Columbia River Gorge (U.S. 2016)

Updated March 7th: The Scott Catalogue number for this issue is 5041; the imperforate single is 5041a.

Updated January 21st: From the Postal Bulletin:
s_gorgeOn January 17, 2016, in Washington, DC, the U.S. Postal Service® issued the $22.95 Columbia River Gorge Priority Mail Express® stamp, in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 10 stamps (Item 119300).

The stamp went on sale nationwide January 17, 2016.

With this new Priority Mail Express stamp, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the grandeur of the Columbia River Gorge. Approximately 80 miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep, the gorge runs along the Columbia River, which forms part of the border between Oregon and Washington. The stamp art captures the beauty of the Columbia River as it winds its way through the steep cliffs of the Cascade Mountain Range. The historic Vista House, sitting atop Crown Point and overlooking the river 725 feet below, shimmers in the golden light of the setting sun. Art director Phil Jordan designed the stamp with original art by Dan Cosgrove.

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:

Columbia River Gorge Stamp
Special Events
PO Box 92282
Washington, DC 20090-2282

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 March 17, 2016.

There are four philatelic products for this stamp issue:

  • 119306, Press Sheet with Die-cut, $688.50 (print quantity 100).
  • 119308, Press Sheet without Die-cut, $688.50 (print quantity 250).
  • 119316 First-Day Cover, $23.39.
  • 119321 Digital Color Postmark, $24.10.

Technical Specifications:

s_gorgeIssue: Columbia River Gorge
Item Number: 119300
Denomination & Type of Issue: $22.95 Priority Mail Express Price
Format: Pane of 10 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 17, 2016, Washington, DC 20066
Designer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Art Director: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Typographer: Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
Artist: Dan Cosgrove, Chicago, IL
Modeler: Michelle Finn/Sandra Lane
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Printed at: Browns Summit, NC
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 10
Print Quantity: 1,500,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Overall
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit SC
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 1.085 in./36.07 x 27.56 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 1.225 in./39.62 x 31.12 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 4.12 x 7.12 in./104.65 x 180.85 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 4.12 x 21.36 in./104.65 x 542.54 mm
Plate Size: 150 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate numbers in two corners of pane
Back: © 2015 USPS • USPS logo • Plate position diagram • Two (2) selvage UPC codes plus one (1) UPC code per stamp • Website information

Updated January 15th: This stamp will be issued January 17th, still with a Washington postmark and still without a ceremony.

From the USPS:

Priority Mail Express
FDOI: January in Washington, DC (no ceremony)
s_gorgeFormat: Pane of 10

With this new Priority Mail Express™ stamp, the U.S. Postal Service® celebrates the grandeur of the Columbia River Gorge. Approximately 80 miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep, the gorge runs along the Columbia River, which forms part of the border between Oregon and Washington.

The stamp art captures the beauty of the Columbia River as it winds its way through the steep cliffs of the Cascade Mountain Range. The historic Vista House, sitting atop Crown Point and overlooking the river 725 feet below, shimmers in the golden light of the setting sun.

Art Director: Phil Jordan
Illustrator: Dan Cosgrove

5 thoughts on “Columbia River Gorge (U.S. 2016)

  1. From USPS.COM JAN 17 USPS Item 1193xx. There IS a FDC (#16 $23.29) and a DCP (#21 $24.10) as well as Mini-Sheets (cut and un-cut More than $600).

  2. Today is a Very Rainy and Windy day on the Columbia Gorge. I wouldn’t want to be up at Vista House today. It is Snowing on Mt Hood and the Lodge at Timberline has a blizzard warning in effect. Chain Restrictions on US Hwy 26 to Government Camp. Some folks like going out in weather like this, I’ll just go up past LiHue and watch the Big Waves on the north shore. (Still not signs of the Marine Choppers that crashed north of Oahu…)

  3. Does anyone know who named the river Columbia and what did the Native Americans call it?

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