Mister Rogers (U.S. 2018)

The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 5275.

From the USPS (updates are below the basic announcement): Click here for photos from the first day ceremony.

Mister Rogers Fred Rogers (1928–2003) was known as a beloved television neighbor to generations of children. His groundbreaking public television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood inspired and educated young viewers with warmth, sensitivity and honesty.

This stamp will be issued March 23 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a first-day ceremony.

Updated February 2nd:

USPS Media Advisory
U.S. Postal Service to Dedicate Mister Rogers Forever Stamp

WHAT: First-day-of-issue dedication ceremony for the Mister Rogers Forever stamp. The event is free and open to the public. Please share the news using the hashtag #MisterRogersStamp.

WHO: Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Megan J. Brennan (right)

WHEN: Friday, March 23 at 11 a.m. ET

WHERE: WQED’s Fred Rogers Studio
4802 5th Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

BACKGROUND: Followers of the U.S. Postal Service’s Facebook page can view the ceremony live at facebook.com/USPS.

Fred Rogers (1928-2003) was known as a beloved television neighbor to generations of children. His groundbreaking public television series “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” inspired and educated young viewers with warmth, sensitivity and honesty.

Filmed in Pittsburgh and first distributed nationally in 1968 by a predecessor of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the program was innovative and unlike anything on television for children at that time. Each episode of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” began with its host welcoming the audience into his television house. While singing “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Rogers always put on his trademark cardigan, changed into sneakers and then introduced the day’s topic. He discussed many of the experiences of growing up, delicately covering everything from sharing and friendship to difficult subjects like anger, fear and divorce.

Updated February 16 from the Postal Bulletin:

On March 23, 2018, in Pittsburgh, PA, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Mister Rogers stamp (Forever® priced at 50 cents) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 477200). The stamp will go on sale nationwide March 23, 2018.

Fred Rogers (1928-2003) was known as a beloved television neighbor to generations of children. His groundbreaking public television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood inspired and educated young viewers with warmth, sensitivity, and honesty. The stamp features Walt Seng’s photograph of Rogers in a red cardigan and also includes puppet King Friday XIII, a Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood character hailing from “The Neighborhood of Make-Believe.” Rogers, who sang and composed hundreds of songs for the show, used puppets and their human friends to discuss many of the experiences of growing up, delicately covering everything from sharing and friendship to difficult subjects like anger, fear, divorce, and death. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 477200, Mister Rogers (Forever priced at 50 cents) Commemorative Pane of 20 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services (SFS) 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 120 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 phone at 800-782-6724. 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 – Mister Rogers 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 July 23, 2018.

There are both Digital Color and pictorial first-day postmarks for this issue. In addition, local post offices may use this postmark:

Philatelic products for this stamp issue are as follows:

  • 477206 Press Sheet with Die-cut, $60.00.
  • 477210 Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $11.95.
  • 477216 First-Day Cover, $0.94.
  • 477221 Digital Color Postmark, $1.65.
  • 477230 Ceremony Program, $6.95.
  • 477233 Panel, $10.95.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Mister Rogers Stamp
Item Number: 477200
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail® Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: March 23, 2018, Pittsburgh, PA 15290
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Artist: Walt Seng
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: 12,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit NC
Colors: Cool Gray 7, Pantone 7675, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in/21.34 x 36.07 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in/24.89 x 39.62 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.92 x 8.00 in/150.37 x 203.20 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 11.84 x 24.00 in/300.74 x 609.60 mm
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by six (6) digits (corrected by USPS March 1st)
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate numbers in two corners o Header: Mister Rogers
Back: ©2017 USPS o USPS Logo o Two barcodes (477200) o Plate Position Diagram o Promotional Text

Here are the first-day cancels for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.43″ x 1.43″The pictorial postmark for this issue measures 2.33″ x 1.49″ The special (local) postmark measures 2.96″ x 1.10″

Updated March 15:

[USPS media advisory]
U.S. Postal Service to Dedicate Mister Rogers Forever Stamp

WHAT: DUE TO OVERWHELMING DEMAND, THIS EVENT IS NOW AT CAPACITY. [emphasis added] First-day-of-issue dedication ceremony for the Mister Rogers Forever stamp. Share the news using the hashtag #MisterRogersStamp.

WHO: Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Megan J. Brennan
The Fred Rogers Company President and CEO Paul Seifken
McFeely-Rogers Foundation Executive Director James R. Okonak

WHEN: Friday, March 23 at 11 a.m. ET

WHERE: WQED’s Fred Rogers Studio
4802 5th Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

BACKGROUND: Followers of the U.S. Postal Service’s Facebook page can view the ceremony live at facebook.com/USPS.

Fred Rogers (1928–2003) was known as a beloved television neighbor to generations of children. His groundbreaking public television series “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” inspired and educated young viewers with warmth, sensitivity and honesty.

Filmed in Pittsburgh and first distributed nationally in 1968 by a predecessor of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the program was innovative and unlike anything on television for children at that time. Each episode of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” began with its host welcoming the audience into his television house. While singing “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Rogers always put on his trademark cardigan, changed into sneakers and then introduced the day’s topic. He discussed many of the experiences of growing up, delicately covering everything from sharing and friendship to difficult subjects like anger, fear and divorce.

22 thoughts on “Mister Rogers (U.S. 2018)

  1. I sure hope this is on Automatic Distribution. Several People who were in line at the post office said They Would Buy this stamp. Will see when this is announced in the February Postal Bulletin.

      • From Postal Bull: 15 FEB
        23 MAR 2018 Auto Dist YES
        USPS# 477204 Pn 20 $10
        #06 Press Sheet $60 #16 FDoI 94c #21 DCP $1.65
        #10 keepsake $11.95 There is a DCP, PIC, and Any City cancel ( signature ) for this stamp.

        • Correction to Tech Spec’s: Plate Number
          Printed by BCA, so will have a Bxxxxxx vs a Pxxxxxx. Corrected in Postal Bull MAR 01.

          • Several Post Offices have Sold Out. Still not on eBay a week later. They’ve got a Hot One & don’t make it available… ( Duhh )

          • A Month Later, and STILL None of the local post offices are being allowed to order more Mr Rogers Stamps. Many Sold Out in a week, the last one sold out 10 days later. Is USPS Waiting on a Second Printing to send out more? However, Still Available from USPS.COM & eBay ( Seller usps )…

          • Today the local USPS Supervisor said he was again allowed to order more of the Mr Rogers stamps. ( A month later … )

          • Incredibly, my local post office NEVER got the stamp. So much for “automatic distribution to all post offices.”

  2. March 20th would’ve been his 90th birthday and a release ceremony couldn’t have been planned THREE DAYS EARLIER?

    Maybe I’m too much of a purist. To me, if you’re going to celebrate someone’s life, do it either on their birth date or on their death date. DON’T do it on a random date !

    On the other hand, the design/photo is GREAT !

    • Yes; I’ve always believed this, unless it’s regarding another significant anniversary in his life or career. Commemorative stamps should commemorate something; otherwise they should be definitives.

    • The USPS’ stamp release dates are often dictated by the estate or interest group, especially regarding the availability of family members and friends.

  3. I worked as a Cameraman at WQED in Pittsburgh for awhile, so this stamp is very close to my heart. Bravo USPS

    • On of the USPS Supervisors here said she had once lived in Pittsburg, and had met Mr Rogers. I gave her boss a First Day Ceremony Program/cover to give to her, saying she had been doing a good job. Maybe this will help my mail delivery…

  4. It is strongly rumored That Mr. Rogers served in the US Army as a B-52 Tail Gunner Instructor. How come ,if true wasn’t mentioned?! The Guy who delivered the letters was named Mr. Feeny.

    • According to Wikipedia’s bio of him, “Despite recurring rumors, he never served in the military.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Rogers#Early_and_personal_life It cites as sources the well-known and -regarded Internet myth-buster site, Snopes.com and two others.

      Rogers was born in 1928, so he didn’t turn 18 (minimum legal age to serve in the military) until 1946. So even if he had served, he would not have served during World War II.

      The letter carrier was Mr. McFeely. McFeely was Rogers’ middle name.

      • I was showing a pane of these to someone today. They said they had heard Mr Rogers had been in the Special Forces. If so, he may have a cover story, as no one would Confirm or Deny if they had actually been involved with such a unit anyway… Irregardless, I don’t have a need to know.

  5. It’s strongly rumored that Mr. Rogers was in the US Armed Forces during WWII. Any trith to ths matter. If so how come no mention of it?! The Letter carrier’s name was Mr. Feeny.

  6. I watched the USPS First Day of Issue Ceremony live. Walt Seng, who is a friend of mine, is the photographer/artist whose photo of Mr. Fred Rogers holding King Friday XIII is the basis for the stamp that was dedicated. I was expecting to see Walt up on the stage as part of the ceremony and receiving some of the honor. But, he was not included in the filmed ceremony. Why did the Postal Service neglect having him up there? Walt has a bit of a story to tell about the photo and much more to say about his work photographing Mr. Fred Rogers back in the day and should have up on the stage sharing in the honor.

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