Updated June 1st: First day postmarks:
Standard 4-bar FIRST DAY OF ISSUE
Digital Color Postmark: 
from the Postal Bulletin May 27th:
On June 1, 2015, in Kansas City, MO, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Non-machineable Surcharge Rate, (Non-denominated priced at 71 cents), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 117800).
The stamp will go on sale nationwide June 1, 2015.
The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on its fifth butterfly stamp issuance for greeting card envelopes that require additional postage. The stamp art is a colorful, highly stylized depiction of the butterfly. The words “NON-MACHINEABLE SURCHARGE” on the stamp indicate its usage value. Like a Forever® stamp, this stamp will always be valid for the rate printed on it. The initial price and value for this stamp is 71 cents. Named for the black “tiger” stripes along the upper surfaces of its wings, the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is easily spotted. Abundant from southern New England to Florida and west to the Great Plains and central Texas, the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is a frequent visitor to gardens, woodlands, and riverbeds. Tom Engeman was the artist. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.
How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-Issue Postmark: by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store® website at http://www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:
71¢ Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Stamp
Cancellation Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Pillar 210
Kansas City, MO 64144-0001
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. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by July 31, 2015.
There are seven philatelic products for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail stamp issue:
- 117806, Press Sheet with Die-cut, $85.20 (print quantity 250).
- 117808, Press Sheet without Die-cut, $85.20 (print quantity 500).
- 117810, Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $16.95.
- 117816, First-Day Cover, $1.15.
- 117821, Digital Color Postmark, $1.86.
- 117831, Stamp Deck Card, $0.95.
- 117832, Stamp Deck Card with Digital Color Postmark, $2.21.
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Stamp
Item Number: 117800
Denomination & Type of Issue: Non-Machineable Surcharge Rate, Mail-Use
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 1, 2015, Kansas City, MO 64108
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Artist: Tom Engeman, Frederick, MD
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 100 million stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag applied
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS 2726C Purple
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.09 x 1.09 in./27.56 x 27.56 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.23 x 1.23 in./31.12 x 31.12 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.90 x 7.12 in./149.86 x 180.85 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 11.80 x 21.36 in./299.72 x 542.54 mm
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings: Front: Plate numbers in four corners of pane
Back: © 2015 USPS • USPS logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (117800) in upper right and lower left corners of pane • Promotional text
From the USPS May 26th:
The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the Eastern tiger swallowtail on its fifth butterfly stamp issuance for greeting card envelopes that require additional postage. The stamp art is a colorful, highly stylized depiction of the butterfly. The words “NON-MACHINEABLE SURCHARGE” on the stamp indicate its usage value. Non-machinable items require sorting by hand. This stamp also may be used for mailing items weighing up to 2-ounces.
These Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the applicable price for the price category printed on them, at the time of use. The initial price and value for this stamp is 71 cents, effective May 31. Named for the black “tiger” stripes along the upper surfaces of its wings, the Eastern tiger swallowtail is easily spotted. Abundant from southern New England to Florida and west to the Great Plains and central Texas, the Eastern tiger swallowtail is a frequent visitor to gardens, woodlands, and riverbeds. Tom Engeman of Frederick, MD, was the artist. Art director Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, designed the stamp.
[Note “This stamp also may be used for mailing items weighing up to 2-ounces.” in the above writeup. —LdeV]
From the USPS May 18th:
The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the Eastern tiger swallowtail on its fifth butterfly stamp issuance for greeting card envelopes that require additional postage. The stamp art is a colorful, highly stylized depiction of the butterfly. The words “NON-MACHINEABLE SURCHARGE” on the stamp indicate its usage value. These Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the applicable price for the price category printed on them, at the time of use. The initial price and value for this stamp is 71 cents. Named for the black “tiger” stripes along the upper surfaces of its wings, the Eastern tiger swallowtail is easily spotted. Abundant from southern New England to Florida and west to the Great Plains and central Texas, the Eastern tiger swallowtail is a frequent visitor to gardens, woodlands, and riverbeds. Tom Engeman was the artist. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.
The first day of issue is June1, without a ceremony. The city is Kansas City (Stamp Fulfillment Services).
This is a beautiful design.
From Oneco CT USPS Maurice Bessette
USPS Item # 1178 (2 oz Forever) Pane of 20 $14.20
(No coil of 100 number yet)
For the likes of me, I cannot understand how the post office can issue a stamp with neither price or other pertinent information on them. How does one know later on what they are looking at? I understand that this stamp is FOREVER as to 2 ounces, which would make it great for people like me who need to add an additional ounce on their mail. But is it forever? And if so, why can’t they put on the stamp as they do on the one ounce Forever stamps – 2ounces FOREVER! Now I don’t know what the heck I’m doing. Please advise.
Actually, I think the butterflies stamps (this was #5 in the series) are for the surcharge for non-standard shape mail such as greeting cards. At the bottom, the 2015 entry (this one) says “nonmachineable surcharge.” The Tulip stamp last year, when it was reissued as a two-ounce Forever stamp, does say “Two Ounce” on it. (See our illustration http://www.virtualstampclub.com/2015/s_vtulip2oz.png )
A few weeks ago, a window clerk at my post office told me I didn’t have enough postage on an outgoing large envelope, until I pointed out that the Tulip was worth 68 cents (and 71 when I bought ’em, darn it).
Much more confusing are the letter stamps of the 1970s and early 1980s: A, B, C. The USPS has a chart for clerks to use to decipher these stamps without prices on them.