Updated September 3rd: The Scott Catalogue numbers for these are:

• 5101 1938 International Harvester D-2
• 5102 1953 Chevrolet
• 5103 1948 Ford F-1
• 5104 1965 Ford F-100

Updated July 8th:
The USPS has a very limited number of free tickets to the Pickup Trucks Forever stamps dedication ceremony and that day’s Car Show that takes place July 15 in Syracuse, NY.

The tickets are limited to no more than two individuals per RSVP. Visit www.usps.com/trucks to apply for the tickets. (Note: once you’re in the registration area, you’ll see a notation for 1 to 99 tickets. Note that this limit is to two tickets only per RSVP).

Tickets may be picked up July 15 at the will call center at Gate #1 which is the main entrance.

The event will take place Friday, July 15 at 1 p.m.,

The Syracuse Nationals Car Show
New York State Fairgrounds, Horticultural Center
581 State Fair Blvd.
Syracuse, NY 13209

Here’s the link to the show’s website.

Updated July 3rd: Here are the first-day cancellations for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.6” x 1.25″ The B&W pictorial measures 2.52” x 1.13”.

Updated June 23rd: The dedicating official will be USPS Chief Human Resource Officer Jeff Williamson.

Updated June 10, from the USPS:

Pickup Trucks Forever Stamps
Friday, July 15, 2016 at 1:00 p.m.
Syracuse Nationals
New York State Fairgrounds
Horticultural Center
581 State Fair Blvd.
Syracuse, NY 13209

Background:
In 2016, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates pickup trucks, the rugged and reliable work vehicles that Americans have driven for nearly a century. The stamps feature four iconic models: the 1938 International Harvester D-2, the 1948 Ford F-1, the 1953 Chevrolet, and the 1965 Ford F-100.

Artist Chris Lyons of Pittsford, NY, used Adobe Illustrator to create stylized renderings of the pickup trucks. Art director Antonio Alcalá of Alexandria, VA, designed the stamps.

The origin of pickup trucks can be traced back to the early 20th century, when automobiles first became popular in the United States. They made personally hauling cargo, which once was the job of horse-drawn wagons, easier than ever. By the early 1900s, several manufacturers first began producing light-duty trucks in limited numbers.

International Harvester supplied and maintained trucks on stateside military bases during World War I. In 1917, Ford released the Model TT, which had a one-ton chassis. For 1918, Chevrolet introduced the Model 490 truck. But because drivers had to purchase their own cargo beds and bodies, these vehicles weren’t considered true pickup trucks.

The first fully factory assembled pickup truck didn’t arrive until the middle of the next decade, when the 1925 Ford Model T Runabout with Pick-Up Body made its debut. A fortified version of Ford’s landmark Model T, it had a base price of $281, featured a steel bed, and was powered by a modest 20-horsepower engine. Ford sold nearly 34,000 Model T pickups, helping kick start the popularity of pickup trucks.

Automaker Studebaker used the word “pickup” in an advertisement in 1913, but the exact root of the term “pickup” is unclear. By the Great Depression, it had become part of the American lexicon. U.S. Federal Regulations currently classify the pickup truck as “a non-passenger automobile which has a passenger compartment and an open cargo area (bed).”

Known for its production of agricultural equipment, International Harvester also made acclaimed light-duty trucks. In the 1930s, the company introduced its D line of pickups. With its six-cylinder engine and half-ton payload capacity, the 1938 International Harvester D-2 was a strong, sturdy pickup. The model was also visually striking. It had a distinct barrel-shaped grille and its elegant styling mirrored the look of luxury automobiles of the era.

By the end of World War II, pickups had become ubiquitous, especially in rural America. The nation’s major manufacturers soon began designing well-equipped trucks that no longer resembled the bare-bones models they once offered.

In 1947, Chevrolet rolled out the Advance-Design Series, the first all-new post-World War II pickup truck line. The new Chevys were roomier and more powerful than ever before. Advance-Design pickups, such as the 1953 Chevrolet, featured large windshields that provided drivers with excellent visibility, a distinctive curvy grille that bulged in the middle, and a six-cylinder engine. Advance-Design trucks were America’s top-selling pickups for nearly a decade.

The same year Chevy debuted its new line, International Harvester introduced its KB-Series of trucks. During World War II thousands of soldiers drove IH trucks, and once back home, welcomed the chance to own a stylish KB-1, -2 or -3 pickup.

Ford’s F-Series also differed greatly from relatively sparse models previously available. Also known as the “Bonus Built” line, F-Series trucks were, in the words of Ford’s famous advertising campaign, “built stronger to last longer.” Ford launched the new line with the 1948 Ford F-1. It included features like the roomy “Million Dollar Cab,” a sharp horizontal five-bar grille, and a six- or eight-cylinder engine. Ford sold more than 300,000 trucks in the first model year of the F-Series.

In the 1960s and 1970s, International Harvester’s line of light trucks flourished. In addition to the pickup version of the popular Scout, the company offered the C-Series, including the C-110. Most IH pickups of the era were available in a number of different wheelbases, a variety of engines, and with a larger, “Bonus-Load” bed. These models also offered a crew cab option, a popular concept introduced by IH in 1957.

For the 1965 model year, the F-Series pickup got a facelift. The 1965 Ford F-100 had a new grille that featured 18 small rectangular openings. It also featured what Ford dubbed “Twin-I-Beam” independent front suspension, which improved the quality of the ride, and a powerful six- or eight-cylinder engine. The F-Series is still in production today and remains the country’s top-selling truck line. As of 2015, there have been 13 generations of F-Series pickups.

From the Postal Bulletin:

On July 15, 2016, in Syracuse, NY, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the Pickup Trucks First-Class Mail stamps (Forever priced at 47 cents), in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) double-sided booklet of 20 stamps (Item 680900).

These stamps will go on sale nationwide July 15, 2016.

In 2016, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates pickup trucks, the rugged and reliable work vehicles that Americans have driven for nearly a century. Each of four new stamps features one of the following iconic models: the 1938 International Harvester D-2, the 1948 Ford F-1, the 1953 Chevrolet, and the 1965 Ford F-100. The strong, sturdy 1938 International Harvester D-2 had a distinct barrel-shaped grille and its elegant styling mirrored the look of luxury automobiles of the era. The 1953 Chevrolet, featured large windshields that provided drivers with excellent visibility, a distinctive curvy grille that bulged in the middle, and a six-cylinder engine. The 1948 Ford F-1 included features like the roomy “Million Dollar Cab,” a sharp horizontal five-bar grille, and a six- or eight-cylinder engine. The 1965 Ford F-100 had a new grille that featured 18 small rectangular openings. It also featured what Ford dubbed “Twin-I-Beam” independent front suspension. Art director Antonio Alcal· designed the stamps with original artwork by Chris Lyons.

Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

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 800-782-6724. 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:

Pickup Trucks Stamps
Postmaster
5640 East Taft Road
Syracuse, NY 13220-9810

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 15, 2016.

There are six philatelic products for this stamp issue:

• 680906 Press Sheet with Die-cut, $75.20 (print quantity 2,000).
• 680910 Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $15.95.
• 680916 First-Day Cover (set of 4), $3.64.
• 680921 Digital Color Postmark (set of 4), $6.48.
• 680924 Framed Art, $39.95.
• 680930 Ceremony Program (random single), $6.95.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Pickup Trucks Stamps
Item Number: 680900
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N?A
Issue Date & City: July 15, 2016, Syracuse, NY 13220
Art Director: Antonio Alcal·, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcal·, Alexandria, VA
Typographer: Antonio Alcal·, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Chris Lyons, Pittsford, NY
Modeler: Sandra Lane?Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Printed at: Browns Summit, NC
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 250 million stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged, Block
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit, NC
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, PMS Cool Gray 7
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.05 x .77 in.?26.67 x 19.56 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 1.19 x .91 in.?30.22 x 23.11 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 2.375 x 5.743 in.?60.33 x 145.88 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 11.486 x 9.5 in.?291.74 x 241.30 mm
Plate Size: 800 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings: ï Plate numbers in peel strip area ï © 2015 ï USPS in peel strip area

From the USPS:

4 designs
FDOI: Information to come. (3rd Quarter)
Format: Booklet of 20

Celebrating the rugged and reliable work vehicles that Americans have driven for nearly a century, each of the four new stamps features one of the following iconic models:

• the 1938 International Harvester D-2,
• the 1948 Ford F-1,
• the 1953 Chevrolet, and
• the 1965 Ford F-100.

The strong, sturdy 1938 International Harvester D-2 had a distinct barrel-shaped grille and its elegant styling mirrored the look of luxury automobiles of the era.

The 1953 Chevrolet, featured large windshields that provided drivers with excellent visibility, a distinctive curvy grille that bulged in the middle, and a six-cylinder engine.

The 1948 Ford F-1 included features like the roomy “Million Dollar Cab,” a sharp horizontal five-bar grille, and a six- or eight-cylinder engine.

The 1965 Ford F-100 had a new grille that featured 18 small rectangular openings. It also featured what Ford dubbed “Twin-I-Beam” independent front suspension.

Art Director: Antonio Alcalá
Illustrator: Chris Lyons

[This issue was rumored in 2014. See this story And also in June 2014, I asked then-Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe about future automotive series, ““Yeah, I need to— we need to get rolling. I’ve got to try to talk to the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee to come up with… maybe pickup trucks. That would be a good one. We’ve done a number of car series, including the Hot Rods, so trucks might be good next.”.  —LdeV]