Christmas Madonna and Child (U.S. 2024)

Announced October 23, 2023:

A new traditional Christmas stamp will be issued in 2024 featuring the Madonna and Child from the Workshop of Sassoferrato. Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato (1609-1685), gained popularity for his modestly scaled depictions of the Madonna and Child. It is not known whether he painted this work or if it was painted by another artist in his workshop. The painting is in the collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. William Gicker was the art director for the project. Greg Breeding designed the stamp, which will be sold in booklets of 20.

Further information will be posted below the line, with the newest information at the top.

Updated November 5^th:
The Scott catalogue numbers for this issue are 5940 and 5940a for the Convertible booklet pane of 20

Updated August 20^th:

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
U.S. Postal Service to Unveil New Holiday Stamps at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum

When: Saturday, Sept. 14, at 10:30 a.m. EDT

What: The U.S. Postal Service will host a special stamp dedication ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum to unveil the highly anticipated 2024 Christmas Madonna and Child stamp and Holiday Joy stamps.

These stamps capture the spirit of the season, celebrating both the traditional and contemporary aspects of holiday festivities.

The event will include remarks from prominent postal officials and be followed by the National Postal Museum’s Holiday Stamps Family Festival, with guest artist Katie Kirk.

Who: Sheila Holman, USPS vice president of marketing, and Mark Guilfoil, USPS vice president of supply management, will serve as the dedicating officials.

Where: National Postal Museum
2 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Washington, DC 20002

Details: The Madonna and Child stamp has been a beloved part of the Postal Service’s holiday stamp offerings for decades, featuring iconic images of the Virgin Mary and Child from various artistic traditions. This year’s design continues that tradition, offering a beautiful representation of this timeless theme.

The Holiday Joy stamps, meanwhile, offer a vibrant and festive option for holiday greetings, with designs that evoke the joy and warmth of the holiday season.

The dedication ceremony will feature a first-day-of-issue event, where attendees will have the opportunity to purchase the new stamps and get them postmarked with a special first-day-of-issue cancellation.

The event is free and open to the public.
• Visuals: The unveiling of the new stamps
• Remarks from speakers
• A live holiday-themed family festival
• Attendees purchasing and cancelling their stamps
• Autographs by special guests and VIPs

RSVP: Attendees are encouraged to register at usps.com/holidaystampsceremony.

To ensure seating and access to interviews with event speakers and special guests, members of the media are encouraged to RSVP on the USPS media sign-in website.
About the Stamps

Christmas Madonna and Child features the serene Madonna and Child from the workshop of the 17th-century Italian artist Giovanni Battista Salvi, called “Sassoferrato” (1609-1685). William Gicker was the art director and Greg Breeding designed the stamp, which will be sold in booklets of 20.

Holiday Joy, four stamps inspired by Mexican folk art, were designed by Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, using original digital illustrations by Michelle Muñoz.

Christmas Madonna and Child and Holiday Joy are being issued as Forever stamps, which are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce rate.

Updated August 9^th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.71″ x 1.19″ The Pictorial Postmark measures 2.72″ x 1.21″

From the Postal Bulletin:

On September 14, 2024, in Washington, DC, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Christmas Madonna and Child stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) double-sided booklet of 20 stamps (Item 685100). This stamp will go on sale nationwide September 14, 2024, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

This Christmas stamp features the serene Madonna and Child from the workshop of the 17th century Italian artist Giovanni Battista Salvi, called “Sassoferrato” (1609–1685). He and his workshop produced many versions of this painting; this one is from the collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. William Gicker was the art director for the project. Greg Breeding designed the stamp, which will be sold in booklets of 20.

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 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 – Christmas Madonna and Child 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 January 14, 2025.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Christmas Madonna and Child Stamp
Item Number: 685100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-Sided Booklet of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: September 14, 2024, Washington, DC 20066
Art Director: William Gicker, Washington, DC
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Art: Workshop of Sassoferrato
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 210,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, PMS 871C
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.7700 x 1.0500 in. / 19.5580 x 26.6700 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.9100 x 1.1900 in. / 23.1140 x 30.2260 mm
Booklet Size (w x h): 5.7430 x 2.3750 in. / 145.8720 x 60.3250 mm
Plate Size: 800 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings: Header: CHRISTMAS Madonna and Child Twenty First-Class Forever Stamps • © 2023 USPS in peel strip area • Barcode • USPS Logo • Artwork courtesy of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields • Promotional Text • Plate number in peel strip area