Espresso Drinks (U.S. 2021)

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on November 17, 2020:From the USPS: America’s love of coffee is celebrated with four new stamps in a booklet of 20. Four digital illustrations feature cups of four different drinks: caffe latte, espresso, caffe mocha and cappuccino. The names of the espresso drinks appear in art-deco-inspired lettering above or below each cup. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with original artwork by Terry Allen.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.


Updated MaY 3rd:
Here are the Scott Catalog numbers for this issue:
5569 Caffe Latte
5570 Espresso
5571 Caffe Mocha
5572 Cappuccino
a. Block of 4, #5569-5572
b. Convertible booklet pane of 20, 5 each #5569-5572

Updated March 3rd:
Here is the Digital Color Postmark first-day cancel for this issue:It measures 2.53″ x 1.47″. There is no pictorial postmark for this issue, just the FIRST DAY OF ISSUE “killerbar.”

Updated February 25th: [Click on the pictures for larger versions]
On April 9, 2021, in Seattle, WA, the United States Postal Service will issue the Espresso Drinks stamps (Forever priced at the First-Class Mail rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) double-sided booklet of 20 stamps (Item 683200). These stamps will go on sale nationwide April 9, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The Postal Service celebrates America’s love of coffee with four new stamps in a booklet of 20. Digital illustrations feature cups of four different drinks:

  • Caffe latte,
  • Espresso,
  • Caffe mocha, and
  • Cappuccino.

The names of the espresso drinks appear in art deco-inspired lettering above or below each cup. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with original artwork by Terry Allen.

No automatic distribution.

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

FDOI – Espresso Drinks 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 August 9, 2021.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Espresso Drinks Stamps
Item Number: 683200
Denomination & Type of Issue:First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: April 9, 2021, Seattle, WA 98134
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Artist: Terry Allen, Wappingers Falls, NY
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 200,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.542 x 21.336 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87 x .98 in./22.098 x 24.892 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 5.52 x 1.96 in./140.208 x 49.784 mm
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Plate Size: 1040 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings: Header: “Espresso Drinks” Twenty First-Class Forever Stamps • USPS logo • Plate number in peel strip area • ©2020 USPS in peel strip area • Barcode • Promotional text in peel strip area

Updated January 7th:
A mat in a suburban Washington, DC, post office indicates a issue date of April 9th. USPS headquarters does not confirm. 2021 is the 50th anniversary of Starbucks, which is based in Seattle, WA.

Message Monsters (U.S. 2021)

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on November 17, 2020:From the USPS: The four fun designs on this new pane of 20 stamps invite interactivity with dozens of self-adhesive accessories that personalize your cards, letters and envelopes for delighted recipients. Decorations include hearts, hats, voice balloons, flowers and thought bubbles. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the pane with new illustrations by Elise Gravel.

Here are the Scott catalogue numbers for this issue:
5636 Pink and Red Monster
a. Imperforate
5637 Four-armed Monster
a. Imperforate
5638 Tentacled Monster
a. Imperforate
5639 Red-headed Monster
a. Imperforate
b. Horiz. or vert. strip of 4, #5636-5639
c. Imperforate strip of 4, #5636a-5639a

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.


Updated August 25th:
Here is the first-day postmark for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 3.0″ x 1.48″. There is no pictorial postmark for this issue.

[ceremony advisory]
Message Monsters Ready to Bring a Smile to Your Mail

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service will celebrate Message Monsters with the most playful, customizable Forever stamp design ever. The four monster illustrations on this pane of 20 stamps invite interactivity with dozens of self-adhesive accessories on the selvage. The monster-ific accoutrements include cartoony voice balloons and thought bubbles with exclamations and salutations, hats and crowns, hearts, stars, crazy daisies and other fun flair.

Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the pane with original artwork by Elise Gravel, author and illustrator of popular children’s books.

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

WHO: Jeffery A. Adams, vice president, corporate communications, U.S. Postal Service

Angie Grau, owner, Paper June Books

Tom Underwood, executive director, NOTO Arts & Entertainment District

WHEN: Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, at 11 a.m. CDT

WHERE: Redbud Park
924 N Kansas Ave
Topeka, KS 66608

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

BACKGROUND: The U.S. Postal Service unleashes the most playful, participatory postage stamps ever — stamps that welcome you to customize a collection of cute and crazy critters. They’ll ride through the mail, adapted by you, adding mirth to your messages.

The 20 Message Monsters on the pane, in four different designs, invite you to enhance your mail with the included adhesive accessories. These little monsters are totally adorn-able. Make them yours and they’re even more delightful!

The stamp designs start with the playful illustrations of Elise Gravel, whose characters are frisky, fresh and full of fun. Colorful characters populating the pane include a roundish, rosy rascal with a sunny tummy; a silly, striped imp waving a four-armed howdy; a squiggly, squid-ly yellow critter with enough eyes to go around; and a reddish rapscallion in short shorts. Whimsical, wacky and inviting your inventiveness, these creatures appeal across generations.

The Message Monster stamp dedication event falls during “Thinking of You Week,” which runs Sept. 20–26. It was first launched in the United Kingdom in 2014 and brought to the United States in 2018 by the Greeting Card Association. What better way to let someone know you’re thinking of them than to send a funny, friendly monster through the mail?

Preorders for the Message Monsters Forever stamps can be made online at usps.com/stamps beginning Aug. 30.

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

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

From the Postal Bulletin:
On September 24, 2021, in Topeka, KS, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Message Monsters stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 481300). These stamps will go on sale nationwide September 24, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Message Monsters pane of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

The four designs on this new pane of 20 stamps invite interactivity with dozens of self-adhesive accessories that personalize these comical characters for delighted recipients. Decorations include hearts, hats, voice balloons, flowers, and thought bubbles. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the pane with new illustrations by Elise Gravel.

No automatic distribution.

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

FDOI – Message Monsters 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 January 24, 2022.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Message Monsters Stamps
Item Number: 481300
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: September 24, 2021, Topeka, KS 66603
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Elise Gravel, Montreal, Quebec
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 18,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.085 x 1.42 in./ 27.559 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.225 x 1.56 in./31.115 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.75 x 8.19 in./196.85 x 208.026 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 14.5 x 18.25 in./368.3 x 463.55 mm
Plate Size: 60 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by four (4) single digits in two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Message Monsters • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2020 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (481300) • Plate position diagram (3) • Promotional text

The full pane:

Missouri Statehood (U.S. 2021)

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on November 17, 2020:From the USPS: This stamp celebrates the bicentennial of Missouri statehood. Missouri became the 24th state in the Union on Aug. 10, 1821. The stamp art is an existing photograph of Bollinger Mill State Historic Site by noted landscape photographer Charles Gurche. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp.

Official site

Wikipedia

This stamp will be issued August 10th with a ceremony in Jefferson City, Mo.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.


Updated October 4th:
The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 5626.

Updated July 7th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark for this issue measures 2.60″ x 1.46″. The pictorial postmark measures 2.28″ x 1.24″

Updated July 1st from the Postal Bulletin:
On August 10, 2021, in Jefferson City, MO, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Missouri Statehood stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 481100). This stamp will go on sale nationwide August 10, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

This stamp celebrates the bicentennial of Missouri statehood. Missouri became the 24th state in the Union on August 10, 1821. The stamp art is a photograph taken of Bollinger Mill State Historic Site. The photo shows the multi-story mill, which dates to the Civil War period, as well as the Burfordville Covered Bridge, Missouri’s oldest covered bridge and one of only four that remain in the state. Noted landscape photographer Charles Gurche, who took this shot, began his photography career in Missouri. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with an existing photograph by Gurche.

Automatic distribution only in Missouri.

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 – Missouri Statehood Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by December 10, 2021.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Missouri Statehood Stamp
Item Number: 481100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Statehood
Issue Date & City: August 10, 2021, Jefferson City, MO 65101
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Photo: Charles Gurche
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 18,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 0.84 in. / 36.068 x 21.336 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 0.98 in. / 39.624 x 24.892 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.24 x 5.92 in. / 183.896 x 150.368 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 11.84 x 21.72 in. / 300.736 X 551.688 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by four (4) single digits in all corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in all corners
Back: ©2020 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (481100) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text

Updated June 26th:

[press release]
Missouri Stamp to Honor State Bicentennial

WHAT: On Aug. 10, 1821, Missouri was admitted as the 24th state in the Union. In 2021, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the state’s bicentennial with a new stamp.

The first-day-of-issue event for the Missouri Statehood Forever stamp is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #MissouriStatehood, #MissouriStatehoodStamp and #Statehoodstamps.

WHO: Peter Pastre, vice president, Government Relations and Public Policy, U.S. Postal Service, will serve as dedicating official.

WHEN: Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, at 9 a.m. CDT

WHERE: Missouri State Capitol
201 W Capitol Ave.
Jefferson City, MO 65101

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

BACKGROUND: The westernmost state when it entered the Union in 1821, Missouri was a natural resting place for settlers before continuing their journey to claim lands acquired in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.

With 91 state parks and historical sites and hundreds of conservation areas, Missouri has an abundance of places to enjoy hiking, camping, fishing and other activities. It boasts world-renowned public gardens, world-class museums, several National Historic Trails, and professional sports teams including baseball, football, soccer and ice hockey.

Missouri is home to great food and great music. Some of the country’s best blues music is performed in concerts and clubs across the state. Whether it is Kansas City or St. Louis-style, Missouri is famous for its barbecue.

The people of Missouri are said to be stalwart and noncredulous, unswayed by eloquent speeches and unconvinced without adequate evidence, hence the state nickname: The Show-Me State.

Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses (U.S. 2021)

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on November 17, 2020:From the USPS: The long-running series celebrating American lighthouses continues with five new stamps. The mid-Atlantic lighthouses featured in this issuance are: Thomas Point Shoal, MD; Montauk Point, NY; Harbor of Refuge, DE; Navesink, NJ; and Erie Harbor Pierhead, PA. The late Howard Koslow [Wikipedia entry] was the artist for these stamps as well as previous issuances in the Lighthouse series. Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses were the last stamps he illustrated for the Postal Service. The art director was Greg Breeding. [Koslow died in January 2016, so these designs have been “on the shelf” for a while.]

These stamps will be issued August 6th with a ceremony in Highlands, NJ.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.


Updated October 4th:
The Scott catalogue numbers for this issue are:
5621 Montauk Point Lighthouse
a. Imperforate
5622 Navesink Twin Lighthouses
a. Imperforate
5623 Erie Harbor Lighthouse
a. Imperforate
5624 Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse
a. Imperforate
5625 Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse
a. Imperforate
b. Horiz. strip of 5, #5621-5625
c. Imperforate strip of 5, #5621a-5625a

Updated July 7th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:

The Digital Color Postmark for this issue measures 1.98″ x 1.46″ The pictorial postmark measures 1.83″ x 1.26″

Updated July 7th:
[ceremony information]
New Stamps Shine Light on Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses

WHAT: Lighthouses — with their beauty, mystery and aura of romance — have fascinated and enchanted people for centuries. The Postal Service continues to share in that tradition with Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses Forever stamps, the latest in its continuing series of popular lighthouse stamps.

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

WHO: Linda Malone, vice president of engineering systems, U.S. Postal Service

WHEN: Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, at noon ET

WHERE:
Twin Lights State Historic Site
2 Light House Road
Highlands, NJ 07732

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at
usps.com/mid-atlanticlighthouses.

BACKGROUND: For three centuries, the beacons of America’s lighthouses have been guiding mariners through treacherous waters. Though the five mid-Atlantic lighthouses being recognized have a common purpose, each has its own unique story — and its own mysterious, eternal appeal.

Authorized by George Washington and completed in 1796, Montauk Point Lighthouse (New York) is one of the oldest lights in continuous operation in the United States.

Navesink (New Jersey) is one of only seven stations in the country to feature two lighthouse towers.

The tower of the Eric Harbor Pierhead Light (Pennsylvania) tapers from its base to its midsection, then rises straight from there to the top, the only lighthouse tower with this shape in the United States.

Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse (Delaware) has stood within the breakwater since 1926 and is still an active aid to navigation.

And located in the Chesapeake Bay (Maryland), the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse has withstood the elements since 1875.

The Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses stamps are being issued as Forever stamps. These Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Updated July 1st from the Postal Bulletin:
On August 6, 2021, in Highlands, NJ, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in five designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 481000). These stamps will go on sale nationwide August 6, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses pane of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

The Postal Service™ concludes its long-running series celebrating American lighthouses with five new stamps honoring mid-Atlantic lighthouses. Each stamp features an original acrylic painting of one of the following lighthouses:

  • Thomas Point Shoal, Maryland;
  • Montauk Point, New York;
  • Harbor of Refuge, Delaware;
  • Navesink, New Jersey; and
  • Erie Harbor, Pennsylvania.

Howard Koslow (1924–2016) (right, undated photo from USPS) was the artist for these stamps as well as previous issuances in the Lighthouses series. Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses were the last stamps he illustrated for the Postal Service. Greg Breeding art directed the project.

No automatic distribution.

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

FDOI – Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses 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 December 6, 2021.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses Stamps
Item Number: 481000
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (5 designs)
Series: Lighthouses
Issue Date & City: August 6, 2021, Highlands, NJ 07732
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Artist Howard Koslow
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 40,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in. / 21.336 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in. / 24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.92 x 7.5 in. / 150.368 x 190.5 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 11.84 x 22.5 in. / 300.736 X 571.5 mm
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by four (4) single digits in bottom two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses: Seventh In A Series • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2020 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (481000) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text

Updated January 24th:
The grounds of the Twin Lights at Navesink, in Highlands, NJ, are open. The site is now a museum. Here is a link to the website.

It’s interesting that there are actually two lighthouses there, but the stamp design only shows one. They are not really “twins” or identical. According to its website, having two lights “gave the station a definite and decided character that helped distinguish it from the nearby Sandy Hook lighthouse and the Sandy Hook Lightship stationed offshore. When the present station was commissioned on May 1, 1862, the south tower contained a first order Fresnel lens that gave ships a warning of their approach to land. The north tower was lit by a lens of the second order, an indication to vessels they were coming up on a headland along the seacoast and the approach to a bay.”

Western Wear (U.S. 2021)

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on November 17, 2020:From the USPS: The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the enduring legacy of Western wear with four fun new Forever stamps in a booklet of 20. The stamp art features four graphic illustrations of Western wear staples — a cowboy hat, a cowboy boot with a spur, a Western shirt, and a belt buckle featuring a longhorn head. Each image is framed by elements common to the American West and iconography of the region, including cacti, snakes, roses and stars. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with original art by Ryan Feerer.

These stamps will be issued July 23rd in Abilene, Texas, but no first-day ceremony is planned.

The Scott catalogue numbers for this issue are:
5615 Cowboy hat
5616 Belt buckle
5617 Cowboy boot with spur
5618 Western shirt
a. Block of 4, #5615-5618
b. Convertible booklet pane of 20, 5 each #5615-5618

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.


Updated June 17th:
Here is the Digital Color Postmark for this issue:It measures 1.98″ x 1.43″

Updated June 17th from the Postal Bulletin:

On July 23, 2021, in Abilene, TX, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Western Wear stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) double-sided booklet of 20 stamps (Item 683300). These stamps will go on sale nationwide July 23, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The Postal Service™ celebrates the enduring legacy of Western wear with four fun new stamps that feature graphic illustrations of Western wear staples:

  • Cowboy boot with a spur,
  • Cowboy hat,
  • Western shirt, and
  • Belt buckle featuring a longhorn head.

A stippling technique, creating images using small dots of color, was used to give the illustrations a worn and gritty feel. Each image is framed by elements common to the American West and iconography of the region, including cacti, snakes, roses, and stars. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with original art by Ryan Feerer.

No automatic distribution.

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

FDOI – Western Wear 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 23, 2021.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Western Wear Stamps
Item Number: 683300
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: July 23, 2021, Abilene, TX 79601
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Artist: Ryan Feerer, Abilene, TX
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Offset
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 175,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.77 x 1.05 in./19.558 x 26.67 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in./23.114 x 30.226 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 5.76 x 2.38 in./146.304 x 60.452 mm
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Plate Size: 880 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: “Western Wear” Twenty First-Class Forever Stamps • USPS logo • Plate number in peel strip area • ©2020 USPS in peel strip area • Barcode
Back: Promotional text in peel strip area

Japanese American Soldiers of WWII (U.S. 2021)

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on November 17, 2020:  [Note that this issue was revised. The new version is further down.]From the USPS: With this commemorative stamp, the Postal Service recognizes the contributions of Japanese American soldiers, some 33,000 altogether, who served in the U.S. Army during World War II. The stamp, printed in the intaglio method, is based on a photograph. “Go for Broke” was the motto of the all-Japanese American 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team and came to represent all Japanese American units formed during World War II. The stamp was designed by art director Antonio Alcalá.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.


Updated July 5th:
Here are the Scott catalogue numbers for this issue:
5593
a. Imperforate

Updated May 28th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark for this issue measures 2.97″ x 1.44″ The pictorial postmark measures 2.72″ x 1.12″ The “special” postmark that non-first-day post offices may use measures 2.878″ x 0.94″

Updated May 14th:
The image that accompanied press release below confirms that the Go For Broke design has been revised: [press release]
Go For Broke: World War II Forever Stamp
Reverence for Japanese American Veterans

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service will honor Japanese American veterans with the Go For Broke: Japanese Americans Soldiers of World War II commemorative stamp. Second-generation Japanese Americans, also known as nisei, formed one of the most distinguished American fighting units of World War II: the all-Japanese American 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team, whose motto was “Go for Broke.”

The stamp was designed by Antonio Alcalá and is based on a photograph of a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The photograph was taken in 1944 at a railroad station in France.

News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #GoForBroke and#GoForBrokestamp

WHO: The Honorable Lee Moak, U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors

Gen. David A. Bramlett, U.S. Army (retired)

WHEN: Thursday, June 3, 2021, at 11 a.m. EDT/8 a.m. PDT

WHERE: A virtual dedication ceremony will be posted on the Postal Service’s Facebook
and Twitter pages. Please visit usps.com/goforbrokestamp for details.

BACKGROUND: The U.S. Postal Service recognizes the contributions that Japanese American soldiers made while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II.

For a time after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, second-generation Japanese Americans were subjected to increased scrutiny and prejudice because of their heritage.

Known as nisei, these second-generation Japanese Americans were eventually able to join the war effort. The Army turned to nisei to serve as translators, interpreters and interrogators in the Pacific theater for the Military Intelligence Service. Nearly a thousand nisei men served in the 1399th Engineering Construction Battalion and more than 100 nisei women joined the Women’s Army Corp. Altogether, some 33,000 Japanese Americans served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

The Go For Broke: Japanese Americans Soldiers of World War II stamps are being issued as Forever stamps, which will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

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

Here is a large picture of the new version:

Updated May 7th:
On June 3, 2021, in Los Angeles, CA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Go for Broke: Japanese American Soldiers of WWII stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 480500). This stamp will go on sale nationwide June 3, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

With this commemorative stamp issuance, the Postal Service™ recognizes the contributions of Japanese American soldiers, some 33,000 altogether, who served in the U.S. Army during World War II. The stamp, made to resemble an engraving, was printed in the intaglio print method. The image is based on a photograph taken in 1944, in France, of a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, whose motto was “Go for Broke.” The stamp was designed by art director Antonio Alcalá.

No automatic distribution.

Only the following pictorial postmark is permitted for the Go for Broke: Japanese American Soldiers of WWII stamp. The word “Station” or the abbreviation “STA” is required somewhere in the design because it will be a temporary station. Use of any image other than the following special pictorial image is prohibited.

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 – Go for Broke: Japanese American
Soldiers of WWII Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by October 3, 2021.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Go for Broke: Japanese American Soldiers of WWII Stamp
Item Number: 480500
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 3, 2021, Los Angeles, CA 90052
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá
Designer: Antonio Alcalá
Artist: Antonio Alcalá
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Intaglio, Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74 / Phoenix
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 20,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Blue PMS 294, Red PMS 186
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in./ 21.336 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in./24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.92 x 7.50 in./150.368 x 190.50 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 11.84 x 22.5 in./300.736 x 571.500 mm
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by two (2) single digits in two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Go for Broke Japanese American Soldiers of World War II • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2020 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (480500) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text

Updated March 17th:
This stamp will be issued June 3rd. The first day city is Los Angeles, and a virtual ceremony is planned.

Raven Story (U.S. 2021)

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on November 17, 2020:From the USPS: Merging traditional artwork with modern design touches, this stamp depicts one of many stories about Raven, a figure of great significance to the Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast. Among the cultures of the region, Raven plays an essential role in many traditional tales, including stories about the creation of the world. Inspired by the traditional story of Raven setting free the sun, the moon and the stars, Tlingit/Athabascan artist Rico Worl depicts Raven just as he escapes from his human family and begins to transform back into his bird form. Antonio Alcalá served as art director.

This stamp will be issued July 30th with a ceremony in Juneau, Alaska.

The Scott catalogue number is 5620.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.


Updated July 7th:
[ceremony information]
U.S. Postal Service Honors Raven Story with Stamp
Tlingit Artist Designed Stamp To Be Unveiled in Alaska

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service will unveil the Raven Story Forever Stamp at the Sealaska Heritage Institute in Juneau, AK.

Merging traditional artwork with modern design touches, this stamp depicts one of many stories about Raven, a figure of great significance to the Indigenous people of the northern Northwest Coast, part of the area that ranges from Southeast Alaska through coastal British Columbia and south into Washington state.

News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #RavenStoryStamp and #NativeAmericanRavenStory.

The Raven Story stamps can be preordered at USPS.com.

The story behind the stamp will also be featured on the U.S. Postal Service Facebook and Twitter pages, posting at 5 p.m. ET on July 30, 2021. A pictorial postmark of the designated first-day-of-issue city, Juneau, is available at usps.com/shopstamps.

WHO: Jakki Krage Strako, U.S. Postal Service chief commerce and business solutions officer and executive vice president

Rosita Worl, president, Sealaska Heritage Institute

Rico Worl, stamp artist

WHEN: Friday, July 30, 2021, at 11 a.m. AKDT

WHERE:
Sealaska Heritage Institute
105 S. Seward St.
Juneau, AK 99801

BACKGROUND: The stamp was created by Tlingit/Athabascan artist Rico Worl. The stamp design depicts a raven just as he escapes from his human family and begins to transform back into his bird form. To create the stamp art, Worl used formline, the traditional design style of the Indigenous people of the northern Northwest Coast. The art director is Antonio Alcalá.

Among the cultures of the region, the raven plays an essential role in many traditional tales, including stories about the creation of the world. The stamp is inspired by the traditional story of the raven setting the sun, moon and stars free.

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

Updated June 17th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.55″ x 1.45″ The pictorial postmark measures 2.36″ x 1.14″

Updated June 17th from the Postal Bulletin:
On July 30, 2021, in Juneau, AK, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Raven Story stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 478000). This stamp will go on sale nationwide July 30, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

Merging traditional artwork with modern design touches, this stamp depicts one of many stories about Raven, a figure of great significance to the Indigenous people of the northern Northwest Coast, part of the area that ranges from Southeast Alaska through coastal British Columbia and south into Washington state. Among the cultures of the region, the raven plays an essential role in many traditional tales, including stories about the creation of the world. Inspired by the traditional story of Raven setting free the sun, the moon, and the stars, Tlingit/Athabascan artist Rico Worl depicts Raven just as he escapes from his human family and begins to transform back into his bird form. To create the stamp art, Worl used formline, the traditional design style of the Indigenous people of the northern Northwest Coast. Antonio Alcalá served as art director.

No automatic distribution.

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

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

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by November 30, 2021.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Raven Story Stamp
Item Number: 478000
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: July 30, 2021, Juneau, AK 99801
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist:: Rico Worl, Juneau, AK
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Flexographic, Foil Stamping, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 18,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Grey PMS 429, Kurz Luxor 220 Gold
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 0.84 in. / 36.068 x 21.336 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 0.98 in. / 39.624 x 24.892 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.24 x 6.23 in. / 183.896 x 158.242 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 12.71 x 21.71 in. / 322.834 X 551.4334 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by two (2) single digits in bottom two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Raven Story • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2020 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (478000) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text

Heritage Breeds (U.S. 2021)

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on November 17, 2020:From the USPS: These stamps pay tribute to heritage breeds, preindustrial farm animals that are enjoying renewed attention for their versatility, adaptability and unique genetic traits. This pane of 20 stamps includes photographs of 10 heritage breeds: the American Mammoth Jackstock donkey, the Narragansett turkey, the Cayuga duck, the San Clemente Island goat, the Mulefoot hog, the Cotton Patch goose, the American Cream draft horse, the Barbados Blackbelly sheep, the Milking Devon cow and the Wyandotte chicken. Zack Bryant designed the stamps with photographs by Aliza Eliazarov. Greg Breeding served as art director.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.


Updated July 5th:
Here are the Scott catalogue numbers for this issue:
5583 Mulefoot hog
a. Imperforate
5584 Wyandotte chicken
a. Imperforate
5585 Milking Devon cow
a. Imperforate
5586 Narragansett turkey
a. Imperforate
5587 American Mammoth Jackstock donkey
a. Imperforate
5588 Cotton Patch goose
a. Imperforate
5589 San Clemente Island goat
a. Imperforate
5590 American Cream draft horse
a. Imperforate
5591 Cayuga duck
a. Imperforate
5592 Barbados Blackbelly sheep
a. Imperforate
b. Block of 10, #5583-5592
c. Imperforate block of 10, #5583a-5592a

Updated April 8th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark for this issue measures 2.96″ x 1.45″ The B&W pictorial measures 2.75″ x 1.17″

From the Postal Bulletin:

On May 17, 2021, in Mount Vernon, VA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Heritage Breeds stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in 10 designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 480400). These stamps will go on sale nationwide May 17, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Heritage Breeds commemorative pane of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

These stamps pay tribute to heritage breeds, pre-industrial farm animals that are enjoying renewed attention for their versatility, adaptability, and unique genetic traits. This pane of 20 stamps includes photographs of 10 heritage breeds:

  • American Mammoth Jackstock donkey,
  • Narragansett turkey,
  • Cayuga duck,
  • San Clemente Island goat,
  • Mulefoot hog,
  • Cotton Patch goose,
  • American Cream draft horse,
  • Barbados Blackbelly sheep,
  • Milking Devon cow, and
  • Wyandotte chicken.

Zack Bryant designed the stamps with photographs by Aliza Eliazarov. Greg Breeding served as art director.

No automatic distribution.

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

FDOI – Heritage Breeds 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 17, 2021.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Heritage Breeds Stamps
Item Number: 480400
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (10 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: May 17, 2021, Mount Vernon VA 22121
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville VA
Designer: Zack Bryant, Charlottesville VA
Existing Photos:: Aliza Eliazarov, Brooklyn NY
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Flexographic
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 25,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Red PMS 7621, Black PMS 7C
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.085 x 1.42 in./ 27.559 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.225 x 1.56 in./31.115 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.12 x 8.375 in./180.848 x 212.725 mm
Plate Size: 80 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by six (6) single digits in bottom two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Heritage Breeds • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2020 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (480400) • Plate position diagram (4) • Promotional text

Updated April 2nd:
Why Mount Vernon for the first-day city? It has nothing to do with George Washington. It’s about the cows.

The breed shown is endangered. According to Wikipedia, “A herd of Milking Devons are currently being preserved by the Accokeek Foundation’s Heritage Breed Livestock Conservation Program within the National Colonial Farm at Piscataway Park to increase public awareness of this threatened cattle breed.” That’s a National Park, listed as being in Maryland, but the portion that has the National Colonial Farm is run by Accokeek Foundation.

That’s still in Maryland, but right across the Potomac River from the Mount Vernon, VA, post office (two miles as the crow flies).

On the other hand, you’ll pass the Accocreek MD post office on the most direct route between the park and Mount Vernon. (Technically, it’s 5 miles away, again, if you’re a crow.)Just a guess: The Accocreek Post Office may not have the staff or experience to handle a first-day.

Updated March 17th:
These stamps will be issued May 17th with a first-day city of Mount Vernon, VA.

Updated January 7th:
A mat in a suburban Washington, DC, post office indicates a issue date of May 17th. USPS headquarters does not confirm.

Brush Rabbit (U.S. 2021)

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on November 17, 2020:From the USPS: The Postal Service features a brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani) on this beautiful new additional-ounce stamp, available on a pane of 20 or in a coil of 100. The pencil-and-watercolor illustration is from preexisting artwork by designer and illustrator Dugald Stermer. The brush rabbit is a small brownish cottontail rabbit of the U.S. West Coast and Baja California, Mexico. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.


Updated December 17th:

This stamp will be issued in two formats on Sunday, January 24th, with a first-day city of Sacramento, CA. (Note that the breed of rabbit shown is native to the U.S. West Coast.)

The only first-day postmark is the four-bar First Day of Issue “killer bar.”

From the Postal Bulletin:

On January 24, 2021, in Sacramento, CA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Brush Rabbit stamp (Non-denominated Additional Ounce Rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 121100) and a PSA coil of 100 stamps (Item 740300). This stamp will go on sale nationwide January 24, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

A new additional ounce stamp features a brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani). The pencil-and-watercolor illustration is from pre-existing artwork by designer and illustrator Dugald Stermer (1936–2011). The brush rabbit is a small brownish cottontail rabbit of the U.S. West Coast and Baja California, Mexico. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

  • Item 121100, Brush Rabbit (Non-denominated, Additional Ounce) PSA Pane of 20 Stamps
  • Item 740300, Brush Rabbit (Non-denominated, Additional Ounce) PSA Coil of 100 Stamps

No automatic distribution.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. Each cover must have sufficient postage to meet First-Class Mail® requirements. 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 – Brush Rabbit Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by May 24, 2021.

Technical Specifications — sheet version:

Issue: Brush Rabbit Stamp
Item Number: 121100
Denomination &Type of Issue: Non-denominated Additional Ounce Rate
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 24, 2021, Sacramento, CA
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Existing Art: Dugald Stermer
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 50,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS 7529 C Grey
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.542 x 21.336 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.87096 x 0.98 in./22.122 x 24.892 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.35 x 4.93 in./135.89 x 125.222 mm
Plate Size: 400 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in four corners of pane
Back: ©2020 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (121100) • Plate position diagram (10) • Promotional text

Technical Specifications — coil version:

Issue: Brush Rabbit Stamp
Item Number: 740300
Denomination &Type of Issue: Non-denominated Additional Ounce Rate
Format: Coil of 100
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 24, 2021, Sacramento, CA
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Existing Art: Dugald Stermer
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Coil: 100
Print Quantity: 60,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.542 x 21.336 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87096 x 0.98 in./21.122 x 24.892 mm
Coil Size (w x h): 87.00 x 0.98 in./2209.80 x 24.892 mm
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS 7529 C Grey
Plate Size: 744 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by five (5) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate number every 32nd stamp below stamp image

Day of The Dead (U.S. 2021)

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on November 17, 2020:From the USPS: In recent decades, Day of the Dead has caught on in the United States as a festive and increasingly popular celebration for all ages. These new stamps will be the first issued by the U.S. Postal Service to mark this holiday. Luis Fitch designed and illustrated the stamps. Antonio Alcalá was the art director.

These stamps will be issued September 30th with a ceremony in El Paso, Texas.

Here are the Scott catalogue numbers:
5640 Girl’s Skull with Bow
a. Imperforate
5641 Man’s Skull with Hat
a. Imperforate
5642 Woman’s Skull with Curled Hair
a. Imperforate
5643 Boy’s Skull
a. Imperforate
b. Horiz. strip of 4, #5640-5643
c. Imperforate strip of 4, #5640a-5643a

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.


Updated October 21st:
Here is the Digital Color Postmark for this issue:It measures 2.94″ x 1.37″. There is no pictorial black-and-white postmark for this issue, just the FIRST DAY OF ISSUE postmark.

Updated August 28th from the Postal Bulletin:
On September 30, 2021, in El Paso, TX, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Day of the Dead stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 481400). These stamps will go on sale nationwide September 30, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Day of the Dead pane of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

With the release of four colorful new stamps, the Postal Service™ celebrates Day of the Dead, an increasingly popular holiday in the United States. The stamp art features several iconic elements of a traditional Day of the Dead ofrenda, or offering, which honors departed relatives as well as heroes. Stylized, decorated “sugar skulls” are personalized as four family members, one per stamp. The lit candles flanking each sugar skull are beacons to guide deceased loved ones on their annual return journey to the land of the living. Dotting each stamp and embellishing their shared vertical borders are marigolds (cempazuchitles), the most popular Day of the Dead flower. Luis Fitch designed and illustrated the stamps. Antonio Alcalá was the art director.

No automatic distribution.

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

FDOI – Day of the Dead 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 January 30, 2022.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Day of the Dead Stamps
Item Number: 481400
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: September 30, 2021, El Paso, TX 79910
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Luis Fitch, Minneapolis, MN
Artist: Luis Fitch, Minneapolis, MN
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 35,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Overall
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: PMS 185 C, PMS 191 C, PMS 3262 C, PMS 376 C, PMS 021 C, PMS Purple C, PMS 213 C, PMS Yellow C, PMS Black 6 C
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.05 x 0.77 in./ 26.67 x 19.558 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.19 x 0.91 in./30.226 x 23.114 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.76 x 5.55 in./146.304 x 140.97 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 23.04 x 11.1 in./585.216 x 281.94 mm
Plate Size: 320 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by nine (9) single digits in four corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in four corners
Back: ©2020 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (481400) • Plate position diagram (8) • Promotional text

Updated August 25th:

[ceremony advisory]
Lively Day of the Dead Stamps Available Soon

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service celebrates Day of the Dead with four colorful new stamps.

The first-day-of-issue event for the Day of the Dead stamps is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #DayoftheDeadstamps.

WHO: Michael J. Elston, secretary of the USPS Board of Governors, will serve as dedicating official.

WHEN: Thursday, Sep. 30, 2021, at 11 a.m. MDT

WHERE: El Paso Museum of Art
One Arts Festival Plaza
El Paso, TX 79901

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

BACKGROUND: In recent decades, Día de los Muertos, as it is known in Spanish, has caught on in the United States as a festive celebration for all ages. These new stamps from the U.S. Postal Service showcase the Day of the Dead holiday, in all its flower-bedecked splendor.

This pane of 20 Forever stamps contains five identical rows of four colorful stamps featuring several iconic elements of a traditional Day of the Dead offering. Stylized, decorated “sugar skulls” are personalized as family members — a child with a hair bow, a father sporting a hat and mustache, a mother with curled hair, and another child. The vibrant colors of marigold flowers and other embellishments, along with the white of the sugar skulls, stand out brightly from the stamps’ black background.

Luis Fitch designed and illustrated the stamps. Antonio Alcalá was the art director.

Day of the Dead, with all its exuberant color, life-affirming joy, and appeal for the whole family, is fast becoming a popular American holiday.

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

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