Sharks (U.S. 2017)

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Updated September 3rd, 2017: The Scott Catalogue numbers for this issue are

5223 (49¢) Sharks – Mako Shark
5224 (49¢) Sharks – Whale Shark
5225 (49¢) Sharks – Thresher Shark
5226 (49¢) Sharks – Hammerhead Shark
5227 (49¢) Sharks – Great White Shark
a. Vert. strip of 5, #5223-5227

Updated June 22, 2017:
Here is the Digital Color Postmark for this issue: It measures 2.99″ x 1.39″. The pictorial postmark is: It measures 2.63″ x 1.5″.

Updated June 22, 2017:
On July 26, 2017, in Newport, KY, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Sharks stamps (Forever® priced at 49 cents), in five designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 474500). The Sharks $9.80 pane of 20 stamps may not be split, and the stamps may not be sold individually. The stamps will go on sale nationwide July 26, 2017.

This issuance celebrates the wonder of sharks with a pane of 20 stamps featuring realistic images of five species that inhabit American waters:

  • The mako shark, represented here by a shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus);
  • The whale shark (Rhincodon typus);
  • The thresher shark, here a pelagic thresher (Alopias pelagicus);
  • The hammerhead shark, this one a scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini); and
  • The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)

On the selvage, the stamp image of the great white shark is repeated at the top of the pane. The background blue color deepens in shade as one looks down the pane, evoking inky ocean waters barely penetrated by sunlight. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp pane with original artwork by Sam Weber.

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 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:

FDOI – Sharks 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 September 26, 2017.

Philatelic products for this stamp issue are as follows:

  • 474506, Press Sheet with Die-cut, $88.20
  • 474510 Digital Color Postmark Keepsake (set of 5), $18.95
  • 474516 First-Day Cover (set of 5), $4.65
  • 474521 Digital Color Postmark (set of 5), $8.20
  • 474524 Framed Art, $29.95
  • 474527 Folio, $18.95
  • 474530 Ceremony Program, $6.95
  • 474533 Panel, $10.95
  • 474534 Stamp Ceremony Memento, $21.95

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Sharks Stamps
Item Number: 474500
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail® Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (5 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: July 26, 2017, Newport, KY 41071
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Artist: Sam Weber, Brooklyn, 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 Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 40,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit NC
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 0.84 in/36.07 x 21.34 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 0.98 in/39.62 x 24.89 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.24 x 8.00 in/183.90 x 203.20 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 21.97 x 24.25 in/558.04 x 615.95 mm
Plate Size: 180 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate numbers in two corners of pane
Back: © 2016 USPS • USPS logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (474500) in lower right and lower left corners of pane • Promotional text

Updated June 2, 2017:
Why Newport, Kentucky? It’s home to the Newport Aquarium, which includes Shark Central. That exhibit allows visitors to pet many species of sharks! More on the sharks at the Aquarium here. The website’s calendar does not yet mention the stamp issuance, but does point out that the Aquarium is “two minutes from downtown Cincinnati.”

Updated June 1, 2017:
The USPS says these stamps will be issued July 26 in Newport, Kentucky.

s_sharksFrom the USPS, September 20, 2016:

This issuance celebrates the wonder of sharks with a pane of 20 stamps featuring realistic images of five species that inhabit American waters: mako shark, represented here by a shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus); thresher shark, here a pelagic thresher (Alopias pelagicus); great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias); whale shark (Rhincodon typus); and hammerhead shark, this one a scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini). Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp pane with original artwork by Sam Weber.

8 thoughts on “Sharks (U.S. 2017)”

  1. I hope this is issued in the Cape Cod area, where Jaws was filmed (Martha’s Vineyard) and where there is a great deal of shark research and tagging.

  2. It seems there is a Stamp show / convention in Cincinnati on AUG 5-6, just
    across the river from Newport KY. I’ve an inquiry out to the cincin club. Any other info ?

  3. I live on the Outer Banks of NC and this issue is perfect. Sharks are wonderful creatures. Thanks USPS.

  4. So, you pre-order the shark stamps, they get delivered to your home, then you send them back to Kentucky to get the First Day of Issue.

    • No, you send them to Kansas City, Missouri. They’re shipped from KC to you, then you send them back to KC for canceling.

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