Sine Waves: Inside Stamp Catalogs

Posted on February 27, 2015 by VSC

Sine Waves: The “Ugly” Side Of Stamp Catalogs
By Richard L. Sine

With the presumption that you have used a stamp catalog and are familiar with information presented in a stamp’s listing, abbreviations and acronyms, and the like, let’s look a bit at what goes into what you see.

Even through my time at Scott Publishing ended in 1992, I do not believe updating an annual publication has changed a lot.

When I first arrived at Scott, there was a catalog staff that knew what it was doing. At the time, the Scott catalog listings, other than new issues and values, were static. That is, to make a change in a description cost the firm $1.75 for each physical line. Consequently, only when egregious errors were discovered was something revised.

With the production change about 1988 where everything became digital, we then were able to “correct” anything and everything we found that was wrong. Toward then, during my remaining time at Scott, with each catalog year we corrected no fewer than 10,000 items. With the move to fully digital came the ability much more easily to add varieties, which would be inserted into existing listings, and handle new issues.

While catalog listings are considered the final word to nearly all the collecting public, remember that they are merely the most current information known about a given item. That information is subject to change at any time better information becomes available. That is just the way it is.

If you are a more general collector, such possibilities for change may not mean a lot to you. The more you specialize, the greater the possibility that adding or changing a listing easily may provide you with more items to procure. This certainly has happened to me.

Of course, if you are a specialist and something has been added or changed in your area of interest, you may well have been part of the effort leading to that change. Collectors are a major source of information leading to catalog adjustments.

Without even considering catalog value (which will be discussed separately), stamp catalogs – whether Scott or one of the specialty catalogs – are dynamic. The non-value information may well be as important to you as the current year’s values. I don’t get a catalog every year. The most recent edition I have caused me to review nearly all of the pre-1945 items in my collection because of what I found to be quite a bunch of new and changed listings.

The new varieties I was able to confirm added a lot to my total catalog value. More importantly, the number of “different varieties” in my collection increased. I should note that, over the years, I purchased a lot of bulk lots and only now (a few decades later) am going through the material stamp-by-stamp for what I expect to be the final time.

Look upon your catalog, then, not as (only) a way to calculate a value of your collection, but rather as your primary reference resource as to just what it is you have. Understand how your catalog is “built” and it will reward you with more information than you expected. Your catalog is your friend.

Bridges (UK 2015)

Posted on February 26, 2015 by VSC

[press release]

Bridges
5th March 2015

Reason and inspiration
The Bridges stamp issue celebrates the leaps in engineering that have seen the UK’s bridges evolve from humble stone crossings to dramatic symbolic landmarks conceived by progressive architects. The stamp images feature British bridges constructed from a wide range of different materials, including gritstone, limestone, cast iron, wrought iron and steel, while referencing diverse styles of bridge engineering, from clapper and stone arch to suspension and bowstring girder.

Stamp details
Designed by London agency GBH, the ten photographic stamps from locations spanning the whole UK, are arranged chronologically: pre-1600 –Tarr Steps, River Barle; 1700s – Row Bridge, Mosedale Beck; c.1774 – Pulteney Bridge, River Avon; 1814 – Craigellachie Bridge, River Spey; 1826 – Menai Suspension Bridge, Menai Strait; 1849 – High Level Bridge, River Tyne; 1850 – Royal Border Bridge, River Tweed; 1911 – Tees Transporter Bridge, River Tees; 1981 – Humber Bridge, River Humber; 2011 – Peace Bridge, River Foyle. Seven of the ten are original commissioned photographs by award-winning architectural photography agency Hufton + Crow.

Stamp Set Price: £6.20
Code: AS71A

Number of stamps: 10
Design: GBH
Acknowledgements: Row Bridge © Tony Mangan 2008; Craigellachie Bridge © David Gowans/Alamy; Humber Bridge © Al High 2009; all other photography by Hufton + Crow © Royal Mail Group Limited 2015
Stamp Format: Portrait
Stamp Size: 35mm x 37mm
Number per sheet: 25/50
Printer : International Security Printers
Print Process: Lithography
Perforations: 14.5 x 14
Phosphor: Bars as appropriate
Gum: PVA

Product Portfolio
First Day Cover
Designed by GBH, the envelope design replicates the titling device from the presentation pack, featuring letters in the style of some of the bridges on the stamps on a grey graph-paper background.
Price: £7.92 (Inland) £6.60 (Overseas)
Code: AF390

Filler Card
The filler card combines all 10 bridges into one technical drawing. Drawn to scale and arranged in chronological order, the illustration highlights the evolution of each new bridge. The editorial content features a brief introduction to the subject of bridges and includes sets of statistics and facts relating to each of the ten bridges.

First Day Envelope
Price: 30p
Code: AE348

Presentation Pack
Developed by London agency GBH, the presentation pack design is inspired by architectural blueprints, and charts the engineering evolution of bridges across the UK. The timeline from the stamps break out onto the pack, which forms a central spine to the narrative and includes biographies of engineers Thomas Telford and Robert Stephenson, whose bridges feature on the stamps. The pack combines photography with technical drawings, to provide additional historical or engineering points of detail. The titling device features lettering in the style of bridge designs.
Written by architectural historian and television presenter Dan Cruickshank, the editorial content provides a general overview of the importance of bridges in the civilised world, in terms of how they make vital connections and improve communications, and also in the way they have been created from pioneering methods of construction and new materials. The history and development of each of the ten bridges forms the main body of the editorial content.
Price: £6.70
Code: AP399

Stamp Cards
The ten special stamps are reproduced at postcard-size in this collectable set of stamp cards.
Price: £4.50
Code: AQ218

Postmarks
Tallents House Postmark
The Tallents House handstamp features a line drawing comprising two different bridge designs, similar to the arch styles of Row Bridge and Craigellachie Bridge.
Alternative Postmark

The alternative handstamp references Bridge, Canterbury, a generic location chosen for the general ‘Bridge’ reference, and the line drawing features two different bridge designs, similar to the styles of Menai Suspension Bridge and the Royal Border Bridge.
Non Pictorial Postmark

First Day Facilities
Unstamped Royal Mail First Day Cover envelopes (price 30p) are available from main Post Offices and philatelic outlets approximately one week before the stamps go on sale.
Serviced (i.e. stamped and postmarked) Royal Mail First Day Covers are available by Mail Order from Royal Mail, Tallents House priced £7.92 (overseas £6.60).
Orders for Serviced First Day Covers have to reach Royal Mail by 5th March 2015. Customers may also send stamped envelopes on the day of issue to Royal Mail, Tallents House for the Tallents House, Edinburgh postmark. The address for Royal Mail is as follows:

Royal Mail
Tallents House
21 South Gyle Crescent
EDINBURGH
EH12 9PB

Customers who hand in or post stamped Royal Mail First Day Cover envelopes at main Post Offices® on the day of issue will receive the pictorial BRIDGE, CANTERBURY first day postmark.

Alternatively, customers may send stamped envelopes to any of the Special Handstamp Centres for the pictorial or plain BRIDGE, CANTERBURY postmark quoting the reference number of the postmark required.

The Special Handstamp Centre
Royal Mail,
St Stephens Street,
BIRMINGHAM B6 4AA

The Special Handstamp Centre
Royal Mail
Tallents House
21 South Gyle Crescent
EDINBURGH
EH12 9PB

The Special Handstamp Centre
Royal Mail,
South Shields DO,
Keppell Street,
SOUTH SHIELDS
NE33 1AA

The Special Handstamp Centre
Royal Mail,
220 Penarth Road,
CARDIFF,
CF11 8TA

The Special Handstamp Centre
Royal Mail,
Mount Pleasant
Farringdon Road
LONDON
EC1A 1BB

British Postmark Bulletin
Details of all forthcoming first day of issues and all sponsored special handstamps are announced in the Postmark Bulletin. This is available on subscription from Royal Mail, Tallents House at £12.25 (UK & Europe) or £24.55 (rest of the world).

Special Handstamps
A number of different sponsored Special Handstamps are available for every new stamp issue. They are announced in the British Postmark Bulletin.

Bridges Presentation Pack copy
Throughout history, bridges have made connections and improved communications, while also offering visual delight and a sense of distinction. Bridges express ambition, achievement, pride and identity, almost always enriching rather than compromising the natural settings in which they are constructed.

While many bridges are an expression of functional beauty, some outstanding examples were born of a leap of faith and imagination, created from pioneering methods of construction and new materials. Some of the most innovative structures crossing rivers, roads and valleys have been built in the UK: for example, the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, which opened to the public in 2001, has a 105-metre central span secured by cables to a supporting arch that both tilt to allow large river craft to pass beneath.

TARR STEPS
The origins of Tarr Steps, which crosses the River Barle in Exmoor National Park, are not definitively known. It has long been suggested that the structure could be up to 3,000 years old, but recent research reveals it is most likely to date from the 15th or 16th century.
Tarr Steps is a most elemental bridge formed by large slabs of gritstone – weighing up to 2 tons each and varying in length from 2 to 2.9 metres – placed flat on broad, low piers made from blocks of stone. Comprising 17 spans, the 55-metre bridge is held together by weight with no system of fixings or mortar. Serious flood damage over the years has resulted in substantial rebuilding and repairing of the original stones, but Tarr Steps remains an outstanding example of clapper-bridge construction.

ROW BRIDGE
Believed to have been constructed in the mid 18th century, this packhorse bridge over Mosedale Beck at Wasdale Head in Cumbria is a fine example of a type of bridge common in Western Europe in the Middle Ages.
Goods were often carried in panniers slung from packhorses, so bridges on trade routes could be narrow, making them quick and cheap to build. The relative lightness of the loads carried by this type of bridge – simply single rows of packhorses – meant that their forms could be daring, with added strength given to the material used through bold and ingenious design. Typically, as with Row Bridge, they were conceived as high semi-circular or segmental stone-built arches (an inherently strong form), often crossing a river or chasm in one slender span.

PULTENEY BRIDGE
Designed by the esteemed Scottish architect Robert Adam, Pulteney Bridge in Bath is the UK’s finest example of an ‘inhabited’ bridge. Completed by 1774, it contains shops, originally with accommodation above, and was built to link the ancient centre of Bath with the proposed new Bathwick estate on the opposite bank of the River Avon.
Adam based his structure on an unbuilt design by the great 16th-century architect Andrea Palladio, which the Italian had entered into a competition to build a bridge at the Rialto in Venice. Though Palladio’s scheme was not selected, it was published and became an inspiration for 18th-century architects such as Adam, whose resulting creation, made from mellow Bath stone, with its three semi-circular arches and pedimented centre pavilion, is one of the most beautiful classical bridges in the world.

THOMAS TELFORD
Born in 1757 into an impoverished home in Eskdale, Scotland, Thomas Telford became one of the greatest structural engineers of the 19th century. After starting his career as a stonemason, he became a road and canal builder, and by the early 19th century he was exploring the structural potential offered by pioneering materials and methods of construction. This led Telford to design epoch-making bridges utilising cast and wrought iron – materials that achieved great strength and wide spans with more elegance, economy and speed than traditional masonry construction. Built in 1829, and spanning 46 metres with a single cast-iron arch, Telford’s Galton Bridge in Smethwick was once the highest in the world.

CRAIGELLACHIE BRIDGE
Designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1814, Craigellachie Bridge carries the roadway on a single 46-metre-long arched span over the River Spey in Moray, Scotland.

Telford had the arch made of cast iron, which was revolutionary at the time because, unlike masonry, only iron could achieve the single long, slender and shallow arch required. The components were cast at a Welsh foundry in controlled conditions to ensure high quality and delivered to the site for assembly. Cast iron is very strong in compression but has low tensile strength, making it ideal for columns but not for beams. Well aware of the metal’s structural limitations, Telford built the bridge ensuring that the maximum number of its components are in compression. The span of the arch is restrained by masonry towers, designed in picturesque manner to look like miniature castles.

PONT GROG Y BORTH
MENAI SUSPENSION BRIDGE
Completed in 1826 to Thomas Telford’s design, the Menai Suspension Bridge linking the island of Anglesey to the Welsh mainland remains one of the most breathtaking bridges ever built in Britain.

The central span of its roadway, 176.5 metres long and set 30 metres above water level to allow tall-masted ships to pass beneath, was carried by 16 wrought-iron chains (since replaced by steel chains).

The road on either side of the central span is supported by tall and elegant arched limestone viaducts. With a total length of 305 metres, this was the world’s first great suspension bridge and established the potential of suspension-bridge technology to achieve both high and lengthy spans.

ROBERT STEPHENSON
Born in 1803 near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the son of George Stephenson, the future locomotive pioneer, Robert Stephenson would become a giant of the 19th century in locomotive and railway design and bridge-building. His bridges – many of which utilised modern technology in a stunningly bold manner – include some of the most epic creations of the early railway age. The spectacular High Level two-tier rail and road bridge, spanning the Tyne, introduced an unprecedented scale and form in the design of city-centre railway bridges, while the Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait, completed in 1850, pioneered the concept of long spans of ‘tubular’ form made from wrought iron.

HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE
Linking Newcastle-upon-Tyne with Gateshead, the High Level Bridge is one of the most innovative and visually powerful bridges created during Britain’s Railway Age.

This two-tier 408-metre-long bridge, designed by Robert Stephenson to carry road and rail traffic at a high level across the Tyne and allow tall-masted shipping below, is a hymn to the strength, utility and robust beauty of cast iron, used in combination with stone and wrought iron. The tall piers, up to 40 metres high, are made of local sandstone, which possesses great compressive strength and is able to withstand damp, while the iron bow-string girders forming the spans of the bridge (the widest being 38.1 metres) use cast iron for components that are in compression and wrought iron for elements that require tensile strength.

ROYAL BORDER BRIDGE
Crossing the River Tweed between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Tweedmouth, the Royal Border Bridge was constructed between 1847 and 1850 to the design of Robert Stephenson and was a key component in Britain’s expanding railway system, linking London to Edinburgh.

Of traditional masonry construction, the bridge is essentially a railway viaduct formed of 28 semi-circular-headed arches, each with a span of 18 metres, with the total length of the bridge – including approach works – reaching 658 metres. This vast extent, combined with the majestic 38-metre height of the arches as they cross the river and the slender form of the vertical piers, from which the arches spring, gives the structure a striking elegance. A superb piece of functional engineering, it is also a work of great beauty that complements the rugged border landscape through which it passes.

TEES TRANSPORTER BRIDGE
Completed in 1911, the Tees Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough is a most novel and visually arresting piece of engineering.

Vast in scale and utilitarian in appearance, its stripped-back, lattice-steel structure incorporates a pair of cantilevered trusses that span 259 metres – with a clearance above water of almost 49 metres – that are used to carry a ‘gondola’ across the river. Powered by electric motors, the gondola – which can convey both people and vehicles – is suspended above the river and pulled from one side to the other by a hauling cable in approximately two minutes. This unique design – executed by Sir William Arrol & Co. of Glasgow – was economic to construct and ensured that the crossing would not interfere with river traffic.

HUMBER BRIDGE
More than a century after the notion of a bridge or tunnel crossing the Humber estuary had first been debated, the eventual completion of the Humber Bridge in 1981 redefined the boundaries for suspension-bridge technology.

Its complex construction, by consulting engineers Freeman Fox & Partners, took nine years. With a total length of 2,220 metres and a central span of 1,410 metres between two towers of reinforced concrete, for 16 years the Humber Bridge was the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world. Its mighty scale, elegant minimal form and the fact that it leaps across one of England’s great natural boundaries has captured the imagination. The poet Philip Larkin, who lived in Kingston-upon-Hull, wrote ‘Bridge for the Living’, a poem that was set to music to celebrate the opening of the Humber Bridge.

PEACE BRIDGE
Spanning the River Foyle in Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland, the Peace Bridge functions not only as an urban route, but also as a work of art. Its ingenuity is expressed through delicacy and elegance.

This unique bridge, constructed for pedestrians and cyclists, was conceived as two distinct structural systems that work in absolute harmony. Completed in 2011 to the designs of Wilkinson Eyre, the Peace Bridge features a pair of tall masts, whose system of cables overlap mid-river to form a symbolic structural ‘handshake’ across the Foyle. The 235-metre-long pathway of this self-anchored suspension bridge provides a promenade and makes connections, while evoking a sense of pride, place and unity.

U.S. Rate Hike Request Approved

Posted on February 25, 2015 by VSC

On Tuesday, February 24th, the Postal Regulatory Commission approved the U.S. Postal Service’s request to raise some postal rates, effective April 26, 2015. The PRC press release:

PRC Approves First-Class Mail Price Adjustments

Washington, DC – Today the Postal Regulatory Commission issued Order No. 2365 on Price Adjustments for First-Class Mail finding the Postal Service pricing proposals to be consistent with the Consumer Price Index based price cap under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, 39 U.S.C. 3622(d)(1)(A). The new prices will take effect April 26, 2015.

The Commission did not delay the review and approval of First-Class Mail despite incomplete information filed by the Postal Service for other classes of Market Dominant mail.

The Commission has approved the following actions that will affect domestic mail:

The Postal Service will maintain the price of the First-Class Mail stamp, which includes the Forever stamp, at 49 cents.
The single-piece additional ounce for letters will increase from 21 to 22 cents.
The price of Postcards will increase to 35 cents.

The following changes affect international mail:

Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail (first ounce) will increase by 5 cents to $1.20.
Non-machinable Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail will increase to $1.42.
Outbound Single-Piece Postcards will increase to $1.20.

All Commission documents pertaining to price changes for 2015 are located on the Commission’s website at www.prc.gov, under Docket No. R2015-4.

All of the prices above include the current exigent surcharge approved in Docket No. R2013-11.

Maya Angelou (U.S. 2015)

Posted on February 23, 2015 by VSC

Updated April 9th: Photos and information from the first-day ceremony can be found here.

Updated April 7th: Oops! The quote on the Maya Angelou stamp didn’t originate with Angelou, but with children’s book author Joan Walsh Anglund, reports The Washington Post. It’s in a book of poems published in 1967. The USPS isn’t the only one attributing the quote to Angelou: President Obama did, too. But the 89-year-old author wishes the stamp much success. Read more in the Post article.

Later in the day, Postal Service spokesman David Partenheimer said the quotation was included because it’s something Angelou often referenced.

“Maya Angelou cited this sentence frequently in media interviews and other forums and it provides a connection to her first memoir `I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,'” he said. “The sentence was chosen to accompany her image on the stamp to reflect her passion for the written and spoken word. The sentence held great meaning for her and she is publicly identified with its popularity.”

There were no references to the quote controversy during the first day ceremony.

Updated April 1st (2 items):
[USPS press release]
Maya Angelou Stamp Dedication to Feature Postmaster General, Oprah Winfrey, Ambassador Andrew Young and other Notables
RSVPs Now Accepted for April 7 Ceremony

WASHINGTON — The public has an opportunity to witness a historic event on Tuesday, April 7 when Postmaster General Megan Brennan will be joined by Oprah Winfrey, Ambassador Andrew Young and other notables in dedicating the Maya Angelou Forever stamp in Washington, DC.

The 11 a.m. first-day-of-issue stamp dedication ceremony will take place at the Warner Theatre, 513 13th St., NW. The event is free and open to the public. The public is asked to RSVP as soon as possible as seating is not guaranteed. Please RSVP at usps.com/mayaforever or by calling 866-268-3243 before 5 p.m. ET April 3. Each RSVP is limited to two (2) seats. Doors open at 9:30 a.m.

Angelou fans are encouraged to share the news on social media using #MayaForever. The Maya Angelou Forever stamps may be pre-ordered now at this link for delivery shortly after April 7.

Also attending the ceremony will be Angelou’s grandson Colin Johnson; Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL); poet Sonia Sanchez; author and journalist Sophia Nelson; Howard University English professor Eleanor Traylor; poet and civil rights activist Nikki Giovanni; civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton; and Atlanta-based artist Ross Rossin, whose portrait of Angelou was used for the stamp. The backstory on the portrait and the connection to Young and Winfrey can be found here. Melissa Harris-Perry will serve as master of ceremonies.

As an author, poet, actress, and champion of civil rights, Angelou (1928–2014) was one of the most dynamic voices in 20th-century American literature. The book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” an autobiographical account of her childhood, gained wide acclaim for its vivid depiction of African-American life in the South.

The stamp showcases Rossin’s 2013 4ft. by 4ft. oil-on-canvas portrait of Angelou. The large hyper-realistic painting is part of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s collection, where it will be on display through Nov. 1. The stamp features this quotation by the pioneering author: “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

[press release]
US POSTAL SERVICE COMMEMORATES DR. MAYA ANGELOU’S 84th BIRTHDAY
WITH SPECIAL FOREVER STAMP AND DEDICATION CEREMONY, APRIL 7th

DR. ANGELOU’S “HUMAN FAMILY” LYRIC MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERES
FRIDAY, APRIL 3RD, 2015, ON YAHOO.COM

“HUMAN FAMILY” IS A RECORDING FROM “CAGED BIRD SONGS” ALBUM PRODUCED BY ROCCSTAR AND SHAWN RIVERA

March 31, 2015 – New York, NY – The incomparable Dr. Maya Angelou would be turning 84 years old on Saturday, April 4th, 2015 and she’ll be recognized in a big way. To celebrate the incredible life and accomplishments of this remarkable woman, The United States Postal Service will release a commemorative forever stamp on April 7th. The postal service will celebrate with a First-Day-of-Issue stamp dedication ceremony at 11 a.m., Tuesday, April 7th, at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C.

The celebration continues as “Human Family,” the next focus track from Dr. Maya Angelou’s inspiring and timely “Caged Bird Songs” CD embodying many of her most significant writings, is set for a Lyric music video premiere on Friday, April 3rd, on Yahoo Music. “Human Family,” like many of Dr. Angelou’s poems, shares an important social message about acceptance and equality.

Dr. Angelou, the iconic American writer, poet, actor, dancer, director, composer, lecturer, civil activist and one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time, worked on the “Caged Bird Songs” album prior to her death on May 28th, 2014. The album produced by RoccStar and Shawn Rivera of platinum recording artist, Az Yet, is a unique musical collaboration that thoughtfully blends the gifted poet’s words and vocal performances with modern hip-hop beats. The lyrical content, underlying social context, rhythm, melody and cadence of Dr. Angelou’s early work bears a striking resemblance to the sound of current hip-hop and is, unfortunately, still relevant to today’s urban experience.

The official music video for the first single, “Harlem Hopscotch,” was directed by Emmy Award-winning duo Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo, also known as Nappy Tabs, and best known for their work on the hit television series, ‘So You Think You Can Dance’, and features the pair’s signature choreography. “Harlem Hopscotch” was shot on the streets of Harlem and various spots in Los Angeles and includes notable performers and dancers Nia Peeples, Derek Hough, Alfonso Ribeiro, Zendaya, Ian Eastwood, Quest Crew and dancers from both ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ and ‘America’s Best Dance Crew’. The video is produced by Smooch Music and is distributed by OWN.

To Watch the “Harlem Hopscotch” Music Video:
Oprah.com
YouTube/ OWN TV

Colin Johnson, Dr. Angelou’s grandson, recalls how music was a large part of his grandmother’s life. “She loved everything from pop to country and of course hip-hop. With her dedication to social activism and her ability to illuminate the struggles and injustices of the urban experience through prose, there is a direct correlation to hip-hop today. She was really excited about her street-wise commentary being presented in this way.”

Updated March 20th, from the Postal Bulletin:

On April 7, 2015, in Washington, DC, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Maya Angelou First-Class Mail® stamp (Forever® priced at 49 cents) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 12 stamps (Item 472600).

The stamp will go on sale nationwide April 7, 2015.

With this new commemorative stamp, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the life of Dr. Maya Angelou (1928–2014), author, poet, actress, champion of civil rights, and one of the most dynamic voices in all of 20th century American literature. The stamp art features artist Ross Rossin’s 2013 portrait of Dr. Angelou. The oil-on-canvas painting is part of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s collection. The stamp also features this quotation by the pioneering author: “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” The stamp pane includes a short excerpt from Dr. Angelou’s book Letter to My Daughter. It reads: “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

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:

Maya Angelou Stamp
Special Events
PO Box 92282
Washington, DC 20090-2282

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 June 7, 2015.

There are nine philatelic products for this stamp issue:

472606, Press Sheet with Die cut, $47.04, (print quantity 500).
472608, Press Sheet without Die cut, $47.04, (print quantity 1,000).
472610 Keepsake with Digital Color Postmark, $7.95.
472616 First-Day Cover, $0.93.
472624 Framed Art, $39.95.
472621 Digital Color Postmark, $1.64.
472630 Ceremony Program, $6.95.
472631 Stamp Deck Card, $0.95.
472632 Stamp Deck Card with Digital Color Post¬mark, $1.99.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Maya Angelou Stamp
Item Number: 472600
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 12 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: April 7, 2015, Washington, DC 20066
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Existing Art: Ross Rossin
Modeler: Donald Woo
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America/SSP
Printed at: Browns Summit, NC
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 12
Print Quantity: 80,000,004 million stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive adhesive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit SC
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, PMS Cool Gray 8 PMS 1788
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 0.98 in./39.62 x 24.89 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 6.00 x 6.25 in./152.40 x 158.75 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 12.00 x 25.00 in./ 304.80 x 635.00 mm
Plate Size: 96 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “S” followed by Six (6) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate numbers in two corners of pane
Back: © 2015 USPS • USPS logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (472600) in upper right and lower left corners of pane • Promotional text • Maya Angelou Bio

Updated March 4th: The USPS has released the image and said the stamp will be issued April 7th with a ceremony in Washington, DC. The first-day postmarks are further down this page.

[press release]

Postal Service Previews Maya Angelou Stamp Image
Forever Stamp Image is a Painting Resembling a Photograph

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service previewed the Dr. Maya Angelou Forever Stamp image today and announced that the First-Day-of-Issue stamp dedication ceremony will take place at 11 a.m., Tue., April 7, at the Warner Theater in Washington, DC. The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. The stamps may be pre-ordered now at this link for delivery shortly after April 7.

The stamp showcases Atlanta-based artist Ross Rossin’s 2013 48” x 48” oil-on-canvas portrait of Angelou. The large hyper-realistic painting is part of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s collection, where it will be on display through Nov. 1. The stamp features this quotation by the pioneering author: “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”

The stamp pane includes a short excerpt from Angelou’s book, “Letter to My Daughter.” It reads: “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” Art director Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, MD, designed the stamp. Customers are encouraged to use social media to spread the news about the stamp using #MayaForever.

Rossin’s Unique Style
“Like an x-ray,” explained Rossin, “my brush searches beyond the façade, reaching the God particle, the spiritual soul that embodies us all. I see all the subjects of my paintings as humans. All I want to do is paint the truth. My paintings don’t look like photographs; photographs look like my paintings. The objective of my art is to transcend hyperrealism. It is nothing else but a language that ensures the connectivity between the viewer, creator and the subject of my paintings. My ultimate goal is to bring the invisible energy through to this visible medium.”

The Andrew Young and Oprah Winfrey Connection to Creating Angelou’s Portrait
“I always wanted to paint Maya as she was a voice that inspired millions — not just as an individual, but as a legendary poet and a civil rights icon who transcended generations,” Rossin added. “I was compelled by the challenge to portray her forgiving smile and her aura of unconditional love and understanding that comes across when having a conversation with her.”

Rossin is a good friend of Ambassador Andrew Young, having forged a close personal relationship with the artist since rendering a portrait of Young several years ago, which also hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.

Knowing that Angelou’s birthday was coming up, he felt the urge to introduce Rossin to her in 2013.

“I applaud the U.S. Postal Service for their decision to honor my beloved friend Maya with a Forever stamp, and for using Rossin’s portrait of her for this perennial image,” said Young. “He is a master portrait artist — a prodigy. It is an honor to be immortalized by his brush stroke.”

“During my visit to her Winston-Salem, NC, home I spoke with Maya for several hours about her life journey and courage of finding the light in the midst of her darkness. It is her energy, the God Particle which struck me. Later that evening, Oprah Winfrey hosted a birthday party for Angelou. This was the critical moment when I saw Maya through the eyes of others. My personal experience around Maya’s aura led to the creation of an intimate yet universal painting, which later Maya enthusiastically approved.”

“This is exactly how I see myself and exactly how I wish to be remembered,” Rossin recalled of Angelou’s reaction to his work.

“I wanted to capture her laughter, her cry and the forgiveness and blessings that came from her face,” he added. “It is not only her portrait that is bigger than life. It is she herself who is bigger than life. The portrait is evidence of her magic.”

Added March 8th: Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:
[press release on February 23, 2015]
Maya Angelou to be Honored with Forever Stamp

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service will honor Maya Angelou — the beloved author, poet, actress and champion of equality — with a Forever Stamp.

“Maya Angelou inspired our nation through a life of advocacy and through her many contributions to the written and spoken word,” said Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan. “Her wide-ranging achievements as a playwright, poet, memoirist, educator, and advocate for justice and equality enhanced our culture.”

The Postal Service will preview the stamp and provide details on the date and location of the first-day-of-issuance ceremony at a later date.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

-0-

Angelou died May 28, 2014. If this stamp is issued in 2015, it will be the soonest after death the USPS has issued a stamp in decades. Her estate is Caged Bird Legacy.

Official White House Photo: President Barack Obama awards the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom to Dr. Maya Angelou in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House February 15, 2011.

-0-

February 26th: There are so many unanswered questions about this issue, and not just when it will be issued or what it will look like. That will be the subject of this weekend’s radio feature, but there’s only so much I can stuff into 60 to 90 seconds.

The announcement got plenty of press, and many Twitter and other social media reactions, all positive.

I haven’t figure out, though, who was the driving force behind this stamp. (Of course, it’s possible that it was a decision involving many people, within the Postal Service and on its Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC). But it has the cachet of an outside driving force. (Yes, pun intended.)

There was an online petition, started within a few days of Angelou’s death, and much talk on Twitter in support of it. The petition got 65,000 signatures, but it wasn’t on a major site like Change.org, but on WeAreUltraviolet.org.

A resolution calling for a Maya Angelou stamp was introduced in the House in mid-January, by Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Columbus, Ohio. It was sent to Committee and nothing happened. It’s moot now.

Linn’s Stamp News points out that E. Ethelbert Miller of the African American Resource Center at Howard University worked to get Ghana (or the Inter-Governmental Philatelic Corp.) to issue a Maya Angelou stamp in 1998 as part of a 12-stamp set. However, there is nothing at all on his or the Center’s websites about the U.S. stamp.

Someone suggested that CSAC member Henry Louis Gates, Jr., might be the driving force. Again, nothing on his Harvard faculty page, Twitter account or Facebook page about the stamp.

How about Postmaster General Megan Brennan? The stamp was announced three weeks after she took office. A career postal worker, she is the first woman to serve as PMG. But there is nothing in her public curriculum vitae to suggest a special interest in Maya Angelou.

So far, I don’t have a solution to this mystery.

Medal of Honor: Vietnam War (U.S. 2015)

Posted on February 20, 2015 by VSC

Updated May 20th: Here are the inside pages for the booklet, with photographs of most of the living recipients.

But not one, the one who lives closest to the first day ceremony, in a Washington suburb: He hates his official DOD photo, and wouldn’t give permission for its use!

If you click on the pictures, you’ll get larger versions on which the text should be readable.

Updated May 13th: Here are the first day postmarks for this issue: size: 2.16″ x 2.60″3.96″ x 1.97″

Updated April 15th from the Postal Bulletin:

On May 25, 2015, in Washington, DC, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue Medal of Honor: Vietnam War First-Class Mail® Forever® stamps, in three designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) prestige folio of 24 stamps (Item 589700).

The stamps will go on sale nationwide May 25, 2015.

In October 2014, the U.S. Postal Service invited the last living Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipients to join in honoring the extraordinary courage of every member awarded the medal for their valorous actions during the war. The first and fourth pages of this four-page prestige folio display photographs of the 48 living recipients of the Medal of Honor from the Vietnam War who agreed to be part of this issuance. The photographs on each of these pages surround a group of 12 Forever stamps (24 total), consisting of three different designs, one for each version of the Medal of Honor: that of the Army, the Navy (also presented to members of the Marine Corps), and the Air Force. Page two contains a short piece of text and a key to the individuals pictured. Page three features an alphabetical listing of those individuals who agreed to be included and of the deceased Medal of Honor recipients from the Vietnam War. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the prestige folio and the stamps, working with photographs of the medals by Richard Frasier.

Medal of Honor: Vietnam War Stamps
Special Events
PO Box 92282
Washington, DC 20090-2282

There are nine philatelic products for this stamp issue:

589706 Press Sheet with Die-cut, $35.28 (print quantity 1,000)
589708 Press Sheet without Die-cut, $35.28 (print quantity 1,500)
589710 Digital Color Postmark Keepsake (set of 3), $16.95
589716 First-Day Cover (set of 3), $2.79
589721 Digital Color Postmark (set of 3), $4.92
589724 Framed Art, $39.95
589730 Ceremony Program, $6.95
589731 Stamp Deck Card, $0.95
589732 Stamp Deck Card with Digital Color Postmark (random stamp), $1.99

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Medal of Honor: Vietnam War Stamps
Item Number: 589700
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Prestige Folio of 24 (3 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: May 25, 2015, Washington DC 20066
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Typographer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Photographer: Richard Frasier, Vienna, VA
Modeler: Donald Woo
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America/SSP
Printed at: Browns Summit, NC
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 24
Print Quantity: 30 million stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit SC
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Metallic Gold, Gray
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): 7.5 x 17.0 in./7.5 x 8.5 mm (folded)
Press Sheets Size  (w x h): 22.5 x 17.00 in./ 571.50 x 431.80 mm
Plate Size: 72 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “S” followed by six (6) single digits
Marginal Markings: © 2015 USPS • Plate position diagram  • Barcode (589700) • Promotional text

Updated March 24th: First day ceremony information from the USPS: Medal of Honor Vietnam
Memorial Day, May 25 at 1:30 p.m.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in DC

From the USPS Conference Call earlier in the month:
May 25th, Washington first day: 1 p.m. ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial “The Wall.” The front and back of the panes will be a little different than previous Medal of Honor issues. There are 48 living recipients who have agreed to be part of this. Some will be depicted on the front, some on the back, and a listing of all the recipients will be “inside.” Panes of 24. More from the USPS:
With Medal of Honor: Vietnam War, the U.S. Postal Service® issues its third prestige folio.

This format consists of a large sheet folded in half to form four separate pages. When folded, the two-pane design is 8 ½ inches wide by 7 ½ inches tall.

The first and fourth pages (front and back) display photographs of the 48 living recipients who agreed to be part of the Medal of Honor Vietnam War issuance.

The photographs on each of these pages surround a group of 12 Forever® stamps (24 total), consisting of three different designs, one for the Medal of Honor: for the Army, the Navy (also presented to members of the Marine Corps), and for the Air Force (1960s).

Page two contains selvage text and a key to the individuals pictured. Page three consists of an alphabetical listing of those living individuals who agreed to be included and of the deceased Medal of Honor recipients from the Vietnam War.

Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the prestige folio and the stamps, working with photographs of the medals by Richard Frasier.

Currently finalizing and getting approval for photographs of the living recipients.

[March 5th press release]

Vietnam Medal of Honor Recipients To be Recognized on Forever Stamp Sheet
Stamps to be Dedicated Memorial Day at Vietnam Veterans Memorial

WASHINGTON — Sun., March 8, marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the ground war in Vietnam with the deployment of 3,500 Marines. By war’s end on April 30, 1975, nearly 3 million service men and women fought in the conflict that would take the lives of more than 58,000 Americans.

Of those who served during the Vietnam War, 258 were awarded the Medal of Honor. More than six out of 10 award recipients made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives while performing the courageous acts for which they were later honored. American military advisers had been involved in South Vietnam since the 1950s.

The Postal Service will honor these brave Americans by dedicating the Limited Edition Vietnam War Medal of Honor Prestige Folio Forever stamps on Memorial Day, May 25. The 1 p.m. ceremony, hosted by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, and the National Park Service, will take place at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The event is free and open to the public.

The Prestige Folio stamp sheet depicting many of the nearly 50 living Vietnam War recipients will be previewed later. The folio, which lists the names of all 258 recipients, will be modeled after the World War II and Korean War Medal of Honor Prestige Folio stamp sheets issued in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Nation’s Most Prestigious Military Decoration
The Medal of Honor is our nation’s most prestigious military decoration. It is awarded by the president of the United States on behalf of Congress to members of the armed services who distinguish themselves through “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty” while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States.

The Medal of Honor traces its origins to the first year of the Civil War, when Congress saw the need for a formal means of recognizing or rewarding acts of heroism. In 1861, James W. Grimes, a senator from Iowa, introduced a bill to “promote the efficiency of the Navy” by distributing “medals of honor.” President Abraham Lincoln signed the bill into law on Dec. 21, 1861. Lincoln signed a similar measure on behalf of the U.S. Army on July 12, 1862, and the country had two Medals of Honor: one for sailors, and one for soldiers.

Three Versions of the Medal of Honor
There are now three similar, yet distinct, versions of the Medal of Honor, one for each Military Department (Army, Navy, and Air Force). The medals are similar in that each consists of a variation of a five-pointed star worn around the neck on a light blue ribbon. The Navy version is awarded to those serving in the Navy and Marine Corps, and during times of war, to members of the Coast Guard. The Air Force, which was established as an independent department in 1947, adopted its distinctive Medal of Honor in 1965. The first presentation of the U.S. Air Force’s medal took place in 1967 during the Vietnam War.

Missing Children (U.S. 2015)

Posted on February 20, 2015 by VSC

Updated May 13th: Here is the first-day Digital Color Postmark for this issue: size: 2.47″ x 1.23″. The Black & White or “rubber” postmark is the standard FDOI 4-bar.

Updated April 15 from the Postal Bulletin:
On May 18, 2015, in Anaheim, CA, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Missing Children First-Class Mail® Forever® stamp, in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 473100).

The stamp will go on sale nationwide May 18, 2015.

Affirming its long-standing commitment to help find missing children, the U.S. Postal Service® issues this new stamp to make the public more aware of the ways they can assist — and to offer hope to families as they continue their search. The stamp features a photograph by Harald Biebel showing a small bunch of purple forget-me-nots alongside a single flower. Text at the top of the stamp reads “FORGET-ME-NOT.” Text along the bottom of the stamp reads “HELP FIND MISSING CHILDREN.” The pane’s verso text discusses this important issue, describes the program that delivers materials featuring photos of missing children to millions of American homes, and provides contact information for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

Missing Children Stamp
Postmaster
Anaheim Post Office
701 North Loera Street
Anaheim, CA 92803-2282

There are eight philatelic products for this stamp issue:

473106 Press Sheet with Die-cut, $58.80 (print quantity 500)
473108, Press Sheet without Die-cut, $58.80 (print quantity 1,500)
473110 Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $11.95
473116 First-Day Cover, $0.93
473121 Digital Color Postmark, $1.64
473130 Ceremony Program, $6.95
473131 Stamp Deck Card, $0.95
473132 Stamp Deck Card with Digital Color Postmark, $1.99

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Missing Children Stamp
Item Number: 473100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: May 18, 2015, Anaheim, CA 92803
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Existing Photo: Harald Biebel
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 60 million stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS 159 Orange
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 0.98 in./39.62 x 24.89 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.24 x 6.20 in./183.90 x 157.48 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 21.72 x 12.53 in./551.69 x 318.14 mm
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings: Front: Plate numbers in two corners of pane  • Year of Issue • Header “Help Find Missing Children”
Back: © 2015 USPS • USPS logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (473100) in upper right and lower left corners of pane • Promotional text • Verso text

Updated April 1 from the Postal Bulletin: There are now also stamped envelopes with this design. The first-day date is May 18th.

From the USPS Conference Call February 20th:
May 25th is Missing Children Day but that date has not yet been confirmed. Pane of 20. The Forget Me Not flower shown on the stamp is the symbol of the campaign. More from the USPS:
This public service message stamp features forget-me-nots. This flower is the symbol used for International Missing Children’s Day.

The photograph on this stamp was taken by Harald Biebel. Ethel Kessler was the art director and designer.

This is the second stamp to bring attention to this issue. In 2006, the USPS issued the AMBER Alert stamp.

This stamp is intended to make the public more aware of ways they can assist in helping find our Missing Children. It offers hope to the families of missing children as they continue their search.

Since 1984, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has helped law enforcement recover more than 205,000 missing children.

The recovery rate for missing children continues to increase, thanks to greater public awareness, law-enforcement training, laws, and technology.

May 25 is National Missing Children’s Day. It is also International Missing Children’s Day.

Ferns Reprints (U.S. 2015)

Posted on February 20, 2015 by VSC

Updated June 10th: In the June 11th Postal Bulletin, the USPS says the paper type for both versions is actually “Paper Type: Non-phosphor Type III, Overall Tagged,” not what was listed below.

Scott catalogue numbers:
4973 (49¢) Soft Shield Fern lithographed coil stamp with Microprinted “USPS” and “2014”
date
4974 (49¢) Autumn Fern lithographed coil stamp with Microprinted “USPS”
and “2014” date
4975 (49¢) Goldie’s Wood Fern lithographed coil stamp with Microprinted
“USPS” and “2014” date
4976 (49¢) Painted Fern lithographed coil stamp with Microprinted
“USPS” and “2014” date
4977 (49¢) Fortune’s Holly Fern lithographed coil stamp with Microprinted “USPS” and “2014” date
a. Strip of 5, #4973-4977

4973a (49¢) Soft Shield Fern lithographed coil stamp with Microprinted “USPS” and “2015” date
4974a (49¢) Autumn Fern lithographed coil stamp with Microprinted “USPS” and “2015” date
4975a (49¢) Goldie’s Wood Fern lithographed coil stamp with Microprinted “USPS” and “2015” date
4976a (49¢) Painted Fern lithographed coil stamp with Microprinted “USPS” and “2015” date
4977a (49¢) Fortune’s Holly Fern lithographed coil stamp with Microprinted “USPS” and “2015” date
4977c Strip of 5, #4973a-4977a

Updated March 4th: From the Postal Bulletin:

On March 27, 2015, in Kansas City, MO, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue Ferns First-Class Mail® stamps (Forever® priced at 49 cents) in five designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) coil of 3,000 (Item #786700) along with a reprint of the coil of 10,000 (Item #777300). The 3k coil has a 2015 date in the upper right corner of the stamps and the 10k coil has a 2014 date in the lower left corner of the stamps.

The stamps will go on sale nationwide March 27, 2015.

First issued in 2014, these five stamps celebrate the beauty and elegance of ferns. Each of these stamps depicts a close-up photograph of a different species of fern —autumn fern, Goldie’s wood fern, soft shield fern, Fortune’s holly fern, or painted fern. The shapes and textures of the fronds stand out against a stark white background, which highlights the placement of the leaflets along each fern’s stem. Art director Phil Jordan designed the stamps using existing images by photographer Cindy Dyer.

Ferns Stamps (3k and 10k PSA Coils)
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 26, 2015.

There is one philatelic product for the coil of 3,000:

786716 First-Day Cover set of 5, $4.65

There is one philatelic product for the coil of 10,000:

777317 First-Day Cover set of 5, $4.65

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Ferns Stamps
Item Number: 786700
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Coil of 3,000 (5 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: March 27, 2015, Kansas City, MO 64108
Art Director: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Designer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Typographer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Existing Photos: Cindy Dyer, Alexandria, VA
Modeler: Donald Woo
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America/SSP
Printed at: Browns Summit, NC
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Coil: 3,000
Print Quantity: 45 million stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Overall
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive adhesive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit, NC
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.54 x 21.34 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.10 x 24.89 mm
Plate Size: 250 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “S” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate numbers every 25th stamp below stamp image

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Ferns Stamps
Item Number: 777300
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Coil of 10,000 (5 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: March 27, 2015, Kansas City, MO 64108
Art Director: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Designer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Typographer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Existing Photos: Cindy Dyer, Alexandria, VA
Modeler: Donald Woo
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America/SSP
Printed at: Browns Summit, NC
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Coil: 10,000
Print Quantity: 100 million stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Overall
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive adhesive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit, NC
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.54 x 21.34 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.10 x 24.89 mm
Plate Size: 250 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “S” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate numbers every 25th stamp below stamp image

From the USPS Conference Call on February 20th: Reprint, PSA Coils of 3,000 or 10,000, no event, KC first day (Forever design) one has a 2015 predate, one doesn’t, USPS is checking, new printer, Sennett, using offset; last printer was CCL in gravure. March 27th, Kansas City, no ceremony.

Gifts of Friendship (U.S., 2015)

Posted on February 20, 2015 by VSC

Updated April 15th: The USPS has added a few philatelic products. The new ones are shown in bold:

589806, Press Sheet without Die-cut, $35.28, (print quantity 1,000)
589808 Press Sheet with Die-cut, $35.28 (print quantity 1,500)
589810 Keepsake with Digital Color Postmark, $12.95
589816 First-Day Cover (Set of 4), $3.72
589817 Joint First-Day Cover, (Set of 2), $5.95
589818 Full Pane First-Day Cover, $8.38
589819 Cancelled Full Pane, $8.38
589821 Digital Color Postmark (Set of 4), $6.56
589822 Japan Cancelled Half-Sheet, $5.45
589823 Notecards, $16.95
589824 Framed Art, $39.95
589830 Ceremony Program (random), $6.95
589831 Stamp Deck Card, $0.95
589832 Stamp Deck Card with Digital Color Postmark (random), $1.99
801211 Japan Half-Sheet, $2.95

Updated April 11th: Photos from the U.S. first day ceremony are here.

Updated April 10th: VSC member Chris Lazaroff attended the first day in Tokyo, and tells us there wasn’t much of a ceremony there. However, there was quite a bit of activity, with many collectors flocking to the main post office for to service FDCs with one of the four postmarkes — only one of which will be available through the U.S. Postal Service’s Cancellation Services.

On the left is Chris servicing his CL Cachets FDCs. He tells The Virtual Stamp Club he got a few strange looks because of the number of covers he had!

This is Chris standing before the post office where the postmarks were available:Updated April 8th: From the USPS:
Stamp Fulfillment Services will be offering a joint FDC set of 2, each cover will have 2 US and 2 Japan matching stamps. We will also offer a Japan Post half sheet of mint stamps, and a Japan Post half sheet with Japan Post FDOI cancellation. These items will be listed shortly on the Postal Store @ https://store.usps.com/store for purchase. The US stamps and products are available for pre-sale now and others are being added as quickly as possible.

SKU / $ / Issue / Description
589804 $5.88 Gifts of Friendship Souvenir Sheet
589816 $3.72 Gifts of Friendship FDC Set of 4
589818 $8.38 Gifts of Friendship Full Pane FDC
589819 $8.38 Gifts of Friendship CNC Full Pane
589821 $6.56 Gifts of Friendship DCP Set of 4
801211 $2.95 Gifts of Friendship Japan Full Pane
589817 $5.95 Gifts of Friendship set/2 2 US & 2 Japan on each Joint Issue
589822 $5.45 Gifts of Friendship Japan CNC Full Pane

Updated April 4th: It appears FDC servicers and others won’t have to buy an extra 6 Japanese stamps with different designs than the Gifts of Friendship joint issue. From USPS spokesman Mark Saunders:

“We will be offering a Japan Post Sheet of 4 stamps, item 801211 for $2.95; Joint Cover Set of 2 (each cover has 2 US stamps with DCP cancel and 2 Japan Post stamps with Japan Post Pictorial Postmark. We also plan to offer a First Day Cover Cancelled Pane of the Japan Post sheet. I don’t have the item number or price on that one yet. These should be available on the Postal Store within the next week.”

Updated April 1st: Here are the basic Japan Post FDCs for this issue: Here’s a closeup of the Japanese postmark: Updated March 24th: First day ceremony information from the USPS: Two ceremonies
Fri., April 10 at 11 a.m.
Sat. April 11 at 2 p.m.

April 10 – First-Day-of-Issue Stamp Ceremony
Tidal Basin at the Welcome Area Performance Stage (near the Paddle Boats)
1501 Maine Avenue, NW
Washington, DC (event is free and open to the public)

April 11 – Special Dedication Stamp Ceremony
55th Annual Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival
Pennsylvania Ave. Stage (13th Street on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC (festival requires a $10 admittance fee for ages 13 and older)

Updated March 20th, from the Postal Bulletin:

On April 10, 2015, in Washington, DC, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Gifts of Friendship (Forever® priced at 49 cents) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhe¬sive (PSA) souvenir sheet of 12 stamps (Item 589800). This is a joint issue with Japan Post who will issue their stamps on the same day. The $5.88 Gifts of Friendship souvenir sheet may not be split, and the stamps may not be sold individually.

The stamp will go on sale nationwide April 10, 2015.

The U.S. Postal Service and Japan Post jointly issue Gifts of Friendship, a pane of 12 Forever stamps fea¬turing beautiful images of dogwood and cherry blossom trees. This issuance celebrates the enduring bond between two nations on the centennial of the gift of flowering dog¬wood trees from the United States to Japan in 1915. The left side of the pane features four new stamp designs, two created by the Postal Service™ and two by Japan Post. It also includes two Japanese characters meaning “friend¬ship,” the title of the issuance “Gifts of Friendship,” and a short line of selvage text.

On the right side of the pane are eight additional stamps (four each of the two U.S. designs). The first U.S. stamp showcases the Lincoln Memorial with cherry blossoms in the foreground and the second stamp, the U.S. Capitol Building surrounded by pink and white dogwood trees. The Japanese-designed stamps each feature a prominent building in Tokyo: the National Diet Building framed with cherry blossoms and the clock tower outside the National Diet Building behind a foreground of white dogwoods. Text appears on the back of the stamp pane. Stamp artist Paul Rogers worked with art director and designer William J. Gicker to create the stamps. Gicker and Greg Breeding designed the stamp pane. Junko Kaifuchi illustrated the stamps for Japan Post.

Gifts of Friendship Stamps
Special Events
PO Box 92282
Washington, DC 20090-2282

There are twelve philatelic products for this stamp issue:

589806, Press Sheet without Die cut, $35.28, (print quantity 1,000).
589808, Press Sheet with Die cut, $35.28, (print quantity 1,500).
589810 Keepsake with Digital Color Postmark, $12.95.
589816 First-Day Cover (Set of 4), $3.72.
589818 Full Pane First-Day Cover, $8.38.
589819 Cancelled Full Pane, $8.38.
589821 Digital Color Postmark (Set of 4), $6.56.
589823 Notecards, $16.95.
589824 Framed Art, $39.95.
589830 Ceremony Program (random), $6.95.
589831 Stamp Deck Card, $0.95.
589832 Stamp Deck Card with Digital Color Post¬mark (random), $1.99.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Gifts of Friendship Stamps
Item Number: 589800
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 12 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: April 10, 2015, Washington, DC 20066
Designer: William J Gicker, Washington, DC
Art Director: William J Gicker, Washington, DC
Typographer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Artist: Paul Rogers, Pasadena, CA
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 12
Print Quantity: 80,000,004 million stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag applied
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive adhesive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.35 x 0.91 in./34.22 x 23.18 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.49 x 1.05 in./37.78 x 26.74 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 8.50 x 5.25 in./215.90 x 133.35 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 10.63 x 25.75 in./269.88 x 654.05 mm
Plate Size: 144 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: N/A
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Gifts of Friendship
Back: © 2015 USPS • USPS logo • Barcode (589800) • Promotional text • Verso text

Updated March 16th: Here’s what the entire U.S. pane or souvenir sheet will look like. (We’ll try to replace this with a larger, clearer version.) Updated March 8th: Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: From the conference call with the USPS on February 20th: April 10th, joint issue with Japan, in Washington, DC, both Dogwood and Cherry Blossom trees (one stamp for each, 2 stamps from each country). Each country will issue the stamps in panes of 12 stamps. The U.S. panes will have 10 of the U.S. designs, plus two of the Japanese design with the U.S. Forever denomination. It will be the reverse on the Japanese panes: 10 of its designs, plus two of the U.S., all with Japanese denominations. Awaiting agreement and designs from Japan, could be as soon as Monday the 23rd. Coincides with the centennial of when President Taft sent the 50 dogwood trees to Japan, in return for the 3,000+ trees Japan sent the U.S. in 1912.

From the USPS:
In 2015, the U.S. Postal Service and Japan Post will jointly issue Gifts of Friendship, a pane of 12 stamps featuring beautiful images of dogwood and cherry blossom trees. There are two stamp designs for each country…one featuring the dogwood and the other featuring the cherry blossom.

The stamp issuance coincides with the Centennial of President William Howard Taft’s gift of dogwood trees to the people of Japan in 1915.

In early 1912, Tokyo gave the city of Washington, D.C., more than 3,000 cherry blossom trees.

As a show of gratitude for this generous gift, former President Taft arranged to have 50 flowering dogwood trees (Cornus florida) sent to Japan in 1915. This reciprocal gift featured a species of tree native to the eastern United States and Canada.

These gestures of goodwill fostered a rich tradition of exchanging cherry blossom and dogwood trees that continues to this day.
Artist: Paul Rogers
Art Director: Bill Gicker

Here’s what the Japan Post issue will look like: According to Japan Post’s website, the four individual stamps on the left will measure 25.0 mm (0.984 inches) by 35.5 mm (1.398 inches). The stamps on the right will measure 28.0 mm (1.102 inches) by 38.5 mm (1.516 inches). The denominations will be 82 yen (currently 68¢ U.S.) The entire sheet will sell for $6.80; no word yet if the USPS will sell just the two Japanese stamps. The two Japanese stamps show Sakura and the Houses of Parliament and Dogwood and Kenseikinenkan Clock Tower.

A Google translation of the Japan Post page is here.

February 20th Update to U.S. 2015 Stamp Program

Posted on February 20, 2015 by VSC

Quick notes, and not necessarily grammatical or spelled correctly! From the telephone/web conference with Cindy Tackett and others of the U.S. Postal Service’s Stamp Services department. I’ll keep updating this page while the conference is on, so refresh this page for the latest. [Added: Click on the links to go to the specific pages for those issues.]

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Attending: Cindy Tackett, Bill Gicker, Joe Brockert, Mark Saunders, Donna Dow of the USPS; Chad Snee of Linn’s, John Dunn of Mekeel’s/Stamps, Don Neal of ESPER, Foster Miller and Chris Lazaroff of the AFDCS and other groups, Dave Kent of Mekeel’s/Stamps, others.

Upcoming:

Feb. 21st Bobcat reprint @ Aripex

Feb. 27th Stars & Stripes Presort @ Texpex

March 20th Water Lilies @ Garfield Perry

March 26th Martin Ramirez, NYC, 6pm event at the gallery

March 27th Ferns Reprint, PSA Coils of 3,000 or 10,000, no event, KC first day (Forever design) one has a 2015 predate, one doesn’t, USPS is checking, new printer (Sennett) in offset; last printer was CCL in gravure..

late March, From Me To You, trying to lock down the event in Washington. Can’t confirm Greeting Card Association winter meeting (my question)

April 9th, Civil war series, in Appomattox Court House, Va., 11 a.m. ceremony. (Foster points out there is no post office in A.C.H.) Will be doing a product for the entire Civil War series, during the holidays, similar to the limited edition for the War of 1812. Not sure of the format at this time.

April 10th, Gifts of Friendship, joint issue with Japan, in Washington, DC, both Dogwood and Cherry Blossom trees (one stamp for each, 2 stamps from each country). U.S. panes shown to the press. Sheet of 12 stamps, 10 will be the U.S. versions, plus the 2 Japanese stamps. The Japanese designs will have the Forever denomination. It will be the reverse on the Japanese panes. Awaiting agreement and designs from Japan, could be as soon as Monday the 23rd. Coincides with the centennial of when President Taft sent the 50 dogwood trees to Japan, in return for the 3,000+ trees Japan sent the U.S. in 1912.

Date still TBD (possibly April), but design now shown for Special Olympics World Games (which will be held July 25-August 2nd in Los Angeles).

May, Forget Me Not stamp for Missing Children; May 25th is Missing Children Day but that date has not yet been confirmed. Pane of 20. The Forget Me Not flower is the symbol of the campaign. (Image below.)

May 25, Medal of Honor, 3 stamps, for Vietnam, 3rd is Air Force. The front and back of the panes will be a little different. There are 48 living recipients who have agreed to be part of this. Some will be depicted on the front, some on the back, and a listing of all the recipients. Panes of 24. 1 p.m. ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Wall. Coast Guard may be earlier in the summer; the USCG is asking for a reconsideration of the August date.

Illustrations of the full panes of Civil War Year 5: End of conference 10:10 a.m. The VSC 2015 U.S. Stamp Program will be updated this evening.

Canada Issues First Fabric Stamp (2015)

Posted on February 19, 2015 by VSC

[press release]
Canada Post pushes envelope to issue Canada’s first fabric stamp
Two new stamps celebrate 50th anniversary of Canada’s flag

Pushing the boundaries of stamp production, Canada Post has created Canada’s first fabric stamp as a fitting celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Canadian flag, a symbol cherished at home and widely recognized and respected abroad.

Denominated at $5, the innovative stamp uses a satin rayon fabric and special ink to create a durable and spectacular image. Canada Post is also issuing a celebratory Permanent rate stamp that showcases an undulating flag with a blue sky and “50” in the background.

“Our flag is a symbol that resonates with Canadians the world over,” says the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport, responsible for Canada Post. “When we see our flag at home, it reminds us of our freedoms and values, and when we see it abroad, it reminds us of home.”

“The flag has become part of the fabric of our lives,” says Deepak Chopra, President and CEO of Canada Post (shown to the left of the Right Honourable David Johnston (right), Governor General of Canada. “As these stamps travel far and wide, they will be a fitting tribute.”

The flag was flown in public for the first time on February 15, 1965, at an inaugural ceremony before a crowd of thousands on Parliament Hill. It was immediately and enthusiastically embraced – but it had been borne of emotional debate. The first version had been sewn on short notice by a young amateur seamstress, Joan O’Malley, who was asked by her father, a senior civil servant, to sew prototypes during Canada’s flag debate. Her prototype flags helped bring Canada closer to the maple leaf.

The souvenir sheet for this issue is shown on the right.

Canada Post’s tributes to the flag were designed by Kosta Tsetsekas, a veteran stamp designer at Signals, a Vancouver design firm. He and the printer, Canadian Bank Note, collaborated on the painstaking production details of the fabric stamp. A series of tests refined the application of the ink on the fabric and ensured the die cutting would be precise. The result of this extensive planning is a consistently stunning production run that showcases the flag on fabric.

About the stamps
Canada Post is issuing two stamps to celebrate the anniversary of the flag. Canada’s first fabric stamp, printed on a satin rayon fabric, is a self-adhesive $5 stamp that measures 100 mm by 50 mm and is available as a souvenir sheet or affixed to an Official First Day Cover (OFDC) cancelled in Ottawa (shown on the right). One thousand limited edition uncut press sheets, signed by the original seamstress, Joan O’Malley, are also available to mark the occasion. In addition, a Permanent self-adhesive commemorative stamp that measures 40 mm by 32 mm is also available in booklets of 10 or affixed to an OFDC, also cancelled in Ottawa, ON (shown below) A postage-paid picture postcard is also available (below).