Fruits & Vegetables (U.S. 2020)

From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on October 22, 2019:

The Postal Service captures the classic beauty of still-life paintings in a booklet of 20 stamps featuring 10 different portraits of fruits and vegetables. Each stamp features a collection of one kind of fruit or vegetable: red and black plums, heirloom and cherry tomatoes, carrots, lemons, blueberries, red and green grapes, lettuces, strawberries, eggplants and figs. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps with existing art by Robert Papp.

These stamps will be issued Friday, July 17, in Charleston WV.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.


Updated September 9th:
Here are the individual Scott catalogue numbers for this issue:
5484 (55¢) Fruits and Vegetables – Red and black plums
5485 (55¢) Fruits and Vegetables – Heirloom and cherry tomatoes
5486 (55¢) Fruits and Vegetables – Carrots
5487 (55¢) Fruits and Vegetables – Lemons
5488 (55¢) Fruits and Vegetables – Blueberries
5489 (55¢) Fruits and Vegetables – Red and green grapes
5490 (55¢) Fruits and Vegetables – Lettuce
5491 (55¢) Fruits and Vegetables – Strawberries
5492 (55¢) Fruits and Vegetables – Eggplants
5493 (55¢) Fruits and Vegetables – Figs
a. Block of 10, #5484-5493
b. Convertible booklet pane of 20, 2 each #5484-5493

Updated June 30th:
We wondered why Charleston, WV, was chosen as the first-day city: Was there an “affinity event” scheduled or some historical significance. The USPS replied:

“USPS tries to hold FDOI Ceremonies in diverse locations across the Country. We felt that Capitol Market was a great example of a community supported year-round fulltime farmers’ market. As a nonprofit organization the market raises thousands of dollars for local charities and nonprofits and also had the infrastructure from their own schedule of events to host a stamp ceremony.”

Updated June 29th:

[press release]
Postal Service Cancels Dedication Ceremony for Fruits & Vegetables Stamps
Stamps Will Still Be Available for Purchase on July 17

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Postal Service is canceling the dedication ceremony for the Fruits & Vegetables stamps, previously announced for July 17, due to social distancing guidance during the coronavirus pandemic.

These new Forever stamps will still be available for purchase on July 17. A follow-up announcement for the stamps will be made prior to the release date.

Updated June 17th:

Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.97″ x 1.49″ The pictorial postmark measures 2.69″ x 1.19″

Updated June 5th from the Postal Bulletin:

On July 17, 2020, in Charleston, WV, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Fruits & Vegetables stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in 10 designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) booklet of 20 stamps (Item 682700). The stamps will go on sale nationwide July 17, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Fruits & Vegetables booklet of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

The Postal Service™ captures the classic beauty of still-life paintings in a booklet of 20 stamps featuring 10 different portraits of fruits and vegetables. Each stamp features a collection of one kind of fruit or vegetable:

  • Red and black plums,
  • Heirloom and cherry tomatoes,
  • Carrots,
  • Lemons,
  • Blueberries,
  • Red and green grapes,
  • Lettuces,
  • Strawberries,
  • Eggplants, and
  • Figs.

Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps with existing art by Robert Papp.

No automatic distribution.

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 – Fruits & Vegetables Stamps
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 November 17, 2020.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Fruits & Vegetables Stamps
Item Number: 682700
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20 (10 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: July 17, 2020, Charleston, WV 25301
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Exising Art: Robert Papp, Quakertown, PA
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 200,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): .77 x 1.05 in./ 19.558 x 26.670 mm
Overall Size (w x h): .91 x 1.19 in./23.114 x 30.226 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 5.743 x 2.375 in./145.872 x 60.325 mm
Plate Size: 800 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits in peel strip area
Marginal Markings: Header: Fruits & Vegetables Twenty First-Class Forever Stamps • Plate number in peel strip area • ©2019 USPS in peel strip area • USPS logo • Barcode • Promotional text in peel strip area

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