Global Poinsettia (U.S. 2018)

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Announced by the USPS July 24th
The Scott Catalogue number is 5311.

Updated August 2nd, from the Postal Bulletin:
On August 26, 2018, in Kansas City, MO, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Global Poinsettia stamp (Global Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail International® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 10 stamps (565900). The stamp will go on sale nationwide August 26, 2018.

Global Poinsettia is a new Global Forever international rate stamp that can be used to mail a 1-ounce letter to any country to which First-Class Mail International® service is available. A striking photograph of a poinsettia arranged against a white background graces this round holiday stamp. Taken from above, the photo captures the beauty of the green leaves, the red bracts, and the yellow flowers in the center of the plant. Text repeated twice around the circumference of the stamp reads “GLOBAL” in bold red letters and “USA,” “FOREVER,” and “2018” in black. William J. Gicker was the art director and Greg Breeding designed the stamp with an existing photograph by Betsy Pettet.

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 or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. 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 – Global Poinsettia 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 December 26, 2018.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Global Poinsettia Stamp
Item Number: 565900
Denomination & Type of Issue: Global Forever International Rate
Format: Pane of 10 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: August 26, 2018, Kansas City, MO 64108
Art Director: William J. Gicker
Designer: Greg Breeding
Typographer: Greg Breeding
Existing Photo: Betsy Pettet
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: 10
Print Quantity: 100,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block tagged
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit, NC
Colors: 186 Red, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Round
Image Area (w x h): 1.2 x 1.2 in./30.48 x 30.48 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.414 x 1.414 in./35.916 x 35.916 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 8.4 x 4.041 in./213.36 x 102.641 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in four corners of pane
Back: ©2018 USPS • USPS logo • Barcode (565900) on each stamp • Plate position diagram • Promotional text

Original July 24th announcement:
Celebrate the holidays with Poinsettia, a new Global Forever stamp. This stamp can be used to mail a 1-ounce letter to any country where First-Class Mail International service is available. As with all Global Forever stamps, this stamp will have a postage value equivalent to the price of the single-piece First-Class Mail International 1-ounce machineable letter in effect at the time of use. These stamps can also be used domestically.

The stamp art features a photo of a poinsettia. Taken from above, the photo captures the beauty of the green leaves, the red bracts, and the yellow flowers in the center of the plant.

Poinsettias are now as much a part of the holidays as evergreens and mistletoe; tens of millions of plants are sold during the season.

The art director for this stamp was William J. Gicker. Greg Breeding designed the stamp with an existing photograph by Betsy Pettet.

The new Global Forever stamps are being issued in self-adhesive panes of 10.

Updated July 26th:
This stamp will be issued August 26th with no ceremony and a Kansas City postmark.

Updated August 18th:
Here’s is the Digital Color Postmark for this issue: It measures 2.47″ x 1.49″. Here is the B&W pictorial postmark:It measures 2.94 x 1.44″.

13 thoughts on “Global Poinsettia (U.S. 2018)”

    • From the AUG 02 Postal Bull. USPS # 565904 PSA Pn 10 $11.50 No Cancellation artwork broadcast yet.

      • I’ve Spoken with SFS KC MO There is NO Keepsake #10 for this stamp. You will have to Roll your Own.

    • 5659 – USPS.COM now has the cancellations, but no #10 Keepsake for this stamp announced yet. ( ? 13.95 ) You can still order a pane-10 ( #04 11.50) and a DCP ( #21 2.30) + 1.25 S/H…

      I’ll bet you there is a facility in/near KC MO that grows Poinsettias… I’d bet they would sponsor a FDoI Ceremony for plants that they sell… Did anyone look?

    • Further Follow-up I Spoke with the folks at (800)STAMP24. As far as they know now, there will be no DCP Keepsake ( #10 ) for this stamp. You will have to Roll Your Own as stated previously.

  3. Why does it have to be on a Sunday?I would like it to be issued on Monday so I can get a local cancellation on the first day.

    • I asked USPS Stamp Services your question. The reply:

      “All stamps have a first day of issuance, however, not all stamps receive dedication ceremonies – this is true for past and present issues. The date and location of a stamp issuance is a business decision that has many determining factors/elements – all of which need to be considered. Stamp Services is aware that collectors would like to have all stamps issued during the week (and not out of the KC SFS location), this has been duly noted. We try very hard to take into consideration the requests of our collector base, and feel as though we have honored this particular request as there have only been a few stamps in the past couple of years in which this has occurred. Our collectors are valuable customers, and we appreciate their continued interest in our annual stamp program. ”

      I have now asked, “no question about non-ceremonies and cities, but does it have to be Sunday?”

  4. Humm, How about an UnOfficial Issue Ceremony, Similar to the one of the temple in Hawaii. Any large botanical gardens that grow Poinsettia’s want some free advertising? I’ll bet they’d sponsor a ceremony…

    • Unfortunately, any such ceremony is unlikely to be on SUNDAY, August 26th.

      Seems to me the USPS is leaving money on the table — collectors buying the stamps and using the $1.15 franking for handback envelopes.

      • Thanks for letting me know the denomination value of $1.15. Massive amount of details, but would be nice to know what the denomination is. The New Issues column in the monthly American Philatelist magazine also rarely mentions the denomination, only that such and such stamp is a “Forever” stamp. Lucky to afford a used copy of Scotts U.S. Specialized catalog that shows the denomination of forever stamps in parenthesis. Even this Virtual Stamp Club listing of new issues does not state the value of Forever stamps!

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