Announced by the USPS on October 24, 2022.
Sailboats stamps celebrate a favorite American outdoor activity with two colorful new postcard stamps. They feature abstract illustrations that capture the joyful sensation of being on the water on a beautiful day. The graphic art was designed and created by artist Libby VanderPloeg, who also created the lettering for the word “postcard,” freehand on a digital tablet. Antonio Alcalá was art director for the project.
New information will appear below the line, with the most recent at the top.
Updated March 7th:
Here are the Scott catalogue numbers for this issue:
5747 (48¢) Two Sailboats, serpentine die cut 11¼x11
5748 (48¢) One Sailboat, serpentine die cut 11¼x11
a. Horiz. or vert. pair, #5747-5748
5749 (48¢) One Sailboat coil stamp, serpentine die cut 9½ vert.
5750 (48¢) Two Sailboats coil stamp, serpentine die cut 9½ vert.
a. Pair, #5749-5750
Updated December 28th:
The First Day Of Issue “killer bars” is the only postmark for this issue.
Updated December 15th from the Postal Bulletin:
On January 22, 2023, in Lahaina, HI, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Sailboats stamps (Non-denominated priced at the Postcard rate) in two designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 122500) and a PSA coil of 100 stamps (Item 740600). These stamps will go on sale nationwide January 22, 2023, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.
Sailboats celebrates a favorite American outdoor activity with two colorful postcard stamps featuring different graphic illustrations that capture the joyful sensation of being on the water on a beautiful day. Artist Libby VanderPloeg started with pencil sketches, then moved into Adobe Illustrator to create the final work in bright, crisp color. VanderPloeg designed the stamps and created the lettering for the word “postcard.” Antonio Alcalá served as art director for the project.
Item 122500, Sailboats (Non-denominated, Postcard Rate) Pane of 20 Stamps
Item 740600, Sailboats (Non-denominated, Postcard Rate) 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 store.usps.com/store/home. 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 – Sailboats 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 May 22, 2023.
Technical Specifications – Pane of 20:
Issue: Sailboats Stamps
Item Number: 122500
Denomination & Type of Issue: Postcard Rate Non-denominated, Mail-use
Format: Pane of 20 (2 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 22, 2023, Lahaina, HI 96761
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Libby VanderPloeg
Typographer: Libby VanderPloeg
Illustrator: Libby VanderPloeg
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 120,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
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 0.98 in / 22.098 x 24.892 mm
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 four (4) single digits
Front: Plate number in four (4) corners of pane
Back: ©2022 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (122500) • Plate position diagram (10) • Promotional text
Technical Specifications – Coil of 100:
Issue: Sailboats Stamps
Item Number: 740600
Denomination & Type of Issue: Postcard Rate Non-denominated, Mail-use
Format: Coil of 100 (2 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 22, 2023, Lahaina, HI 96761
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Libby VanderPloeg
Typographer: Libby VanderPloeg
Illustrator: Libby VanderPloeg
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Coil: 100
Print Quantity: 350,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
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): 0.90 x 0.98 in. / 22.86 x 24.892 mm
Plate Size: 720 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate number every 30th stamp below stamp image
Updated November 30th:
These stamps will be issued Sunday, January 22, in Lahaina, Hawaii, without a ceremony. Neither of Lahaina’s post offices is open on Sundays.
Confused. On USPS site, the stamps appear in coil format. Here – they are panes. I need to assume they will be released in both, both the format isn’t stated in any descriptions.🤔
MAYBE more info in tomorrow’s Postal Bulletin.
The Answer from Post Bull 15 DEC. USPS# 1225 Pane – 20, USPS# 7406 Coil – 100. 4-Bar FDoI cancel. No Official Ceremony. ( Local Stamp Club – First Day of Sale postmark, on Postcards of Hula Dancers? )
from Linns: scott nr’s Blue Sail pn 5747, cl 5749; Yellow sail pn 5748, cl 5750.
The idea that there is anything “abstract” about these stamps is a total joke. The bar on being “abstract” is being lowered and lowered and lowered to the point that one is forced to suspect it is being done as an attempt to squeeze out any space for anything other than a total photorealism not to be called “abstract,” to give the truly abstract no room in which to operate, and to distort what is called realism and the representational for ideological, philosophical reasons.
Why a Sunday release ? ? ?
Why Sunday releases for any items ? ? ?
Makes absolutely no sense as post offices are closed.
The rate change stamps are usually released on the day of the rate change, which is almost always a Sunday, with no first-day ceremony and few post offices open.