Mammals (Netherlands 2019)

[press release]
Spotting wolves on stamps

The Hague, 2 January 2019. The wolf has returned to the Netherlands! Not only in the border region with Germany, but now also on new stamps about mammals in our country. They will be published today by PostNL, as the first issue of the second volume from the series ‘Experiencing nature’.

Portrayed mammals
In the Netherlands more than 100 mammal species live in the wild. Ten mammal species play a main role on the stamps: wild cat, Geoffroy’s bat, wolf, grey seal, stoat, polecat, European otter, fox, badger and rabbit. Each of the 10 portrayed mammals has its own stamp on the sheet, with images of the animals in their natural environment.

Sensory and associative
The stamps have been designed by graphic designer Frank Janse from Gouda. The sensory and associative aspects of the experience of nature are highlighted in his concept. Janse: ‘Mammals are the most pettable, recognisable and intelligent animals we know. However, they also have nails, teeth and spines. I wanted to show this contrast, because these animals also have a dark side. Whether they are a predator or a prey animal. For example, think of the fear the wolf causes. and how people are terrified by flying bats. This is because we cannot predict their behaviour.’

Beauty of nature
With the new stamps PostNL pays tribute to the diversity of nature in our country. “It’s much greater than we sometimes realise at first,” according to Stephan van den Eijnden, PostNL’s commercial director for Mail. ‘This is also evident on the new stamp sheet, with beautiful photos of the 10 mammals. What I also particular like are the almost transparent images of 7 other mammals on the sheet. Try to find them, you will see them quickly.’

Buiten-Beeld
Later this year PostNL will publish another 3 stamp sheets for the series ‘Experiencing nature’, with a main role for exotic plants (25 Februari), butterflies (11 June) and trees and leaves (16 September). All photos on the stamps come from Buiten-Beeld, the Dutch image database for nature photography. In shops an individual stamp sheet ‘Experiencing nature’ costs € 8.70. The price for the full series is € 34.80, including a storage folder.

Canada Post Rates Go Up January 14, 2019

[press release]
Price of a domestic stamp rises to 90 cents from 85 cents on January 14 in the first postage rate increase since 2014

OTTAWA, Jan. 4, 2019 /CNW/ – Postage rates rise on January 14, with the price for stamps purchased in a booklet, coil or pane for domestic LettermailTM items weighing 30 grams or less increasing to $0.90, up from $0.85. The price of a single domestic stamp will increase to $1.05, up from $1.00.

While usage varies, Canada Post estimates the impact of the price increases to be less than a dollar a year for the average Canadian household and about $14 a year for the typical small business. Prices will also increase for mail to the U.S. and international destinations, and for domestic Registered MailTM.

The increases are the first for letter mail since March 31, 2014. Canadians can avoid the increases by purchasing PermanentTM stamps at the current rate before the new rates take effect. Under the federal regulatory process, Canada Post publicly proposed the increases in the Canada Gazette Part I in June of 2018.

Moon Landing (U.S. 2019)

This issue was finally announced by the USPS on March 20th. No date of issue was given. The first landing on the moon occurred on July 20, 1969.

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Unveils
1969: First Moon Landing Forever Stamps
WASHINGTON — In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing on July 20, 1969, the U.S. Postal Service is pleased to reveal two stamp designs commemorating that historic milestone. Additional details are coming about the date, time and location for the first-day-of issue ceremony.

One stamp features a photograph of Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin in his spacesuit on the surface of the moon. The image was taken by astronaut Neil Armstrong. The other stamp, a photograph of the moon taken in 2010 by Gregory H. Revera of Huntsville, AL, shows the landing site of the lunar module in the Sea of Tranquility. The site is indicated on the stamp by a dot. The selvage includes an image of the lunar module.

Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp art.

Further updates will appear below.


Updated March 29th:
These stamps will be issued Friday, July 19th in Cape Canaveral, FL.

Updated June 1st:

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Issuing 1969: First Moon Landing Forever Stamps

What: The U.S. Postal Service is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and man’s first steps on the Moon with two Forever stamps.

The stamp dedication ceremony is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #MoonLandingStamps or #AstronautStamps.

Who: Thomas J. Marshall, General Counsel and Executive Vice President, United States Postal Service and Dedicating Official

Steven W. Monteith, Vice President, Marketing, United States Postal Service

Col. Robert D. Cabana, Director, John F. Kennedy Space Center, NASA

Russell L. (Rusty) Schweickart, former NASA astronaut and scientist, NASA

When: Friday, July 19, 2019, at 11 a.m. EDT

Where: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Space Commerce Way
Merritt Island, FL

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are required to RSVP at usps.com/moonlanding.

Background:
On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin achieved something that had long been confined to the realm of science fiction when they landed a spidery spacecraft named Eagle on the Moon. A worldwide audience watched and listened when Armstrong stepped onto the Moon’s surface and famously said, “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.”

On the 50th anniversary of this first Moon landing, two stamp designs commemorate that historic milestone. One stamp features Armstrong’s iconic photograph of Aldrin in his spacesuit on the surface of the Moon. The other stamp, a photograph of the moon taken in 2010 by Gregory H. Revera from his home in Madison, AL, shows the landing site of the lunar module, Eagle, in the Sea of Tranquility. The site is indicated on the stamp by a dot. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps.

The 1969: First Moon Landing stamps are being issued as Forever stamps. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

From the June 6th Postal Bulletin:

On July 19, 2019, in Cape Canaveral, FL, the United States Postal Service® will issue the 1969: First Moon Landing stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in two designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 24 stamps (Item 479100). The stamps will go on sale nationwide July 19, 2019, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The 1969: First Moon Landing pane of 24 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

On the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing on July 20, 1969, the Postal Service™ is pleased to issue two stamps commemorating that milestone in history. One stamp features a photograph of Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin in his spacesuit on the surface of the moon taken by astronaut Neil Armstrong. The other stamp, a photograph of the moon taken in 2010 by Gregory H. Revera from his home in Madison, AL, shows the landing site of the lunar module in the Sea of Tranquility. The site is indicated on the stamp by a dot. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp art.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 479100, 1969: First Moon Landing (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Commemorative Pane of 24 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

Special Dedication Postmarks must use this design:

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

FDOI – 1969: First Moon Landing Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by November 19, 2019.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: 1969: First Moon Landing Stamps
Item Number: 479100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 24 (2 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: July 19, 2019, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Typographer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Existing Photo: NASA photo taken by Neil Armstrong
Existing Photo: Gregory H. Revera
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 24
Print Quantity: 60,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Overall
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in./21.336 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in./24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.6 x 8.5 in./193.04 x 215.9 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 22.8 x 25.5 in./579.12 x 647.7 mm
Plate Size: 216 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: 1969: First Moon Landing
• Plate number in bottom two corners of pane
Back: ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (479100) • Plate position diagram • Promotional text

Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.97″x1.45″ The B&W pictorial measures 2.98″x1.36″ The special postmark for use by local post offices measures 2.64″x0.88″

Updated June 22nd:

Canada is issuing its own Moon Landing anniversary stamps on June 27th, commemorating Canada’s contribution to the effort. The designs will not be released until the first-day. What we know is here.

Transcontinental Railroad (U.S. 2019)

Updated January 29th:

“Three new stamps in a pane of 18 mark the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, a massive engineering feat that reduced travel time across the country from as many as six months to about one week and made the American West an integral part of the nation. Two different stamps feature the Jupiter and the No. 119 locomotives that powered the trains carrying the officers and guests of two train companies to the “Golden Spike Ceremony,” held when the two rail lines were joined at Promontory Summit in Utah. A third stamp portrays the famous golden spike that was a prominent part of the ceremony. Art director Greg Breeding designed the issuance. Michael J. Deas painted the Jupiter and No. 119 stamps. Kevin Cantrell illustrated the stamp depicting the ceremonial golden spike and did the border treatments and typography for all three stamps.”

No date or first-day city were given. Further updates will appear below, in order announced.

The Scott catalogue numbers for this issue are
5378 Jupiter Locomotive
5379 Golden Spike
5380 No. 119 Locomotive
a. Horiz. strip of 3, #5378-5380


Updated January 30th:
These stamps will be issued May 10th in Promontory Summit, Utah.

Updated March 11th:

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Celebrates 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad

What: Marking the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, the U.S. Postal Service will commemorate this 19th century marvel with a magnificent set of Forever stamps.

The first-day-of-issue event for the Transcontinental Railroad Forever stamp is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #RailroadStamps.

Who: Michael Mirides, District Manager Salt Lake City District, U.S. Postal Service

When: Friday, May 10, 2019 at 3:30 p.m. MT

Where: Golden Spike National Historic Site
6200 North 22300th Street West
Promontory Summit, UT 84037

Event parking is available through the Spike 150 Foundation website.

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

Background: Building the transcontinental railroad during the 1860s was one of the great achievements of the era. The completion was marked by the “Golden Spike Ceremony,” held on May 10, 1869, when rail lines built by the Central Pacific from the west and the Union Pacific from the east were joined at Promontory Summit in Utah.

A large immigrant labor force — including a majority of Chinese and Irish laborers — carried out most of the backbreaking and often dangerous work that made the achievement possible. The workforce, totaling more than 20,000 at its peak, also included immigrants from many nations — Germany, Italy, Russia, Czechoslovakia, Poland and others — as well as African-Americans and former Civil War soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies. Many crews of Mormon workers helped make the final push across Utah.

Reminiscent of traditional 19th century oil painting techniques, the three distinct designs of the Transcontinental Railroad Forever stamps evoke the spirit of the era. Two separate stamps feature the Jupiter and the No. 119 locomotives that powered the trains carrying the officers and guests of the two train companies to the “Golden Spike Ceremony.” Centered between them, a third stamp portrays the famous golden spike that was a prominent part of the ceremony.

Also, the Golden Spike National Historic Site (National Park Service) has a webpage with information about the 150th anniversary celebration (although it doesn’t mention the stamps). It also has links to other sesquicentennial celebration pages. —VSC

Updated March 29th, from the Postal Bulletin:

On May 10, 2019, in Promontory Summit, UT, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Transcontinental Railroad stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in three designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 18 stamps (Item 570400). The stamps will go on sale nationwide May 10, 2019, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Transcontinental Railroad pane of 18 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

Three new stamps in a pane of 18 mark the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, a massive engineering feat that reduced travel time across the country from as much as 6 months to about 1 week and made the American West an integral part of the nation. Two different stamps feature the Jupiter and the No. 119 locomotives that powered the trains carrying the officers and guests of two train companies to the “Golden Spike Ceremony,” which was held when the two rail lines were joined at Promontory Summit in Utah.

A third stamp portrays the famous golden spike that was a prominent part of the ceremony. Each of the stamps and the header feature gold-foiled highlights that produce a glimmering effect. Art director Greg Breeding designed the issuance. Michael J. Deas painted the Jupiter and No. 119 stamps. Kevin Cantrell illustrated the stamp depicting the ceremonial golden spike and did the border treatments and typography for all three stamps.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 570400, Transcontinental Railroad (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Commemorative Pane of 18 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

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

FDOI – Transcontinental Railroad Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by September 10, 2019.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Transcontinental Railroad Stamps
Item Number: 570400
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 18 (3 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: May 10, 2019, Promontory Summit, UT 84307
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Typographer: Kevin Cantrell, Salt Lake City, UT
Artist: Michael J. Deas, New Orleans, LA
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 18
Print Quantity: 50,400,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tagged
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Other: Gold Foil
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal and Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.7828 x 1.1592 in./45.283 x 29.444 mm
0.8395 x 1.1592 in./21.323 x 29.444 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.9228 x 1.2992 in./48.839 x 33 mm
0.9795 x 1.2992 in./24.879 x 33 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.82 x 10.32 in./147.828 x 262.128 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 11.64 x 20.64 in./295.656 x 524.256 mm
Plate Size: 72 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Transcontinental Railroad: 150th Anniversary • Plate number in bottom two corners of pane
Back: ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (570400) • Plate position diagram • Promotional text

Updated April 13th:
Here are the first-day cancels for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 3.00″ x 0.86″ The B&W pictorial measures 3.00″ x 1.5″

Updated May 6th:
Note that the stamps are nearly five inches wide when displayed as three se-tenant!