Monthly Archives: December 2013

Star-Spangled Banner

Posted on by

Scott Numbers:

4868 (49¢) Fort McHenry Flag and Fireworks lithographed self-adhesive coil stamp, with microprinted “USPS” in fireworks above flagpole, serpentine die cut 11 vert. (Sennett printing)
4869 (49¢) Fort McHenry Flag and Fireworks photogravure self-adhesive booklet stamp, without microprinted “USPS,” serpentine die cut 11¼x11½ on 2 or 3 sides (CCL printing)
a. Convertible booklet pane of 20
4870 (49¢) Fort McHenry Flag and Fireworks lithographed self-adhesive booklet stamp, with microprinted “USPS” in fireworks above flagpole, serpentine die cut 11¼x11½ on 2 or 3 sides (Sennett printing)
a. Convertible booklet pane of 20
4871 (49¢) Fort McHenry Flag and Fireworks lithographed self-adhesive booklet stamp, thin paper, with microprinted “USPS” in fireworks above flagpole, serpentine die cut 11¼x11 on 2, 3 or 4 sides (Sennett printing)
a. Convertible booklet pane of 18

StarSpangledBannerThe January 23rd USPS Postal Bulletin indicates that this issue will be released January 28th in Independence, Missouri (not Baltimore???).

From my article from the October press preview:

“Star-Spangled Banner” will also be commemorated by a mail-use stamp early in the year when the Postal Service expects to have new rates. This definitive-size Forever design is based on a photograph by Gary Clark of a replica of the flag flying over Fort McHenry with fireworks bursts int he background. Clark says getting the photograph with the flag unfurled and the fireworks in the background was a challenge, because here was a stiff wind that night.

From the USPS on December 31st:

The Star-Spangled Banner has been a treasured American icon ever since Francis Scott Key celebrated the sight of an American flag still flying over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.

This stamp commemorates the 200th anniversary of the Star-Spangled Banner with a photograph of the flag that flies over Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore. This flag is a replica of the one that inspired Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” after Fort McHenry withstood the British attack of September 13-14, 1814.

Photographer Gary Clark took the picture of the flag against a backdrop of fireworks during an annual celebration of Defenders’ Day. Defenders’ Day, according to the National Park Service, is “Baltimore’s oldest holiday commemorating the bombardment of Fort McHenry and the writing of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’” Clark said it was a challenge to get the fireworks and the flag in the same shot and that “the wind picked up quite a bit that night.” Art director Phil Jordan designed the stamp.

The Star-Spangled Banner stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce rate.

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 www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

The Star-Spangled Banner Stamp
Postmaster
Independence Station
301 West Lexington Avenue
Independence, MO 64050-9998

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. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by April 2, 2014.

Technical Specifications:
StarSpangledBannerIssue: The Star-Spangled Banner Stamp
Item Number: 689000
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Booklet of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 28, 2014, Independence, MO 64050
Designer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Art Director: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Typographer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Existing Photo: Gary Clark
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset/Microprint “USPS”
Engraver: N/A
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Mueller Martini, A76
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 1 billion stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored, Type II
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.54 x 21.34 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.10 x 24.89 mm
Booklet Size (w x h): 5.52 x 1.96 in./140.21 x 49.78 mm
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Plate Size: 1,040 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings: Front: Header: “The Star-Spangled Banner” Twenty First-Class Forever® Stamps 
• © 2013 • USPS in peel strip area • Plate numbers in peel strip area • Barcode (015645689008)

StarSpangledBannerIssue: The Star Spangled Banner Stamp
Item Number: 789900
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Coil of 100 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 28, 2014, Independence, MO 65040
Director: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Designer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Typographer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Existing Photo: Gary Clark
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset/Microprint “USPS”
Engraver: N/A
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Mueller Martini, A76
Stamps per Coil: 100
Print Quantity: 1,500 million stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored, Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.54 x 21.34 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.87096 x 0.98 in./22.12 x 24.89 mm
Coil Size (w x h): 0.98 x 87.096 in./24.89 x 2212.24 mm
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Plate Size: 744 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Plate Number Frequency: Plate numbers every 31st stamp
Coil Back Number Frequency: N/A
Marginal Markings: N/A
Other: Coil Wrap Barcode (07899003)

StarSpangledBannerIssue: The Star-Spangled Banner Stamp
Item Number: 789900
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Coil of 100 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 28, 2014, Independence, MO 65040
Art Director: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Designer
Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Typographer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Existing Photo: Gary Clark
Engraver: WRE
Modeler: CCL Label, Inc.
Manufacturing Process: Gravure
Printer: CCL Label, Inc.
Printed at: Clinton, SC 29325
Press Type: Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)
Stamps per Coil: 100
Print Quantity: 1.5 billion stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged, Overall; Nonphosphored, Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: CCL Label, Inc., Clinton, SC
Colors: Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, Black, 665 (Purple)
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.54 x 21.34 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.10 x 24.89 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): N/A
Plate Size: 480 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “C” followed by five (5) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate numbers appear in center below every 21th Stamp • Barcode on coil banding

Verrazano Narrows Bridge Priority Mail

Posted on by

Verrazano-BridgeThe March 6th USPS Postal Bulletin indicates that this issue will be released March 4, with Brooklyn, NY as its first-day location.

From my article from the October press preview:

The Priority Mail design is a digital image of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York City. Artist Dan Cosgrove created the picture looking up at the bridge, at the time right before sunset, which he called the most interesting time: still fully lit but with the great colors of sunset. This will be issued in the spring.

From the USPS on December 13th:

Majestic, graceful, powerful — the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is a breathtaking sight visible from vantage points in all five of New York City’s boroughs. The bridge celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2014, which the U.S. Postal Service commemorates with this new Priority Mail stamp.

The digital illustration on the stamp captures the grandeur of the Verrazano, not only showing its sheer size and scale, but also giving a sense of the sweeping curve of the double-decker roadway. The artist chose to showcase the bridge at twilight, which offers an interesting play of light and shadow.

Named for explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, the first European to enter New York Bay, the bridge spans the Narrows, the strait dividing Upper and Lower New York Bay, and connects Brooklyn and Staten Island. The bridge’s two massive towers support four enormous cables that each weighs more than 9,000 tons. From each cable hang 262 suspender ropes that hold up the double-decker roadway. Each deck carries six lanes of traffic.

The bridge’s center span is 4,260 feet long—so long that its two monumental towers, soaring 690 feet into the sky, are spaced one-and-five-eighths inches farther apart at their tops than at their bases to compensate for the curvature of the earth.

At time of the opening of the upper deck on November 21, 1964, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. (The lower deck opened five years later.)

Designed by art director Phil Jordan, the stamp features a digital illustration created by Dan Cosgrove.

From the March 6th Postal Bulletin:

Stamp Announcement 14:17: $5.60 Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (116300)
©2014 USPS

On March 4, 2014, in Brooklyn, New York, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge $5.60 Priority Mail stamp, one design in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 10 stamps (Item 116300).

The stamp will go on sale nationwide March 4, 2014.

With this 2014 Priority Mail stamp, the U.S. Postal Service commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Spanning New York Bay at the Narrows, the bridge connects Brooklyn and Staten Island. It can be seen from vantage points in all five of New York City’s boroughs. The artwork features a colorful, digital illustration of the bridge at twilight. Designed by art director Phil Jordan, the stamp showcases the work of illustrator Dan Cosgrove.

Distribution: Item 116300, $5.60 Verrazano-Narrows Bridge Priority Mail Stamp PSA Pane of 10 Stamps

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 www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
Retail Manager
USPS -Triboro District
1050 Forbell Street
Brooklyn, NY 11256-2015

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. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by May 3, 2014.

Philatelic Products
There are three philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
• 116316*, First-Day Cover, $6.04.
• 116321*, Digital Color Postmark, $6.75.
• 116331*, Stamp Deck Card, $0.95.

Technical Specifications:
Issue: Verrazano-Narrows Bridge Stamp
Item Number: 116300
Denomination & Type of Issue: Priority Mail Rate
Format: Pane of 10 (1 design)
Series:
Issue Date & City: March 4, 2014, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Designer: Phil Jordan
Art Director: Phil Jordan
Typographer: Phil Jordan
Artist: Dan Cosgrove
Engraver:
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset Micoprint
Printer: Ashton Potter
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Vari-size security press
Stamps per Pane: 10
Print Quantity: 10 million stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Aston Potter, Williamsville, NY
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Back Black
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 1.09 in./36.07 x 27.56 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 1.22 in./39.62 x 31.12 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 4.12 x 7.12 in./104.65 x 180.85 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate numbers in two corners of pane
Back: © 2013 USPS • Three USPS logos • Plate position diagram • Barcode (116300 in upper right and lower left corners of pane • Promotional text • Proprietary Notice

Alfred “Chief” Anderson

Posted on by

chiefanderson1This stamp will be issued March 13th in Bryn Mawr, Pa., near Philadelphia.

From my article from the October press preview:

Another definitive — and also for the two-ounce rate — is for aviator C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson, who trained many black aviators in World War II, including the Tuskegee Airmen. It’s part of the Distinguished Americans series.

From the USPS on January 7th:

Date: Thursday, March 13, 2014
Time: 1PM
Location:
Bryn Mawr College
McPherson Hall
101 N Merion Ave,
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

The image was added January 17th.

From the USPS on February 6th:

chiefanderson1Pioneering African-American aviator C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson played a crucial role during World War II in training the nation’s first black military pilots, the Tuskegee Airmen.

The stamp, the 15th in the Distinguished Americans series, is based on a photograph of Anderson in the 1942 yearbook of the Tuskegee Institute’s flight training school in Tuskegee, Alabama. The artist added headgear used by pilots in World War II. The stamp art was created with a combination of acrylic paint, watercolor, and oil.

When Anderson secured his pilot’s license in 1932, he was the only African American in the country qualified to serve as a flight instructor or to fly commercially. He then began breaking flight records and inspiring other blacks to become pilots. During World War II, Anderson served as the chief flight instructor of a flying school at Tuskegee Institute. To the Tuskegee Airmen who learned their piloting skills from Anderson, he was affectionately known as “Chief.” During the war, the Tuskegee Airmen flew thousands of sorties in the European theater, destroyed more than a hundred German aircraft, and received scores of Distinguished Flying Crosses.

Illustrator Sterling Hundley created an original painting for the stamp, which was designed by art director Phil Jordan.

The 70-cent C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson stamp was designed for First-Class Mail® two-ounce rate and is being issued in self-adhesive sheets of 20.

Here’s the First Day Cover servicing address:

C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson Stamp
Retail Manager
Philadelphia Metropolitan District
3190 South 70th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19153

Ralph Ellison (Literary Arts)

Posted on by

RalphEllison91-single-BGv1_0Just added February 1: This stamp will be issued February 18th with Kansas City as the first-day city. More February 1 details below.

The December 12th USPS Postal Bulletin indicates that this denominated issue covering the three-ounce rate will be released sometime in February at a location still to be determined. (New York would make sense, since he lived there and his Invisible Man was set there. He was born in Oklahoma City, probably on March 1, 1914.

From my article from the October press preview:

The photograph n which the design is based was taken by famed African-American photograph Gordon Parks, and used on the dust jacket for the first edition of the book.

 From the USPS on January 16th:

The 29th stamp in the Literary Arts series honors author Ralph Ellison (1913–1994). With his 1952 novel Invisible Man, a masterpiece of 20th-century fiction, Ellison drew on a wide range of narrative and cultural traditions, shedding vivid light on the African-American experience while setting a new benchmark for all American novelists.

The stamp art is an oil-on-panel painting featuring a portrait of Ellison based on a black-and-white photograph by Ellison’s friend Gordon Parks, a renowned staff photographer for Life magazine. The photo appeared on the back of the dust jacket of the first edition of Invisible Man in 1952. The background of the stamp art shows a Harlem street at twilight.

Drawing deeply on European and American literature as well as jazz, the blues, African-American folklore, and popular culture, Invisible Man won the National Book Award in 1953. Ellison’s nonfiction writing, especially the 1964 collection Shadow and Act, has also been praised for providing touchstones for black artists who loved American culture but often felt excluded by it.

The artwork for this stamp was created by Kadir Nelson. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

Sold in sheets of 20, the 91-cent Ralph Ellison stamp is designed for the First-Class Mail® three-ounce rate.

Here’s the first-day Digital Color Postmark for this issue:

ellison_dcp_vsc

From the USPS on February 1st:

On February 18, 2014, in Kansas City, Missouri, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Ralph Ellison 91-cent definitive stamp, in one design in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 116500).The 91-cent value meets the new rate for First-Class Mail® weighing up to three ounces.

The stamp will go on sale nationwide February 18, 2014.

The 29th stamp in the Literary Arts series honors author Ralph Ellison (1913-1994). With his 1952 novel, Invisible Man, a masterpiece of 20th-century fiction, Ellison drew on a wide range of narrative and cultural traditions, shedding vivid light on the African-American experience. The stamp art, an oil-on-wood painting by Kadir Nelson, shows Ellison circa 1950; the background shows Harlem at twilight. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

Item 116500, 91-cent Ralph Ellison Definitive PSA Pane of 20 Stamps

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 www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Ralph Ellison Stamp
Cancellation Services
8300 Underground Drive, Pillar 210
Kansas City, MO 64144-0001

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. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by April 19, 2014.

There are seven philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

  • 116506, Press Sheet w/Die Cuts, $182.00 (Print Quantity of 2,500).
  • 116508, Press Sheet w/o Die Cuts, $182.00 (Print Quantity of 2,500).
  • 116510*, Keepsake (Pane & DCP Set), $20.95.
  • 116516*, First-Day Cover, $1.35.
  • 116521*, Digital Color Postmark, $2.06.
  • 116531*, Stamp Deck Card, $0.95.
  • 116532*, Stamp Deck Card w/DCP, $2.41.

Technical Specifications:
RalphEllison91-single-BGv1_0Issue: Ralph Ellison
Item Number: 116500
Denomination & Type of Issue: 91-cent Definitive
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Literary Arts
Issue Date & City: February 18, 2014, Kansas City, MO 64108 (No Event)
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Artist: Kadir Nelson, Los Angeles, CA
Engraver: WRE
Modeler: CCL Label, Inc.
Manufacturing Process: Gravure
Printer: CCL Label, Inc.
Printed at: Clinton, SC 29325
Press Type: Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 30 million stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged, Block; Nonphosphored, Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: CCL Label, Inc., Clinton, SC
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, 121 (Yellow)
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 0.84 in./36.07 x 21.34 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 0.99 in./39.62 x 25.15 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.25 x 5.85 in./184.15 x 148.59 mm
Plate Size: 200 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “C” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: “LITERARY ARTS” • “29TH IN A SERIES • Plate numbers in four corners of pane
Back: Quote: “I am an invisible man.” • Verso text (Ellison’s biography) • ©2014 USPS • USPS logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (116500) in upper right and lower left corners of pane • Promotional text

Winter Flowers

Posted on by

WinterFlowers_0The December 12th USPS Postal Bulletin indicates that this issue will be released at AmeriStamp Expo 2014 in Little Rock, Arkansas, on February 14.

From my article from the October press preview:

Flowers figure big in the first half of the 2014 stamp program: A block of four Winter Flowers booklet stamps is due early in the year. …

Winter Flowers will be a block of four with dark blue backgrounds in booklet format. Says the USPS, “Each of four stamps depicts a close-up view of one plant — Christmas cactus, amaryllis, cyclamen, or paperwhite — with detailed and colorful renderings of its blossom and foliage.

“The stamps feature digital paintings in PhotoShop. Using a cordless pen or stylus, [artist William Low] ‘painted’ his brushstrokes on a pressure sensitive screen, adding dabs of color and weaving layers of texture into the paintings.” He used actual potted plants as his models. He also designed the 2013 Poinsettia stamp.

From the USPS on December 24th:

With Winter Flowers, the U.S. Postal Service continues its tradition of issuing stamps that present beautiful, floral-themed art.

Each of these four stamps depicts a close-up view of one plant — Christmas cactus, amaryllis, cyclamen, or paperwhite — with detailed and colorful renderings of its blossom and foliage.

These winter-blooming flowers are popular potted plants, especially during the holidays when people enjoy them as gifts or as festive decorations. Just as these flowers brighten our dark winter days, these stamps will add a decorative and cheerful note to all your correspondence.

Art director Ethel Kessler designed the Winter Flowers stamps, which feature art by William Low.

Here’s the Digital Color Postmark for this issue: wintflowr_dcp_vsc

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 www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Winter Flowers Stamp
Little Rock Main Post Office
ATTN: Station Manager
600 East Capital Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72202-9998

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. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by April 19, 2014.

Technical Specifications:
WinterFlowers_0Issue: Winter Flowers Stamp
Item Number: 689100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: February 14, 2014, Little Rock, AR 72202 (APS AmeriStamp Expo 2014) (Field Event)
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Artist: William Low, Huntington, NY
Modeler: Donald Woo
Manufacturing Process: Offset/Microprint “USPS”
Engraver: N/A
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Printed at: Browns Summit, NC
Press Type: Alprinta, 74
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 500 million stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged, Overall
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit, NC
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.77 x 1.05 in./19.55 x 26.67 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in./23.11 x 30.22 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 5.74 x 2.38 in./145.80 x 60.45 mm
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Blue
Plate Size: 480 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “S” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings: Front: Header: “WINTER FLOWERS” “Twenty First-Class Forever® Stamps” • Plate numbers in peel strip area • © 2013 • USPS in peel strip area • Barcode (015645689107)

Abraham Lincoln

Posted on by

AbrahamLincolnThe December 12th USPS Postal Bulletin indicates that this issue will be released on February 12th (Lincoln’s birthday, appropriately enough), probably in Springfield, Illinois.

It will cover the second-ounce rate, whatever that is next year. At present, that’s 20¢; the USPS has asked for 21¢. From my article from the October press preview:

A second-ounce denominated definitive in February will feature Abraham Lincoln, based on a black-and-white photo of the head of the Daniel Chester French statue in the Lincoln Memorial. The format is still not determined. McGowan thinks this stamp will be produced even if the second-ounce rate does not change (as has happened in the last two rate cases), because stocks of the 20-cent George Washington stamp are running low.

From the USPS on December 26th:

With this striking stamp, the U.S. Postal Service honors one of America’s greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln.

The stamp features a black-and-white photograph of a close-up view of the statue of Abraham Lincoln by sculptor Daniel Chester French housed inside the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The image shown in the stamp is slightly cropped to showcase the President’s rugged facial features cast in marble.

French’s iconic statue enshrines the sixteenth President as he looked during the Civil War. Composed of 28 blocks of white Georgia marble, the statue is an immense 19-foot tall figure. Two of Lincoln’s great speeches — the Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address — adorn the north and south interior walls of the memorial, reminding visitors of his powerful and universal ideals.

Carol Highsmith took the original photograph. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.

This stamp is being issued at the second-ounce rate for envelopes and mailings that require additional postage.

“Slightly cropped?” His entire body and the throne are missing, and “slightly cropped?”

This is still one of my favorite designs for 2014.

Here’s the Digital Color Postmark for this issue:

lincoln_dcp_vsc

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 www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Abraham Lincoln Stamp
Postmaster
FDOI Postmark
2105 East Cook Street
Springfield, IL 62703-9998

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. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by April 15, 2014.

Technical Specifications:
Issue: Abraham Lincoln Stamp
Item Number: 116800
Denomination & Type of Issue: 21-cent Definitive
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: February 12, 2014, Springfield,
IL 62701
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Existing Photo: Carol M. Highsmith
Engraver: WRE
Modeler: CCL Label, Inc.
Manufacturing Process: Gravure
Printer: CCL Label, Inc.
Printed at: Clinton, SC 29325
Press Type: Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 120 million stamps
Paper Type: Prephosphored, Type II
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: CCL Label, Inc., Clinton, SC
Colors: 8 (Cool Gray), 7 (Cool Gray), Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.54 x 21.34 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.10 x 24.89 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.25 x 4.825 in./133.35 x 122.56 mm
Plate Size: 60 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “C” followed by three (3) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate numbers in four corners of pane
Back: © 2013 USPS • USPS logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (116800) in upper right and lower left corners of pane • Promotional text

AbrahamLincolnTechnical Specifications:
Issue: Abraham Lincoln Stamp
Item Number: 774400
Denomination & Type of Issue: 21-cent Definitive
Format: Coil of 100 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: February 12, 2014, Springfield, IL 62701
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Existing Photo: Carol M. Highsmith
Engraver: WRE
Modeler: CCL Label, Inc.
Manufacturing Process: Gravure
Printer: CCL Label, Inc.
Printed at: Clinton, SC 29325
Press Type: Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)
Stamps per Coil: 100
Print Quantity: 200 million stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored, Type III; Phosphor Tagged
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: CCL Label, Inc., Clinton, SC
Colors: 8 (Cool Gray), 7 (Cool Gray), Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.54 x 21.34 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.10 x 24.89 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): N/A
Plate Size: 480 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “C” followed by three (3) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate numbers every 20th stamp

Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly

Posted on by

[scroll down for the design] The December 12th USPS Postal Bulletin indicates that this issue will be released February 10th with Kansas City as the first-day city.

There wasn’t much in my article from the October press preview:

The greetings cards butterfly stamp (“surcharged”) will show the Great Spangled Fritillary.

….and we don’t have the design yet, but here’s a picture of a Great Spangled Fritillary:

ayjackson_fritillaryAdded December 19th: The stamp design and Digital Color Postmark:

GSFritillary_dcpAnd from the Postal Service on December 27th, the design and more details:

GreatFrittaryThe great spangled fritillary butterfly graces the fourth butterfly stamp for use on large greeting card envelopes. The stamp art was created on a computer, using images of preserved butterflies as a starting point. The result is a highly stylized, simplified image of a great spangled fritillary rather than an exact replica.

The great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele) is named for the silvery spots found on the undersides of its wings. A large butterfly with a wingspan of 2.25 to 4 inches, it is found in all northern states and ranges as far south as northern Georgia in the east and central California in the west. Even though this striking butterfly is a common sight in much of the country, it can be puzzling to identify. Not only are females slightly darker than males, but individuals in eastern populations are more orange in color, while those in western populations are more brown.

All great spangled fritillaries have one thing in common: a very close relationship with violets. Females lay their eggs on or near clumps of violets in August or September. When the eggs hatch, the larvae crawl to nearby violet plants, but instead of having a snack, they hide among fallen leaves and begin to hibernate. When spring arrives, the caterpillars come out of hibernation and feed on fresh violet leaves before forming a chrysalis and transforming into adult butterflies.

Nationally known artist Tom Engeman worked with art director Derry Noyes on this design.

The square format of the stamp was developed in partnership with the greeting card industry to indicate that this stamp may be used for square envelopes weighing up to and including one ounce. Greeting card envelopes printed with a silhouette of a butterfly indicate the need for an additional 20 cents postage — or the use of this butterfly stamp. The butterfly stamp may also be used to mail envelopes with irregular sizes and shapes.

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 www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Great Spangled Fritillary (Butterfly) Stamp
Cancellation Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Pillar 210
Kansas City, MO 64144-0001

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. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by April 13, 2014.

GreatFrittaryTechnical Specifications:
Issue: Great Spangled Fritillary Stamp
Item Number: 116600
Denomination & Type of Issue: 70-cent Definitive
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: February 10, 2014, Kansas, MO 64108 (No Ceremony)
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Artist: Tom Engeman, Bethany Beach, DE
Engraver: Trident
Modeler: CCL Label, Inc.
Manufacturing Process: Gravure
Printer: CCL Label, Inc.
Printed at: Clinton, SC 29325
Press Type: Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 60 million stamps
Paper Type: Prephosphored, Type I
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: CCL Label, Inc, Clinton, SC
Colors: 476 (Brown); 160 (Lt. Brown); 145 (Dk. Yellow); 1595 (Dk. Orange); 021 (Orange); 8 (Cool Grey); Black
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.121 x 1.085 in./28.47 x 27.56 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.225 x 1.225 in./31.12 x 31.12 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.75 x 7.125 in./146.05 x 180.98 mm
Plate Size: 200 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “C” followed by seven (7) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: “GREAT SPANGLED FRITILLARY” • FIRST-CLASS SURCHARGE RATE • Plate numbers in all four corners
Back: © 2013 USPS • USPS logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (116600) at upper right and lower left corners of pane • Promotional text

Shirley Chisholm (Black Heritage)

Posted on by

chisholm_scratchThe December 12th USPS Postal Bulletin indicates that this issue will be released January 31st, probably in Brooklyn, NY. (The scratch image shown here was taken from the postmark sample files.)

From my article from the October press preview:

Also of note is next year’s Black Heritage subject: Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to Congress. What’s also notable is that the series will again be available for Black History Month (February). 2013’s Althea GIbson stamp was issued in August, 2011’s Barbara Jordan was in September. The Chisholm stamp is a portrait by artist Robert Shetterly.

Here are the Digital Color Postmark and black-and-white pictorial postmark for this issue:chisholm_dcp_vscchisholm_bw_vsc

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 www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Shirley Chisholm Stamp

Retail Manager
1050 Forbell Street
Brooklyn, NY 11256-9998

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. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by April 2, 2014.

There is a special postmark available for local post offices to use:chisholmcxlTechnical Specifications:
pb_chisholmIssue: Shirley Chisholm Stamp
Item Number: 471600
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever Commemorative
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Black Heritage
Issue Date & City: January 31, 2014, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Existing Art: Robert Shetterly
Engraver: WRE
Modeler: CCL Label, Inc.
Manufacturing Process: Gravure
Printer: CCL Label, Inc.
Printed at: Clinton, SC 29325
Press Type: Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 33.5 million stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged, Block; Nonphosphored, Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: CCL Label, Inc., Clinton, SC
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in./21.34 x 36.07 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in./24.89 x 39.62 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.85 x 7.25 in./148.59 x 184.15 mm
Plate Size: 200 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “C” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: “BLACK HERITAGE” • “37TH IN A SERIES • Plate numbers in four corners of pane
Back: ©2013 USPS • Verso text • USPS logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (471600) in upper right and lower left corners of pane • Promotional text

Ferns

Posted on by

This page also includes information now on the March 6th varieties.

The December 12th USPS Postal Bulletin indicates that this issue will be released January 27th, with a first-day city of Kansas City.

From my article from the October press preview:

There will be two different sets of coil stamps intended for volume mailers, issued in rolls of 3,000 and 10,000 stamps. One has four similar designs of stylized flags, the other features ferns.

There will be five designs for Ferns.

And, on December 20th, here they are: Ferns

From the USPS on the 20th:

Five new stamps from the U.S. Postal Service celebrate the beauty — and popularity — of ferns.

A favorite with gardeners and florists, ferns range from tiny moss-like plants to giants as tall as trees. The ferns featured on the stamps are five of the approximately 380 different species found in North America.

Each of the five stamps depicts a close-up photograph of a different species of fern. The shapes and textures of the fronds stand out against a stark white background, highlighting the placement of the leaflets along each fern’s stem. The name of each fern — autumn fern, Goldie’s wood fern, soft shield fern, Fortune’s holly fern, or painted fern — is placed vertically in capital letters along one edge of the stamp.

Art director Phil Jordan chose the five images from among dozens of existing pictures by photographer Cindy Dyer. After Dyer isolated the fronds in her photos, providing a white background, Jordan tightened the focus on each to fit within the stamp borders. He rotated some of the fronds to provide visual interest and oriented them in relation to one another to form a unified whole.

These stamps add elegance to envelopes and are an exquisite continuation of the U.S. Postal Service’s tradition of offering stamps that feature beautiful plants.

The Ferns stamps are being issued in self-adhesive large coils of 3,000 and 10,000, which are designed to be used by businesses. This year the U.S. Postal Service will make large coil stamps available as Forever® stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce rate.

Here’s the Digital Color Postmark for this issue: ferns_dcp_vscHow 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 www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

49-cent Ferns Stamp (3K & 10K)
Cancellation Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Pillar 210
Kansas City, MO 64144-0001.

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. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by April 1, 2014.

Technical Specifications:
FernsIssue: Ferns Stamp
Item Number: 790000 (3,000), 790800 (10,000)
Denomination & Type of Issue: 49-cent First-Class Mail
Format: Coil of 3,000 or 10,000 (5 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 27, 2014, Kansas City, MO (No Ceremony)
Art Director: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Designer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Typographer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Existing Photos: Cindy Dyer
Engraver: WRE
Modeler: CCL Label, Inc.
Manufacturing Process: Gravure
Printer: CCL Label, Inc.
Printed at: Clinton, SC
Press Type: Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)
Stamps per Coil: 3,000, 10,000
Print Quantity: 45 million stamps (3,000), 50 million (10,000)
Paper Type: Nonphosphored, Type III; Phosphor Tagged Overall
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: AVR, Clinton, SC
Colors: Yellow, Magenta, Green (7482), Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 0.73 in./21.34 x 18.54 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.98 x 0.87 in./24.89 x 22.09 mm
Plate Size: 300 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “C” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate numbers every 30th stamp below stamp image

March 6th varieties:

FernsOn March 6, 2014, in Kansas City, Missouri, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the Ferns (Forever priced at 49 cents) definitive stamp in five designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) 10K coil of stamps (Item 777300). The stamp will go on sale nationwide March 6, 2014.

Issued earlier this year at the 49-cent First-Class Mail rate, these five stamps…

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 www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:
    Ferns Forever Stamp (10K)
    Cancellation Services
    8300 NE Underground Drive, Pillar 210
    Kansas City, MO 64144-0001
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. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by May 5, 2014.

There are two philatelic products for this stamp issue:
777316, First-Day Cover set of 5, $4.65.
777321, Digital Color Postmark set of 5, $8.20.

Technical Specifications:
Issue: Ferns Stamp
Item Number: 777300
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever Definitive
Format: Coil of 10,000 (5 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: March 6, 2014, Kansas City, MO 64108 (No Ceremony)
Art Director: Phil Jordan
Designer: Phil Jordan
Typographer: Phil Jordan
Existing Photos: Cindy Dyer
Engraver: WRE
Modeler: CCL Label, Inc.
Manufacturing Process: Gravure
Printer: CCL Label, Inc.
Printed at: Clinton, SC
Press Type: Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)
Stamps per Coil: 10,000
Print Quantity: 50 million stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: AVR, Clinton, SC
Colors: Yellow, Magenta, Green (7482), Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 0.73 in./21.34 x 18.54 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.98 x 0.87 in./24.89 x 22.09 mm
Plate Size: 300 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “C” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate numbers every 30th stamp below stamp image

4¢ Chippendale Chair

Posted on by

According to the December 12th issue of the Postal Bulletin, a version in a self-adhesive coil of 10,000 will be issued January 2nd with a first day city of Kansas City. I doubt there will be a ceremony.

[press release]
Chippendale Chair 4-Cent Definitive Stamp Now On Sale

USPS04STA036WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service is today reissuing the Chippendale Chair 4-cent definitive stamp in one design in a water-activated gum coil of 10,000 stamps.

Chippendale Chair, the fourth stamp in the American Design series, was first issued on March 5, 2004. This 4-cent definitive stamp features a stylized treatment of a Chippendale chair made in Philadelphia between 1760 and 1765. The artist, the late Lou Nolan, based his design on a Chippendale side chair, or chair without arms. The colors he used for the wood and seat cover give the stamp design a contemporary feel. Derry Noyes was the art director.

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 http://usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Chippendale Chair Stamp
Cancellation Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Pillar 210
Kansas City, MO 64144-0001

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. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by March 2, 2014.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Chippendale Chair Stamp
Item Number: 785600
Denomination & Type of Issue: 4-cent Definitive
Format: Coil of 10,000 (1 design)
Series: American Design
Issue Date & City: January 2, 2014, Kansas City, MO 64108 (No Ceremony)
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Artist: Lou Nolan
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Gravure
Engraver: N/A
Printer: Ashton Potter/Guilford Gravure
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Cerutti, 118
Stamps per Coil: 10,000
Print Quantity: 100 million stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored, Type III
Adhesive Type: Water-activated
Processed at: Ashton Potter/Guilford Gravure, Williamsville, NY
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.708 x 0.84 in./17.98 x 21.37 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.87x 0.98 in./22.10 x 24.89 mm
Colors: PMS 476 (Brown), PMS 477 (Brown), PMS 7407 (Yellow), PMS 172 (Orange)
Plate Size: 432 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Plate Number Frequency: Plate block number on 1st stamp of the form below stamp
Coil Back Number Frequency: N/A
Marginal Markings: N/A