The U.S. Postal Service first announced this issue in its advisory August 28th about the Sparkling Holidays stamps first day ceremony:
The Postal Service issues four new stamps and a souvenir sheet [shown on right] showcasing classic images of Santa Claus painted by famed commercial artist Haddon Sundblom. Each stamp portrays a close-up of Santa’s face. The four images featured in the booklet are details from larger paintings created by Sundblom and originally published in ads for The Coca-Cola Company from the 1940s through the early 1960s. Sundblom is the man credited with refining the modern image of Santa Claus.
The souvenir sheet includes a semi-jumbo stamp as part of a wider scene of one of Sundblom’s paintings chosen for the Sparkling Holidays stamp booklet. In it, Santa is depicted standing by a fireplace holding a book that lists good boys and girls. Three Christmas stockings hang along a mantel decorated with greens and ornaments. Peering over his glasses, Santa reads a note among the stockings.
A quatrefoil design element surrounded by a metallic gold background encloses the scene. The use of gold metallic ink, the flow of the type, and the organic shape of the border are intended to harken back to the graphic style of the first half of the 20th century. Art director Greg Breeding designed the souvenir sheet and the stamps.
Santa’s legend is based on customs brought to America by European immigrants. St. Nicholas, the Dutch Sinterklaas, was one of Santa’s forebearers. He delivered gifts on Dec. 5, the eve of his feast day.
Note: Sparkling Holidays Stamps, sold in books of 20, and the Sparkling Holidays Souvenir Sheet, with one stamp, will be available for pre-order online starting Sept. 14 at The Postal Store at usps.com. The souvenir sheet will only be sold through usps.com or by calling 1-800-STAMP24.
The souvenir sheet, along with the stamps, will be issued Thursday, October 11th, at The Inn at Christmas Place in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Updated September 13th:
On October 11, 2018, in Pigeon Forge, TN, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Sparkling Holidays Souvenir Sheet (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive souvenir sheet of one stamp (item 566300). The stamp will go on sale October 11, 2018.
Celebrate the holidays with the Sparkling Holidays Souvenir Sheet. The artwork features a detail of a Haddon Sundblom painting originally published in an ad for The Coca-Cola Company in 1963. The souvenir sheet features an iconic holiday scene of Santa Claus visiting a home on Christmas Eve and showcases one stamp, a semi-jumbo version of one of the four special-sized stamps featured in the Sparkling Holidays booklet of 20. The stamp itself features Santa‘s face and hat with one hand holding a book and the other adjusting his glasses. The souvenir sheet format offers the opportunity to see more of Sundblom‘s original painting.
Not Available to Post Offices: Item 566300, Sparkling Holidays (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Commemorative Souvenir Sheet of 1 Stamp
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 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 – Sparkling Holidays Souvenir Sheet
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 February 11, 2019.
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Sparkling Holidays Souvenir Sheet
Item Number: 566300
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Souvenir Sheet of 1 (1 design)
Series: Holiday Celebration: Holiday
Issue Date & City: October 11, 2018, Pigeon Forge, TN 37862
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Typographer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Art: Haddon Sundblom
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 1
Print Quantity: 1,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: PMS 872 Gold, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.085 x 1.42 in./ 27.559 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.225 x 1.56 in./31.115 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 3.75 x 3.75 in./95.25 x 95.25 mm
Plate Size: 42 stamps per revolution
Marginal Markings:
Front: Sparkling Holidays
Back: ©2018 USPS • USPS logo • Barcode (566300) • Promotional text
From Postal Bull 13 SEP USPS # 566304 50 cents From The Caves – SFS Only (800)STAMP24 No Distribution ( For Now )
I was not able to order the souvenir sheet on 9/14 from USPS, as stated in the article. Any suggestions?
Neal Montgomery
Spoken & Written contact with The Caves & Other Postal Sources says the Souv. Sheet will go on sale 11 Oct 2018 ( FDoI ) Supposedly there were some counterfeit DCP’s on eBay, so WASH. DC is concerned. The real story?
I have heard rumors that USPS HQ is concerned about fake DCP FDCs and, in my opinion, over-reacting. There are also fake Flag stamps on eBay; why not stop issuing flag stamps, too?
USPS Wash DC put a Big Hold on the Pre-orders.
I have Spoken with Mr Bessette, Postmaster Oneco CT. He Has Been Allowed to Order these, and should see them Next Week. However, as they are cheap, and his order quantity was limited, HE has said ” Please Limit Orders to THREE. Please place larger orders with USPS.COM ” Same sales conditions as before.
I tried to order the Sparkling Holidays souvenir sheet today, Sept 14, via telephone, as article mentioned it would be available. The USPS agent said it was not available until Oct. 11. Does anyone have a different experience or additional information?
The handwritten note from “Jimmy” to Santa asks him to “Please pause here”. Coca-Cola’s ad slogan at the time was “The Pause the Refreshes”. Such a product tie-in on a stamp makes me uncomfortable–like honouring Disney characters (USPS, especially), Home Hardware, or Canadian Tire Corp. (CP issues in previous years).
After calling the USPS about pre-ordering the Sparkling Holidays Souvenir Sheet, I was told by two different people on two different days that the Souvenir Sheet CAN NOT be pre-ordered prior to October 11, 2018. Only the Booklet of 20 Holiday Sparkling stamps can be pre-ordered.
The USPS bulletin of August 28, 2018 was as follows:
Note: Sparkling Holidays Stamps, sold in books of 20, will be available for pre-order online starting Sept. 14 at The Postal Store at usps.com. The souvenir sheet will only be sold through usps.com or by calling 1-800-STAMP24.
The way in which the USPS Bulletin was written makes one to think that both the Booklet and the Souvenir sheet could be pre-ordered. What is true about the bulletin is that you can only obtain the Souvenir Sheet via usps.com or call them on 1-800-782-6724 on October 11, 2018.
Souvenir sheets are considered philatelic products and thus cannot be ordered prior to the first day. This has been the policy since early 2016 when collectors complained that philatelic products (specifically uncut press sheets) sold out prior to the first day. It has nothing to do with issues involving counterfeit cancels, which was reportedly handled by the Postal Inspection Service.
Yet the August 28th announcement expressly stated otherwise, in its final paragraph (as shown above): “Sparkling Holidays Stamps, sold in books of 20, and the Sparkling Holidays Souvenir Sheet, with one stamp, will be available for pre-order online starting Sept. 14 at The Postal Store at usps.com.”
As said earlier, Wash DC put a hold on Pre-orders. ( Maybe they would sell so fast there would be a vacuum in The Caves ? ) They are on USPS.COM now. I have SPOKEN with Maurice Bessette, Postmaster Oneco CT, and He Has Been Allowed To Order These for sale at His Post Office, and Should see them Next week. HE SAYS PLEASE limit your orders from him to THREE Souv. Sheets. Please place larger orders with USPS.COM or (800)STAMP24. ( $1.25/$1.75 S-H )
Projected Scott 5337
On a different tack from the above posts, I just received 8 of these I ordered. I want to use the whole sheet on larger letters, but they are difficult to remove from the backing as there are no die cuts around the larger area.
I haven’t seen these sheets “in person,” but in the past, when I’ve wanted to affix self-adhesive souvenir sheets intact to envelopes/cards, I first use some of the “removable” Scotch tape (blue plaid) across the inside perforations for the sheet’s stamp or stamps. Then I run the pad of my thumb (is that the right phrase? The area where the fingerprint is) at a 90-degree angle across the EDGE of the sheet. It takes patience, and sometimes multiple tries at different locations, but eventually, the sheet and its backing paper begin to separate, and I work it from there.
Once the separation is started, I often find it better to put the sheet face down and pull the backing paper UP, away from the souvenir sheet, while holding the sheet down with a finger or two from my other hand.
I have to admit I am not successful 100% of the time, but my percentage is pretty good.