Announced January 29th:
“This issuance honors extraordinary tennis champion Maureen Connolly Brinker (1934–1969). The stamp art features an oil-on-linen painting of the tennis star by Gregory Manchess. Based on a black-and-white photograph taken in 1952, the portrait is a colorful interpretation of Connolly hitting a low volley. Nicknamed “Little Mo,” the 5-foot-4-inch dynamo used powerful groundstrokes to become the first woman to win all four major tennis tournaments in a calendar year. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.”
No date or first-day city were given. Further updates will appear below, in order announced.
Updated January 30th:
This stamp will be issued April 23rd in Dallas.
Updated March 14th:
[press release]
“Little Mo” Poised to Grace Forever Stamp
Postal Service Honors 1950s Tennis Champ Maureen Connolly Brinker
What: The U.S. Postal Service honors the legacy of the extraordinary tennis champion Maureen Connolly Brinker (1934–1969) with the issuance of the “Little Mo” Forever stamp. The first-day-of-issue event is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #LittleMoStamp and #TennisStamps.
Who: Janice D. Walker, Vice President, Corporate Communications, U.S. Postal Service will be the dedicating official.
When: Tuesday, April 23, 2019,11 a.m. CDT
Where: Southern Methodist University Tennis Complex
5669 N. Central Expressway
Dallas, TX 75205
RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at usps.com/littlemo
Background:
In the early 1950s, extraordinary tennis champion Maureen Connolly Brinker dominated her sport. Nicknamed “Little Mo,” the 5-foot-4-inch dynamo used powerful groundstrokes to become the first woman to win all four major tennis tournaments in a calendar year.
In 1953, she became the first woman to capture the single-season Grand Slam of tennis, winning the Australian Championships, the French Championships, Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships. Along the way, she dropped only a single set. Since then, no American singles player has won all four majors in a calendar year; only two men and three women in total have achieved that feat. After her playing career, Connolly Brinker coached tennis and wrote articles about the game she once dominated. In 1968, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The stamp art features an oil-on-linen painting of the tennis star by Gregory Manchess. Based on a black-and-white photograph taken in 1952, the portrait is a colorful interpretation of Connolly hitting a low volley. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.
The “Little Mo” stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp and will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.
Updated March 15th:
From the Postal Bulletin:
On April 23, 2019, in Dallas, TX, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the “Little Mo” stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 478800). The stamp will go on sale nationwide April 23, 2019, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.
This stamp honors extraordinary tennis champion Maureen Connolly Brinker (1934–1969). The stamp art features an oil-on-linen painting of the tennis star by Gregory Manchess. Based on a black-and-white photograph taken in 1952, the portrait is a colorful interpretation of Connolly hitting a low volley. Nicknamed “Little Mo,” the 5-foot-4-inch dynamo used powerful groundstrokes to become the first woman to win all four major tennis tournaments in a calendar year. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.
Availability to Post Offices: Item 478800, “Little Mo” (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Commemorative Pane of 20 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services will 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 – “Little Mo” 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 August 23, 2019.
Technical Specifications:
Issue: “Little Mo” Stamp
Item Number: 478800
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (one design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: April 23, 2019, Dallas, TX 75260
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Artist: Gregory Manchess, Fort Thomas, KY
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 20,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: Warm Gray 9, Custom Blue, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in./ 21.336 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in./24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.92 x 7.7 in./150.368 x 195.58 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 11.84 x 23.1 in./300.74 x 586.74 mm
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: “Little Mo” Maureen Connolly Brinker • Plate number in bottom two corners of pane
Back: ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (478800) • Plate position diagram • Promotional text
Updated March 20th:
Here are the first-day cancels for this issue: 
The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.82″x1.49″ 
The B&W pictorial measures 2.98″x1.04″ 
The “special” postmark, for use by other post offices, measures 2.88″x0.88″
The timing is interesting: Is it a coincidence that the stamp is being issued in the 50th-anniversary year of her death? The U.S. generally doesn’t commemorate the deaths of public figures, other than presidents.
Looking closely at the image, She’s volleying one ball, but has another in her other hand. I thought they had pockets, or helpers on the side-lines…
Look closer, her ball is actually in play!
Look Real Close – there are TWO tennis balls in the image, on to her right, and one in her left hand.
478804 – Pane of 20 **AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER ON MARCH 23RD**
All other items are available for purchase on the day of issue….
478802 – Block of 4
478803 – Block of 10
478806 – Press Sheet
478810 – DCP Keepsake
478816 – FDC
478821 – DCP
478830 – Ceremony Program
I can’t find where the format has been issued. I see block of 10 above..does this mean we can deduce it will be a pane of 20?
We haven’t gotten the “tech-specs” for this issue yet. Nothing about format has been said, but Marilyn’s information above says “pane of 20.”
The Pane of 20 is 5 x 4. You can get the top or bottom block of 10, without the selvage.
The first-day postmarks: The “special” postmark is rather “blah,” IMHO. And isn’t that a BASEBALL in the B&W pictorial? However, I do like how, with the right placement, it appears the ball is coming off Little Mo’s racquet.
Micro-Print USPS under her left foot.
Our mom birthed 7 of us in Oakland, CA from 1946-1952 and told us she wanted to play tennis but didn’t due to feet troubled by bunions. After I learned from USPS about Little Mo I can imagine what is was like for mom reading all about her great but short career, especially since mom loved horses and birthed her first two, twins, in San Diego, CA. Thx for USPS Forever stamps. Thx for USPS!
Linda
Typo, ought to be: Our mom birthed 7 of us in Oakland, CA from 1946-1960…