJ, where the Yogi Berra Museum is located. Berra was a longtime resident of neighboring Montclair.

Typical Dutch: Farmhouse (Netherlands 2021)

[press release, translated using Google]
Stamps with ideal image of a farmhouse
Issue date: January 4th   Larger image of full pane below

The Hague, 6 January 2021. PostNL will issue the first stamps of this year for the Typically Dutch series. In 2021, the series will focus on housing types and facades that are characteristic of our country. The first sheet of stamps is a tribute to the farmhouse.

After this Stolpboerderij sheet
More stamps in the Typically Dutch series will appear in the coming months about wooden houses (22 February), canal houses (22 March), houseboats (6 April) and terraced houses (14 June).

All under one roof
The square bell-jar farmhouse with pyramid-shaped roof was created in the mid-16th century in North Holland. A characteristic of this Dutch farm type is that the entire farm – people, animals and harvest – came together under one roof. There are 2 variants: with the North Holland bell jar the stable doors are at the back, with the West Frisian bell jar at the front.

Dutch skies
The design of the Typisch Nederlands stamp series was again made this year by graphic designer Edwin van Praet of Total Design from Amsterdam. Initially, Van Praet wanted to depict the farmhouse against a neutral background. While illustrating, he thought how beautiful it would be if you also saw the famous Dutch skies. “Every stamp in the series shows a different time of the day,” says Van Praet. “At the farmhouse it is dawn, the break of day when the farmer goes to work and the dew is still on the land.”

Broedersbouw
The 1742 farmhouse depicted on the stamp is called Broedersbouw and can be found in the North Holland village of Zuidoostbeemster. In the illustration on the stamps, the farm is flanked on the side by a tree, the front shows the green grassland. There is a black line at the bottom of the stamp that refers to the street level. To the left of the farm, the rising sun can be seen against a sky with blown strips of sky.

Romantic ideal
According to Van Praet, the farmhouse has an “incredibly beautiful shape”, as if it was made to be depicted on a stamp. He made a painting based on that form. “A romantic illustration as an ideal image of the bell jar. But it is not a nostalgic picture, it has really become an illustration of today.”

Availability
The Typisch Nederlands – Stolpboerderij stamp sheetlet has 6 identical stamps with the denomination Nederland 1, intended for mail up to 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands. The stamps will be available from January 4, 2021 at the post office in the Bruna stores and via the website. The stamps can also be ordered by telephone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number 088 – 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite.

Experience Nature – Dwingelderveld (Netherlands 2021)

[press release, translated using Google]
Stamps about the quietest area in the Netherlands
Issue date: January 4, 2021  Larger picture at bottom of page

PostNL is publishing the first stamps in this year’s Experience Nature series. The stamp sheet Experience Nature – Dwingelderveld pays attention to the unique flora and fauna of this heather landscape in the middle of Drenthe.

In the Experience Nature series, PostNL will be issuing 4 stamp sheets with a total of 40 stamps this year. The stamps contain images of plants and animals in special Dutch nature reserves. Later this year, stamp sheets will be published about the swamp landscape De Onlanden (22 February), the dune area Duin en Kruidberg (14 June) and the park near the Haarzuilens estate (16 August).

Wet slits, dry sand ridges
The Dwingelderveld National Park is the largest wet heathland area in Western Europe. This protected nature area was also voted the quietest area in the Netherlands at the end of 2020. Wet ditches and dry sand ridges alternate on the extensive moist heathland of the Dwingelderveld. As a result, there is a lot of variation in plant growth and animal life.

Natural environment
The stamps published today depict 10 striking residents of the Dwingelderveld in their natural environment. These are the Drenthe Heath sheep, the sand lizard, bee wolf, Scots pine, grass snake, yellowhammer, slow worm, crane, sphagnum moss and deer. A separate graphic layer on the stamp sheet contains transparent images of a kestrel with spread wings, the needles of a Scots pine, a creeping dung beetle, the profile of the head of a Drenthe heather sheep and a bare pedunculate oak.

Natural monuments
The Experience nature for 2021 series is, just like the previous issues, designed by graphic designer Frank Janse from Gouda. Janse collaborated with nature conservation organization Natuurmonumenten in the selection of the nature areas. “During that intensive search,” says Janse, “it became clear to me again how incredibly beautiful nature in the Netherlands is. These stamps about Drenthe also show that. ”

Sheep and Yellowhammer
The stamp sheetlet opens with an intense winter image of the Drenthe heath sheep. According to Janse, this animal can still be considered as semi-wild because it can keep itself alive. “On the stamp next to it, there is the yellowhammer, a beautiful bird, on a twig. Typical for the east of our country, especially in Drenthe. And, very special, his vocals resemble the opening bars of Beethoven’s 5th symphony.”

Availability
The stamp sheet Experience nature – Dwingelderveld has 10 different stamps with the value indication Nederland 1, intended for mail up to 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands. The stamps will be available from 4 January 2021 at all PostNL points of sale, the post office in the Bruna stores and via the website. The stamps can also be ordered by telephone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number 088 – 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite.

National Parks (UK 2021)

[press release]
Royal Mail Reveals its First Stamp Issue of 2021, a Celebration of the Beauty of the UK’s National Parks

  • The stamps go on sale 14 January
  • The stamps mark 70 years since the first National Parks were founded in the UK
  • Today there are 15 National Parks covering 10% of the land area of England, Scotland and Wales
  • The stamp set features 10 of the 15 National Parks:
    • Peak District
    • Lake District
    • Snowdonia
    • Dartmoor
    • North York Moors
    • The Broads
    • New Forest
    • South Downs
    • Pembrokeshire Coast
    • Loch Lomond and The Trossachs
    • Our National Parks contain some of the UK’s most popular landscapes, thousands of ancient monuments and almost a third of our internationally important wildlife sites
    • Royal Mail worked with the National Parks on choosing a selection of images to celebrate the anniversary
    • The stamps will be available on general sale on 14 January 2021. They will be available at www.royalmail.com/nationalparks, by phone on 03457 641 641 and 7,000 Post Offices across the UK

Royal Mail has revealed images of the first Special Stamps issue of 2021, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of Britain’s first National Parks.

Featuring some of the most UK’s most popular and visited landscapes, the stamp set features 10 of the 15 National Parks:

  • Peak District (founded 1951)
  • Lake District (1951)
  • Snowdonia (1951)
  • Dartmoor (1951)
  • North York Moors (1952)
  • The Broads (1989)
  • New Forest (2005)
  • South Downs (2010)
  • Pembrokeshire Coast (1952)
  • Loch Lomond and The Trossachs (2002)

The UK’s National Parks cover a breathtaking range of natural environments: from cold tundra to temperate rainforest, from gigantic sea cliffs to rolling chalk hills, from razor-sharp mountains to marshy wetlands. They are also places where people have lived, worked, worshipped, farmed and traded for centuries, in ways that have shaped — and been shaped by — the surrounding environment. These landscapes are 15 unique combinations of human culture and natural history.

The National Parks were created as the outcome of decades of public effort to open up the countryside to ordinary people. 2021 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UK’s first four National Parks: the Peak District, the Lake District, Dartmoor and Snowdonia. The National Parks are the nation’s ‘breathing spaces’, free for everyone to enjoy regardless of age, background or income.

Today, most of us take for granted the ability to freely enjoy these landscapes, but it was not always so. In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution turned Britain into the world’s first predominantly urban nation, but people in towns and cities held on to visions of a ‘green and pleasant land’ and found ways of keeping links to the landscapes around them alive through hiking, cycling, rambling and climbing. In the 1870s, the limited access ordinary people had to the countryside gave rise to the ‘right to roam’ movement. The 1932 mass trespass on Kinder Scout in the Peak District proved to be instrumental, galvanising public opinion after five of the young leaders were given prison sentences. The UK’s National Parks, created in the same post-war rebuilding effort as the NHS, are one of the great legacies of this movement. Fittingly, the first to be founded, in 1951, was the Peak District National Park. For all their diversity, the National Parks have one thing in common: they belong to all of us.

Philip Parker, Royal Mail, said: “Ten spectacular National Parks have been captured in stunning photographs that reflect their diversity and splendour. We are proud to be able to share the beauty of these parks on stamps at a time when so many of us have had our travel restricted.”
The stamps will be on sale from 14 January and will be available at www.royalmail.com/nationalparks, by phone on 03457 641 641 and in 7,000 Post Offices across the UK.

Stamp-by-stamp:
Dartmoor National Park
Dartmoor is a world of high moorland, open space and huge skies. Here is a place to roam for miles across high and wild expanses punctuated with spectacular granite outcrops, called tors, which stand proud of the landscape like castles. But although the world of humans can feel far away indeed, this once-forested landscape is strewn with remains from 12,000 years of habitation, agriculture and industry. Visitors to the park are bound to encounter Neolithic stone circles, Bronze Age burial mounds and Iron Age hill forts. Dartmoor’s uplands are still farmed in the same ways they have been for centuries.

New Forest National Park
The New Forest is actually very old: it was created as a hunting forest almost a millennium ago by William the Conqueror, and centuries of use for grazing, timber and fuel have produced a landscape that is more of a mosaic of heathland, open pasture and ancient woodland dotted with mires and streams. Much of this area is not enclosed, meaning that ponies, donkeys and cattle owned by local people called Commoners roam freely. The National Park also has 42km of coastline, with spectacular views across to the Isle of Wight. The New Forest is a wonderful haven for wildlife and people alike.

Lake District National Park
William Wordsworth described the Lake District as “a sort of national property”. This could apply to all of the UK’s National Parks, but few can lay claim to as many hearts as this one. The ingredients of the landscape — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — include volcanic uproar 450 million years ago, the sculpting power of Ice Age glaciers and the much more recent handiwork of sheep farmers. For centuries now, the area has seduced visitors with the gentle pastoral ambience of its villages and valleys, the splendour of its lakes and the ruggedly sublime beauty of its fells. The obsession of the English Romantics with the Lake District helped crystallise the appeal of this iconic landscape.

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park
Bejewelled with emerald islands, fringed with beautiful wooded shores and surrounded by grand hills and mountains, Loch Lomond is where the Scottish Highlands ‘begin’. This National Park encloses 21 Munros (Scottish mountains above 3,000ft, or 914.4m) and includes some of the most popular mountains in Scotland, such as Ben Lomond — ‘Glasgow’s mountain’ — and the Cobbler, with a magnificent crown of rock on its summit. The Trossachs have been described as ‘the Highlands in miniature’, a compact and picturesque cluster of hills, lochs and pine forests. A network of water buses links points across Loch Lomond and Loch Katrine, providing a convenient way to explore the park by joining up foot and bike trails.

Snowdonia National Park
The mountain that gives the Snowdonia National Park its name is its star attraction. Wales’s highest mountain — Yr Wyddfa in Welsh — is a complex massif of bristling ridges and pyramid-shaped summits, inhabited by agile mountain goats and the elusive Snowdon beetle. With almost half a million visitors a year, Snowdon ranks as one of the busiest mountains in the world, but hikers also flock to the Glyderau, with its pulse-racing scrambles, and the awesome Cader Idris. Legend holds that if you sleep on the slopes of the latter, you will die, go insane or turn into a poet. Numerous attractions such as surf parks, zip wires and underground adventures pull in thrill-seekers from far and wide.

North York Moors National Park
Endless seas of bright-purple moorland, steam trains puffing through sinuous valleys, sun-dappled waterfalls in lush woodland, the smell of fish and chips wafting through fishing villages in coastal coves…the North York Moors National Park has a timeless and idyllic feel, particularly in summer, with its retro-seeming villages and heritage railways — famously used as filming locations for Heartbeat and Harry Potter — evoking the atmosphere of a bygone era. Walking, cycling and sightseeing are the order of the day here, either in the valleys and moorland of the National Park’s interior or on its spectacular coastline — a sweep of high cliffs, hidden coves and rocky beaches, some of which are studded with Jurassic fossils and dinosaur footprints.

South Downs National Park
The South Downs National Park is the UK’s youngest, created in 2010. As well as incorporating the rolling chalk hills and white coastal cliffs of the South Downs themselves, it includes the wooded patchwork of the western Weald. Lying between London and the south coast, this is no remote wilderness, but walking through the landscape of gentle hills, ancient woods, sunken lanes and vineyards (vine-growing in this part of England dates back to at least Norman times) is a much-needed antidote to city stresses. This is also the easiest National Park to explore by public transport; the whole South Downs Way can be split into sections and accessed by bus and train.

Peak District National Park
The Peak District is really two landscapes in one: the high moorland and Millstone Grit escarpments of the Dark Peak and the sleepy villages and lush limestone gorges of the White Peak. Its location at the heart of industrial England ensured that it was the crucible of the ‘right to roam’ movement. For workers from Manchester, the Potteries or the steel cities and wool towns of Yorkshire, the big boggy moors, peaceful valleys and climbing crags were the closest source of natural beauty and adventure. It is fitting that, in 1951, it became the first region in the UK to be granted National Park status. Today, around 20 million people live within an hour’s drive.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Pastel-coloured fishing villages hunkered in turquoise bays; long lines of surf rolling up to broad, white beaches; rugged cliffs, sea stacks, rock arches, bird colonies… This is the only UK National Park created primarily for the beauty of its coast — a spectacular Atlantic-battered shoreline. It is an exhilarating place to hike, surf, climb, go coasteering or ride out on a boat trip to the offshore islands and spot puffins, dolphins and seals. The hills and headlands are also dotted with stunning Neolithic burial chambers such as Pentre Ifan, Carreg Samson and Carreg Coetan Arthur, with huge slabs of rock balanced on top of each other at extraordinary angles.

Broads National Park
All of the UK’s National Parks are shaped by the hand of humanity in some way, but few as fundamentally as this one: the collection of lakes known as the Broads was formed by medieval peat diggings, later flooded as sea levels rose. Today, it is a labyrinth of over 200km of navigable waterways, criss-crossing a sleepy landscape dotted with picturesque pubs and villages — an idyllic water world to explore by boat. A vibrant wetland habitat, the park is home to a quarter of the UK’s rarest wildlife species. Otters dive around the riverbanks, the surreal boom of bitterns reverberates for miles and vast flocks of birds soar over the marshes.

Philatelic Products:
Product name / Code / PriceStamp set AS6700 £8.50
Presentation Pack AP484 £9.40
First Day Cover Stamps AF468 £10.85
Stamp Souvenir AW177 £10.85
First Day Envelope AE423 £0.30
Postcards AQ300 £4.50
Framed Stamps N3245 £29.99
Retail Stamp Book UB440 £5.10

Technical Specifications:
Feature: Type/Detail
Number of stamps: 10
Value of Stamps: 10 x 1st
(2 rows of Horizonal 5)
Design: Studio Mean
Acknowledgements: Dartmoor National Park © Andrew Ray/Getty Images; New Forest National Park © Photokes/Alamy Stock Photo; Lake District
National Park © Pablo Fernandez/Alamy Stock Photo; Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park © Richard Burdon/Alamy Stock Photo; Snowdonia National Park © Andrew Ray/500px/Getty
Images; North York Moors National Park © Stephen Street/Alamy Stock Photo; South Downs National Park © Peter Cripps/Alamy Stock Photo; Peak District National Park © RA Kearton/Getty
Images; Pembrokeshire Coast National Park © Gareth Spiller/EyeEm/Getty Images; Broads National Park © Chris Herring; a special thank-you to National Parks UK
Stamp Format: Over-square landscape
Stamp Size: 36.5mm (w) x 34.7mm (h)
Printer: International Security Printers
Print Process: Lithography
Perforations: 14.0 x 14.5
Phosphor: Bars as appropriate
Gum: PVA

Lunar New Year Wrap-Up (Canada 2021)

Rather than a single Year of the Ox stamp, Canada Post is producing a look back at its Lunar New Year series, from 2009 to 2020. These were issued January 15th.

However, as of January 25th, two of the Lunar New Year products are sold out: “We are sold out of the Lunar New Year Cycle pane of 12 stamps and the framed uncut press sheet that were offered through mail order and our online store,” Canada Post spokeswoman Valérie Chartrand told The Virtual Stamp Club. “Customers in Canada can find limited quantities in some post offices. Due to popularity and high demand, we expect other products available through mail order to be sold out soon.”

Following are the English and French versions of the day-of-issue press release (accompanied by a detail of just the Ox international-rate souvenir sheet from the uncut press sheet), and a video.

[press release]
Festive Lunar New Year series wraps up with a flourish
Special collectible issue features all 24 stamp designs from the last 12 years

OTTAWA – As spectacular as the celebration itself, a special set of Lunar New Year stamps was issued today, ushering in the Year of the Ox with a retrospective collection of all 24 colourful stamp designs from the past 12 years.

Orchestrated with this special finale in mind, the second Lunar New Year series, which ran from 2009 to 2020, followed on the heels of the popular first series, which appeared from 1997 to 2008. One of China’s liveliest and most anticipated festivals, Lunar New Year is celebrated in many countries around the world, including Canada, which is home to nearly two million people of Chinese descent.

About Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year celebrations mark the beginning of the new year in the Chinese lunar calendar. The calendar follows the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac in which each year is represented by an animal. According to one legend, the order of the animals was determined by how they placed in a race called by the Jade Emperor. The first to cross the finish line was Rat, followed by Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and, finally, Pig.

About the Stamps
Designed by Paprika, this collectible, wrap-up issue features all 24 of the original stamp designs – one Permanent™ domestic rate stamp and one international stamp rate from each year – from the 2009 to 2020 Lunar New Year series. Sharing standardized elements, such as size, palette, perforations and special effects, the stamps feature creative portrayals of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, as imagined by the many designers who contributed to the series.

Printed by Lowe-Martin and Gravure Choquet, the issue includes a booklet of 12 Permanent domestic rate stamps based on the designs previously denominated at the international rate, a pane based on the 12 original Permanent designs, and an uncut press sheet based on the 12 original international rate souvenir sheet designs, as well as framed products.

Given the high demand for this stamp issue and limited quantities available at post offices, we encourage our customers to order online at canadapost.ca/shop. [en Francais]
La série haute en couleur sur la Nouvelle Année lunaire s’offre une finale éclatante
Une émission spéciale à collectionner regroupe l’ensemble des 24 timbres des 12 dernières années

OTTAWA – Aussi spectaculaire que la célébration elle-même, un jeu de timbres spécial sur la Nouvelle Année lunaire a été émis aujourd’hui pour lancer l’année du Buffle avec une collection rétrospective regroupant l’ensemble des 24 timbres hauts en couleur des 12 dernières années.

Orchestrée avec cette grande finale en tête, la deuxième série de la Nouvelle Année lunaire, qui a eu lieu de 2009 à 2020, faisait suite à la première série parue de 1997 à 2008. La Nouvelle Année lunaire, un des festivals les plus animés et les plus attendus en Chine, est célébrée dans plusieurs pays du monde, y compris le Canada, où vivent près de deux millions de personnes d’origine chinoise.

À propos de la Nouvelle Année lunaire
Les célébrations de la Nouvelle Année lunaire marquent le début de la nouvelle année dans le calendrier lunaire chinois. Le calendrier suit le cycle de 12 ans du zodiaque chinois dans lequel chaque année est représentée par un animal. Selon la légende, l’ordre des animaux a été déterminé en fonction de leur ordre d’arrivée dans une course qu’avait organisée l’Empereur de Jade. Le premier à franchir la ligne d’arrivée a été le rat, suivi du buffle, du tigre, du lièvre, du dragon, du serpent, du cheval, du bélier, du singe, du coq, du chien et, finalement, du cochon.

À propos des timbres
Conçue par Paprika, cette dernière émission à collectionner contient l’ensemble de 24 timbres originaux, dont un timbre PermanentMC au tarif du régime intérieur et un timbre au tarif du régime international pour chaque année de la série sur la Nouvelle Année lunaire parue de 2009 à 2020. Les timbres, qui partagent certaines caractéristiques comme la taille, la palette de couleurs, les perforations et les effets spéciaux, illustrent avec originalité les 12 animaux du zodiaque chinois tels qu’imaginés par les nombreux designers qui ont contribué à la série.

Imprimée par Lowe-Martin et Gravure Choquet, l’émission comprend un carnet de 12 timbres PermanentsMC du régime intérieur tirés des motifs qui portaient à l’origine le tarif du régime international, un feuillet composé des 12 motifs des timbres Permanents originaux et une planche non coupée des 12 motifs tirés des blocs-feuillets au tarif du régime international originaux, ainsi que les produits encadrés.

Étant donné la popularité de cette émission et les quantités limitées offertes dans les bureaux de poste, nous recommandons aux clients de passer une commande en ligne à postescanada.ca/magasiner.

A video from Canada Post:

From earlier:

The 2 international-rate souvenir sheets will be offered in an uncut press sheet: Each of the souvenir sheets will represent the current international rate of $2.71.

A booklet of 12 domestic-rate stamps will feature the designs previously used for the international rates: And a pane of 12 domestic-rate stamps will use the domestic-rate designs from 2009-2020.These stamps will be water-activated (“lick ‘n stick”).

Canada Post will also offer several framed products.

 

August Wilson (U.S. 2021)

[press release]
Postal Service Announces 44th Black Heritage Stamp,
Honoring Legendary Playwright August Wilson

WASHINGTON, DC — Award-winning playwright August Wilson is receiving one of the nation’s highest honors when he takes center stage on a Forever stamp.

The stamp will be dedicated Jan. 28 on the Postal Service Facebook and Twitter pages. For more information, visit usps.com/blackheritage-augustwilson.

One of America’s greatest playwrights, Wilson is hailed as a trailblazer for helping to bring nonmusical African American drama to the forefront of American theater.

Wilson collected innumerable accolades for his work, including seven New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards; a Tony Award, for 1987’s “Fences”; and two Pulitzer Prizes, for “Fences” and 1990’s “The Piano Lesson.”

The Wikipedia entry on him is here. A Broadway theater in New York is also named after him. Only 41 theaters are designated as “Broadway theaters.”

Wilson was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., which will be the stamp’s first-day city.

[More information will be added to this page below the line, as we get it, with the most-recent first.]


Updated January 25th:
The USPS is selling two versions of the press sheet for this issue, with die cuts (480006) and without (480008). Both are $66.

Updated January 13th:
[press release]
Playwright August Wilson Takes Center Stage on U.S. Postal Service Commemorative Forever Stamp

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service will honor August Wilson with a commemorative Forever stamp in the Black Heritage series.

News of the stamp is being shared with hashtags #AugustWilsonForever and #BlackHeritageStamps.

WHO: Dr. Joshua D. Colin, vice president, Delivery Operations, U.S. Postal Service
Constanza Romero, trustee of the August Wilson Trust and widow of August Wilson
Sakina Ansari, daughter of August Wilson

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, at 11:30 a.m. EST

WHERE: The virtual stamp event will be hosted on the U.S. Postal Service Facebook and Twitter pages. For more information, visit usps.com/blackheritage-augustwilson.

BACKGROUND: The 44th stamp in the Black Heritage series honors playwright August Wilson (1945-2005), who brought fresh perspectives and previously unheard voices to the American stage.

Between 1982 and 2005, Wilson wrote his acclaimed American Century Cycle. This series of 10 plays includes nine set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, the neighborhood where Wilson grew up. With one play for each decade of the 20th century, including such well-known works as “Fences,” “The Piano Lesson” and “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” the American Century Cycle plays have been praised for being emotionally powerful but not sentimental, and for demonstrating Wilson’s ear for African American storytelling traditions.

The only play in the cycle not set in Pittsburgh, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” chronicles a tense 1927 recording session in Chicago that reveals truths about the exploitation of African American musicians and the tenuous nature of African American success. The film adaptation of the play was released on Netflix last month.

Wilson was one of only a handful of American playwrights to receive the Pulitzer Prize more than once. Today, he is hailed as a trailblazer for helping to bring nonmusical African American drama to the forefront of American theater.

The new Forever stamp features an oil painting of Wilson based on a 2005 photograph. Behind him, a picket fence alludes to the title “Fences.”

Art director Ethel Kessler designed this stamp with art by Tim O’Brien.

It is being issued as a Forever stamp, which will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Updated January 6th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.70″ x 1.19″The B&W pictorial postmark measures 2.62″ x .63″ The special postmark, for use by other post offices, measures 2.71″ x .94″

Updated December 31st from the Postal Bulletin:

On January 28, 2021, in Pittsburgh, PA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the August Wilson stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 480000). This stamp will go on sale nationwide January 28, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The 44th stamp in the Black Heritage® series honors playwright August Wilson (1945–2005), who brought fresh perspectives and previously unheard voices to the American stage. This stamp features an oil painting of Wilson based on a 2005 photograph. Behind Wilson, a picket fence alludes to the title of Fences, one of his best-known plays. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp with art by Tim O’Brien.

There will be an automatic distribution for Item 480000, August Wilson

A special dedication postmark is available for local post offices.

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 – August Wilson 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 May 28, 2021.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: August Wilson Stamp
Item Number: 480000
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Black Heritage
Issue Date & City: January 28, 2021, Pittsburgh, PA 15290
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Artist: Tim O’Brien, Brooklyn, NY
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 45,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS 4029 C Beige
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in./21.336 x 36.068 mm
Overall size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in./24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 6.00 x 8.50 in./152.40 x 215.90 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 12.00 x 25.75 in./ 304.80 x 654.05 mm
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by five (5) single digits in two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: BLACK HERITAGE, Celebrating August Wilson, 44TH IN A SERIES
Plate number in two (2) corners
Back: ©2020 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (480000) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text