[press release]
U.S. Postal Service to Issue New Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express Stamps
Big Bend and Grand Island Ice Caves Featured on Stamps

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service today revealed two additions to the 2020 Stamp Program: Big Bend and Grand Island Ice Caves. Both stamps will be released on Saturday Jan. 18, 2020. There will be no national first-day-of-issue ceremony for these stamps. Details on obtaining first-day-of-issue cancellations will be announced in a future Postal Bulletin issue.

These stamps are a convenient way for customers to pay for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express Flat Rate shipping with a single stamp. Priority Mail is a fast domestic service that includes flat rate shipping in one, two or three business days based on where your package starts and where it’s being sent. Priority Mail Express is the fastest domestic service, with limited exceptions; available 365 days a year, with a money-back guarantee and delivery shipping to most U.S. addresses, including PO Boxes.

Grand Island Ice Caves
With this new Priority Mail Express stamp, the Postal Service celebrates the winter beauty of the Grand Island Ice Caves in Lake Superior. Located near Munising on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Grand Island is marked by massive sandstone bluffs. Impressive in any season, the bluffs are especially dramatic in winter when lake water seeps into the crevices and caverns, forming magnificent ice curtains and icicles that hang like stalactites from ceilings. The stamp art features a colorful illustration of how one of these ever-changing ice caves might appear from the inside looking out toward the west at sunset. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with original art by Dan Cosgrove.

Big Bend is here.

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through The Postal Store at usps.com/shop, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide.
Information on ordering first-day-of-issue postmarks and covers is at usps.com/shop.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 5430.

Further updates will appear below the line, most recent first.

January 21st: The “killerbar” postmark is also available for this issue, similar to this mock-up:

December 20th: Here are the first day cancels for this issue:

The DCP measures 2.85″ x 1.25″ The B&W pictorial measures 2.74″ x 1.17″

December 19th: From the Postal Bulletin

On January 18, 2020, in Munising, MI, the United States Postal Service will issue the $26.35 Grand Island Ice Caves Priority Mail Express stamp in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of four stamps (Item 129100). The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 18, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

With this new Priority Mail Express stamp, the United States Postal Service celebrates the winter beauty of the Grand Island Ice Caves in Lake Superior. Located near Munising on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Grand Island is marked by massive sandstone bluffs. Impressive in any season, they are especially dramatic in winter when lake water seeps into the crevices and caverns, forming magnificent ice curtains and icicles that hang like stalactites from ceilings. The stamp art features a colorful illustration of how one of these ever-changing ice caves might appear from the inside looking out toward the west at sunset. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with original art by Dan Cosgrove.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 129100, $26.35 Grand Island Ice Caves Priority Mail Express PSA Pane of Four 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 – Grand Island Ice Caves 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 18, 2020.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Grand Island Ice Caves Stamp
Item Number: 129100
Denomination &
Type of Issue: $26.35 Priority Mail Express Rate
Format: Pane of 4 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 18, 2020, Munising, MI 49862
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Typographer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Artist: Dan Cosgrove, Chicago, IL
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Stevens Vari-Size Security Press
Stamps per Pane: 4
Print Quantity: 1,260,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 1.085 in/36.068 x 27.559 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 1.225 in/39.624 x 31.115 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 4.12 x 3.45 in/104.648 x 87.63 mm
Plate Size: 100 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in two corners of pane
Back: ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • Four barcodes (129100) • Plate position diagram (5) • Promotional text