Yogi Berra (U.S. 2021)

Announced on January 15th:

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

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


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

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

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

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

No automatic distribution.

Special Dedication Postmarks

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

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

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

Technical Specifications:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bob Costas, Emmy Award-winning sportscaster

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7 thoughts on “Yogi Berra (U.S. 2021)

  1. I interviewed Berra by telephone in the late 1970s, when I was at a Washington DC alll-news radio station. It was “rumored” that he was interested in the opening to manage the Cubs. I found his home phone number (it wasn’t hard; he was listed!) and called him. His wife said he was playing cards, but she’d get him.

    First, I apologized for interrupting his card game. “That’s all right. I was losing anyway.” Then I asked if it were true that he was interested. “Sure, who wouldn’t be interested in a managing job?”

    I also met him briefly about 25 years later.

      • Thank you for your interest in attending the Yogi Berra stamp First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremony!
        We look forward to seeing you at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, 8 Yogi Berra Drive, Little Falls, NJ 07424 on Thursday, June 24, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.

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