Announced November 20, 2018. The most recent information will appear after the large illustration and the introductory description from the USPS. The Scott catalogue number is 5346. The California dogface graces the seventh non-machineable butterfly stamp for use on irregularly sized envelopes, such as square greeting cards, invitations or announcements. The stamp art was digitally created using images of preserved butterflies as a starting point. The result is a highly stylized, simplified image of a California dogface (Zerene eurydice) rather than an exact replica. Nationally known artist Tom Engeman created the stamp art. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.

December 19th: This stamp will be issued Sunday, January 27th, with a Kansas City MO postmark but no first-day ceremony.

December 21st:

On January 27, 2019, in Kansas City, MO, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the California Dogface stamp (Non-denominated priced at the Non-machineable Surcharge rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 120100). The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 27, 2019, and must not be sold or cancelled before the first-day-of-issue.

The California dogface graces the seventh non-machineable butterfly stamp for use on irregularly sized envelopes, such as square greeting cards, invitations, or announcements. The stamp art was digitally created using images of preserved butterflies as a starting point. The result is a highly stylized, simplified image of a California dogface (Zerene eurydice) rather than an exact replica. Nationally known artist Tom Engeman created the stamp art. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 120100, California Dogface (Butterfly) Non-machineable Surcharge Rate, Non-denominated PSA Pane of 20 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services will not make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices.

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 – California Dogface 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 May 27, 2019.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: California Dogface Stamp
Item Number: 120100
Denomination & Type of Issue: Non-machineable Surcharge Rate
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 27, 2019, Kansas City, MO 64108
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Artist: Tom Engeman, Kensington, MD
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 100,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tagged
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: Black, Pantone 2726, Pantone Black 6 C, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Stamp Orientation: Square
Image Area (w x h): 1.085 x 1.085 in/27.559 x 27.559 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.225 x 1.225 in/31.115 x 31.115 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.9 x 7.12 in/149.860 x 180.848 mm
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by six (6) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: CALIFORNIA DOGFACE • Plate numbers in four corners
Back: ©2016 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (120100) • Plate position diagram • Promotional text

Updated January 17th:
An earlier Postal Bulletin had indicated a Digital Color Postmark for this issue, and showed a design. The USPS now says there will not be one. We have inquired why, since the last thee or four nonmachineable-rate butterfly stamps did have DCPs, and a design was obviously prepared for this one.

“Sales data did not support the continuation of Digital Color Postmarks for the non-machinable surcharge stamps,” USPS spokesman Roy Betts said on January 22nd, in response to an email inquiry from The Virtual Stamp Club.

Meanwhile, here is the design for the Pictorial first-day postmark: It measures 2.98″x1.39″.