The press release with descriptions of each issue is here.
Lunar New Year – Year of the Rabbit
Love
Great Smoky Mountains (Priority Mail Express)
U.S. Flag
Ernest J. Gaines
$10 Floral Geometry
Piñatas!
Red Fox
Sailboats
Snow Globes
Thinking of You
Tulip Blossoms
Winter Woodland Animals
Chief Standing Bear
Endangered Species
Railroad Stations
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Toni Morrison
Roy Lichtenstein
Waterfalls
Women’s Soccer
School Bus
Patriotic Block
[press release] [larger versions of the designs not yet available]
U.S. Postal Service Reveals Stamps for 2023
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Women’s Soccer and Roy Lichtenstein’s Art Are Featured
Notes: The Roy Liechtenstein section was revised by the USPS a few hours after the initial press release. Quick list of announced issues.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service announced today many of the stamps it will issue in 2023.
“The 2023 stamp program features a broad range of subjects and designs. These miniature works of art highlight our unique American culture and offer a broad selection for those looking to collect stamps or send their mail around the nation or the world,” said USPS Stamp Services Director William Gicker.
This is a partial list, with more to be revealed in the weeks and months ahead. All stamp designs are preliminary and subject to change.
Lunar New Year – Year of the Rabbit
The fourth of 12 stamps in the latest Lunar New Year stamp series celebrates the Year of the Rabbit. Calling to mind the elaborately decorated masks used in the dragon or lion dances often performed in Lunar New Year parades, this three-dimensional mask depicting a rabbit is a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk art crafts created during this auspicious time of year. The rabbit mask design incorporates colors and patterns with symbolic meaning. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp and pane with original art by Camille Chew.
Love – Puppy & Kitten
Celebrate 50 years since the first Love stamp was issued with two new Love stamps, one featuring a kitten and the other a puppy with their front paws resting atop a big heart. The word “LOVE” is featured in all caps behind each animal. The stamp designs were painted with oils on wood panel, then scanned and edited digitally. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps with original art by Chris Buzelli.
Great Smoky Mountains (Priority Mail Express)
Home to the most visited national park in the United States, the Great Smoky Mountains 
boast extensive national forests and a vast array of native plants and animals. Equally rich in history, folkways and culture, they are an American treasure, which the Postal Service celebrates with this new Priority Mail Express stamp. The stamp art captures an iconic mountain scene located near Newfound Gap between Gatlinburg, TN, and Cherokee, NC. In the foreground, a red-tailed hawk flies over the landscape. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with original art by Dan Cosgrove.
U.S. Flag
The Postal Service continues its tradition of celebrating the U.S. flag with this stamp, available in panes of 20, booklets of 20, and coils of 100, 3,000 and 10,000. The stamp art bears a straightforward graphic design of OId Glory. Providing a solid foundation for the flag are the word “FREEDOM” in gray and, below it, “FOREVER/USA.” Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with existing art by Hong Li.
Ernest J. Gaines
The 46th stamp in the Black Heritage series honors Ernest J. Gaines (1933-2019). Best known for such novels as “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” and “A Lesson Before Dying,” Gaines drew from his childhood as the son of sharecroppers on a Louisiana plantation to explore the untold stories of rural African Americans, adding a vital voice to American literature. The stamp features an oil painting of Gaines, based on a 2001 photograph. Mike Ryan designed the stamp with art by Robert Peterson. Greg Breeding served as art director.
$10 Floral Geometry
A new Floral Geometry stamp, denominated at $10, will be available for purchase, 
complementing the similarly designed $2 and $5 stamps issued in 2022. The stamps lend an elegant and contemporary appearance to packages, large envelopes and other mailings. The stamp art features a series of overlapping geometric shapes that mimic the symmetry of floral patterns found in nature. The watercolor background and the glimmer of the foil-stamped design and typography create a sophisticated look. The stamp will be issued in panes of four. The stamps were designed and created by the firm Spaeth Hill. Antonio Alcalá was the art director.
Piñatas!
Celebrate the fun and tradition of piñatas with a colorful new booklet of 20 stamps. The stamp art features four lively, digital illustrations of two traditional piñata designs — a donkey and a seven-point star. The bright, saturated color palette was inspired by Mexican culture, including the vibrant colors of small-town houses, traditional hand-sewn dresses, handmade toys and flowers, and classic piñatas themselves. Víctor Meléndez created the original art and designed the stamps. Antonio Alcalá was the art director.
Red Fox
The handsome face of a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) graces this new 40-cent stamp. Sold in 
panes of 20 and in self-adhesive coils of 3,000 and 10,000, the stamp is intended for use by bulk mailers for items such as circulars, newsletters and catalogs. It can also be used by customers who enjoy using a variety of stamps on their envelopes and packages. The stamp art features a pencil-and-watercolor illustration from preexisting artwork by wildlife illustrator Dugald Stermer (1936-2011). His penciled calligraphy on the stamp indicates the animal’s common name and its scientific classification. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.
Sailboats
Sailboats stamps celebrate a favorite American outdoor activity with two colorful new postcard stamps. They feature abstract illustrations that capture the joyful sensation of being on the water on a beautiful day. The graphic art was designed and created by artist Libby VanderPloeg, who also created the lettering for the word “postcard,” freehand on a digital tablet. Antonio Alcalá was art director for the project.
Snow Globes
Beloved by children and adults alike, snow globes can be miniature works of art, kitschy 
souvenirs or anything in between. Celebrating the spirit of the holidays, the Postal Service captures the playful pleasure of Christmas snow globes on four new stamps.
Painting in oil, the artist created spherical snow globes featuring icons of the season: a snowman wearing a jaunty red-and-white scarf; Santa Claus on a rooftop preparing to climb down the chimney; a reindeer standing in a snowy forest; and a snowy tree decorated with colorful ornaments. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps with original art by Gregory Manchess.
Thinking of You
Capturing the excitement and delight of receiving a card in the mail meant just for you, 
Thinking of You features five stamps in a pane of 20 and a host of die-cut, self-adhesive messages — perfect to accompany letters or cards sent to brighten someone’s day. Each stamp is designed in fun colors with different whimsical images, including flowers, balloons, cute animals, sweet treats and symbols of good luck. Words of encouragement and thoughtful affirmations surround the stamps on the pane. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with original artwork by Ellen Surrey.
Tulip Blossoms
Close-up photographs of 10 beautiful tulips in a rainbow of colors grace this new booklet 
of 20 stamps. One blossom fills almost the entire frame of each stamp, with just the top of a stem peeking out from underneath. Since Dutch immigrants brought tulip bulbs to North America hundreds of years ago, the flower has become a dazzling part of our landscape. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with existing photographs by Denise Ippolito.
Winter Woodland Animals
Connect to the natural beauty of the winter season and celebrate four species that make their homes in the woodlands of North America. Among the most familiar of wildlife, deer, rabbits, owls and foxes are found across much of the American landscape. This booklet of 20 stamps features graphic illustrations of these four animals in different woodland settings in winter. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps with Katie Kirk, who illustrated the stamps.
Chief Standing Bear
This stamp issuance honors Chief Standing Bear (ca. 1829-1908), who won a landmark court ruling in 1879 that determined that Native Americans were persons under the law with inherent rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The stamp features a portrait of Chief Standing Bear by Thomas Blackshear II, based on a black-and-white photograph taken in 1877. The color of Standing Bear’s attire was based mainly on contemporary descriptions. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.
Endangered Species
Under the Endangered Species Act, which marks its 50th anniversary in 2023, more than 1,300 imperiled plant and animal species are safeguarded to increase their chances of survival. With this pane of 20 stamps, the Postal Service presents a photographic portfolio of 20 representative endangered animal species. Those featured are found within the 50 states and U.S. territories and possessions or living near U.S. borders. The images are among more than 13,000 in photographer Joel Sartore’s “Photo Ark,” his project to document as many animal species as possible. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps with Sartore’s existing photographs.
Railroad Stations
Noteworthy railroad stations began brightening the American landscape by the 1870s and, 
although many were torn down once they had outlived their original purpose, hundreds survived. This issuance of 20 stamps features five architectural gems that continue to play important roles in their communities: Tamaqua Station in Pennsylvania; Point of Rocks Station in Maryland; Main Street Station in Richmond, VA; Santa Fe Station in San Bernardino, CA; and Union Terminal in Cincinnati, OH. Passenger trains stop at all of them except Tamaqua. Derry Noyes served as art director. Down the Street Designs created the digital illustrations and typography.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
This stamp honors Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020), the 107th Supreme Court 
Justice of the United States. After beginning her career as an activist lawyer fighting gender discrimination, Justice Ginsburg became a respected jurist whose important majority opinions advancing equality and strong dissents on socially controversial rulings made her a passionate proponent of equal justice and an icon of American culture. The stamp features an oil painting of Justice Ginsburg facing the viewer in her black judicial robe with an intricate white collar. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp with art by Michael J. Deas, based on a photograph by Philip Bermingham.
Toni Morrison
Author Toni Morrison (1931-2019) is honored in this stamp issuance. Her artfully crafted 
novels explored the diverse voices and multifaceted experiences of African Americans. Known for such books as “The Bluest Eye,” “Song of Solomon” and “Beloved,” Morrison was the rare author who achieved both bestseller status and critical success. In 1993, she made history as the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. The stamp features a photograph of Morrison taken in 2000. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp with photography by Deborah Feingold.
Roy Lichtenstein
The work of the iconic American artist of the pop art movement, Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) is celebrated with a stamp issuance in his honor. Each of the five stamps in 
this pane of 20 features one work of art by Lichtenstein: “Standing Explosion (Red)” (porcelain enamel on steel, 1965); “Modern Painting I” (acrylic, oil, graphite pencil on canvas, 1966); “Still Life with Crystal Bowl” (acrylic, oil, graphite pencil on canvas, 1972); “Still Life with Goldfish” (acrylic, oil, graphite pencil on canvas, 1972); and “Portrait of a Woman” (acrylic, oil, graphite pencil on canvas, 1979). The selvage features a photograph of Lichtenstein by Bob Adelman with the artist’s face framed by a model of his 1983 sculpture Brushstrokes in Flight. Derry Noyes served as art director and designer for this issuance.
Waterfalls
Among nature’s most beautiful wonders, waterfalls come in all shapes and sizes, from serene cascades to mighty cataracts. The Postal Service celebrates the variety and beauty of American waterfalls with 12 new stamps. Each stamp features a photograph with the name of the waterfall and state in which it is located. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps and pane with existing photographs.
Women’s Soccer
This stamp issuance celebrates women’s soccer in the United States. From youth leagues to the elite world champion U.S. national team, millions of girls and women throughout the 
country participate in this fast-paced, competitive sport. The graphic stamp artwork depicts a female soccer player in action, walloping a ball with a side volley. Conjuring the aesthetic of mid-century print design, the illustrator used simplified shapes and bold colors to convey the high energy and fast motion of the sport. The somewhat grainy rendering lends a timeless quality to the design, evoking not just a single all-star athlete or era but the entire legacy of women’s soccer. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with an original illustration by Noah MacMillan (1988-2022).
School Bus
School Bus will be a new additional-ounce stamp, available in panes of 20 and coils of 
100. The issuance celebrates the iconic yellow school bus and its role in ensuring that millions of children get to school and home again every day. The stamp features a stylized illustration of a 21st century yellow school bus, in profile in front of a silhouetted schoolhouse that is more evocative of an earlier era. Artist Steve Wolf worked with art director Greg Breeding and stamp designer Mike Ryan.
Patriotic Block
Patriotic Block will be a new nondenominated, nonprofit-price stamp intended for bulk mailings by authorized nonprofit organizations and will be sold in self-adhesive coils of 3,000 and 10,000. This stamp displays the components of the American flag — the stars and stripes — arranged in a four-quadrant block on a white background. Carol Beehler designed the stamp with art direction by Antonio Alcalá.
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Royal Mail Reveals Stamp Images Celebrating Bristol-Based Aardman’s Most Popular And Beloved Animated Characters
Gromit, Feathers McGraw, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy, Robin, Morph and Chas, Frank the tortoise and Rocky and GingerEight stamps showcase some of British studio Aardman’s most celebrated characters. They include fan favourites: Wallace and Gromit, Feathers McGraw, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy, Robin, Morph and Chas, Frank the tortoise and Rocky and Ginger.
An exclusive miniature sheet, created especially for Royal Mail by Aardman, is also revealed. Wallace and Gromit celebrate four of their favourite ‘cracking’ moments by 
displaying them proudly on their wall, in their humble abode at 62 West Wallaby Street. Key moments on the stamps include memories from A Matter of Loaf and Death, The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave and A Grand Day Out.
Royal Mail worked closely with Aardman on the stamp issue.
David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy, Royal Mail said: “This set of stamps will surely bring a smile to 
everyone’s face. These instantly recognisable, iconic animated characters have found a place in our hearts. We are certain they will add a bit of joy to any envelope.”
Sean Clarke, Managing Director at Aardman, said: “We are delighted to partner with Royal Mail to celebrate some of our most iconic characters in this colourful and fun-packed stamps series. We have had the pleasure of creating these films featuring these much loved characters over the last 40 years, so it is a 
real honour for the studio to receive this royal stamp of approval. It’s a true testament to all the hard work that goes into making these productions and we are sure that our fans will enjoy them.”
Aardman:
Aardman is the Bristol-based studio behind some of Britain’s most beloved animated characters, including Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and the plucky heroines of Chicken Run. Co-founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton began their animation partnership at school 
when they created a character called ?Aard-man?, which the BBC bought for its Vision On series and which marked the advent of Aardman.
The two young animators got their big break when they created the shape-shifting clay character Morph for the BBC?s Take Hart series. Utilising a stop-motion animation technique that involves shaping 3D figures out of modelling clay, the pair achieved international fame when Nick Park joined the company: his films would win four Academy Awards®, making Aardman a household name. The 
studio’s productions are global in appeal, with recent animated productions including festive holiday specials Robin Robin and Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas, CGI series Lloyd of the Flies, a new stop motion series for pre-schoolers The Very Small Creatures, and a feature length sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is coming in 2023, plus a brand new Wallace & Gromit film for 2024.
The stamps are available at www.royalmail.com/aardman
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
National Postal Museum To Host Maynard Sundman Lecture
Lecture Focuses on Polar Philately and the Wilkes Antarctic Expedition
The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum will host the 19th Maynard Sundman Lecture Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 4 p.m. ET online on Zoom. Admission is free, but reservations are 
required. The discussion, “Polar Philately and the Wilkes Antarctic Expedition,” will be presented by Hal Vogel [left], retired Army special operations and intelligence officer and professor emeritus at Rowan University in New Jersey.
In 1838, the U.S. Exploring Expedition (1838–42) began its examination of Antarctica in what would become this worldwide adventure’s most remembered legacy leading many to remember it as the “Wilkes Antarctic Expedition.” The expedition created what organized philately, including one of its specialties, polar philately, refers to as “archival mail,” or ordinary mail that serves as written testimony to aspects and personalities of an historical event. Unfortunately, although discoveries of this type of mail from polar expeditions do still occur, (archival) mail still is unknown from a number of the earliest expeditions. Mail from the Wilkes Antarctic Expedition only began to surface in the 1980s.
Using the postal history of this expedition as an example, Vogel’s talk will introduce the field of polar philately—its geographic scope, categories and periods—and examine how the intriguing mail of this exciting polar expedition helps document its highly historic events.
Vogel is a leading polar philatelist and the winner of this year’s American Philatelic Society’s Luff Award for Distinguished Philatelic Research.
He began collecting polar materials and studying polar history in the 1950s, when he began communicating with some of the last pre-World War II polar explorers. He continued this work while later pursuing his doctorate in polar studies in Antioch University’s Department of History and Geography.
While completing his degree, he began writing a research column for Ice Cap News, the publication of the American Society of Polar Philatelists (ASPP), and has written a column for every issue since 1974. Including the articles for the column, he has published more than 300 polar history, aerophilatelic, military postal history and polar philatelic articles in philatelic journals in the United States, Norway, Great Britain, Germany, France, Australia and New Zealand.
His most prominent publications are the books Essence of Polar Philately, edited by Alan Warren and published by ASPP in 2008, and Ahead of the Pack: Postal History Sampling of Heroic Age Polar Expeditions, written with Serge Kahn and published in 2015 by The Museum of Stamps and Coins of Monaco. The latter won the Academy of European Philately’s award for the best published philatelic work in Europe the same year. Vogel and Kahn are now working on the second edition.
Vogel is a former president of the ASPP and a member of many national and international philatelic organizations. He has held elected and appointed positions with several of them, including serving on the boards of the Universal Ship Cancellation Society, the Military Postal History Society and the Alaska Collectors Club.
A nationally accredited philatelic and literature judge since 1978, his own polar, military and aerophilatelic exhibits have won numerous awards, including the first grand award ever presented to a polar exhibit in a major competition. This past exhibition season, four of his exhibits received large gold medals, three grands and other specialty awards from at least six different shows.
The National Postal Museum’s Maynard Sundman Lecture Series was established in 2002 through a donation by Sundman’s sons, David and Donald. The Sundman lectures feature talks by authors and expert philatelists on stamps and stamp collecting.
The public can visit the museum’s website for additional information and registration instructions.
About the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C., across from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). For more information about the Smithsonian, call (202) 633-1000 or visit the museum website at www.postalmuseum.si.edu.
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Stamp remembers decorated Indigenous war veteran Tommy Prince
Prince was awarded 11 medals, including the Military Medal and the Silver Star (U.S.)
WINNIPEG – Canada Post is issuing a new stamp to remember the life and achievements of Sergeant Thomas (Tommy) George Prince, MM (1915-77), one of Canada’s most 
decorated Indigenous war veterans and a prominent Anishinaabe activist.
Born on St. Peter’s Reserve, Manitoba, into the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, Sergeant Tommy Prince enlisted with the Royal Canadian Engineers in 1940. Two years later, he joined the 1st Special Service Force, a joint Canada-U.S. specialized reconnaissance and raiding unit, where he was known for his marksmanship, stealth and tracking skills. He once repaired the broken telephone line he was using to report on German positions by posing, in full view of the enemy, as a farmer tending his fields.
For his service during the Second World War and Korean War, Prince was awarded 11 medals, including the Military Medal and the Silver Star (U.S.). After the Second World War, he served as vice-president of the Manitoba Indian Association, advocating for the abolition of the Indian Act and for the government to respect existing treaties.
About the stamp issue
Designed by Blair Thomson of Believe in, the stamp features a photo of Prince in his Korean War uniform. Northern lights in the background represent the sky above the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, where he was raised. The stamp issue is cancelled in St. Peter’s Reserve, Manitoba. Printed by Lowe-Martin, it includes a booklet of 10 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps, a mini pane of five gummed stamps and an Official First Day Cover. 
[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Un timbre rend hommage à l’ancien combattant autochtone maintes fois décoré, Tommy Prince
Le militaire a reçu un total de 11 médailles, dont la Médaille militaire et la médaille Silver Star (États-Unis)
WINNIPEG – Postes Canada émet un nouveau timbre commémorant la vie et les réalisations du sergent Thomas (Tommy) Prince, m.m. (1915-1977), l’un des anciens combattants autochtones les plus décorés du Canada et un grand militant anishinabé.
Né sur la réserve de St. Peter, au Manitoba, dans la nation des Ojibway Brokenhead, le sergent Thomas (Tommy) George Prince s’enrôle dans le Corps du génie royal canadien en 1940. Deux ans plus tard, il rejoint la Première Force de Service spécial, un groupe de reconnaissance et d’assaut spécialisé composé de soldats canadiens et américains. Il y est reconnu pour son talent de pisteur et de tireur, et ses techniques furtives. Il se fait même passer pour un cultivateur en train de désherber les champs pour aller réparer – sous le regard des soldats allemands – la ligne de communication lui servant à rapporter les positions de l’ennemi.
Pour son service durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale et la guerre de Corée, il reçoit 11 médailles, dont la Médaille militaire et la médaille Silver Star (États-Unis). Après la Seconde Guerre mondiale, il devient vice-président de la Manitoba Indian Association. À ce titre, il se prononce en faveur de l’abolition de la Loi sur les Indiens et exige le respect des traités existants.
À propos du timbre
Conçu par Blair Thomson de l’agence Believe in, le timbre présente une photo de Tommy Prince dans son uniforme de la guerre de Corée. L’arrière-plan d’aurores boréales symbolise le ciel de la nation des Ojibway Brokenhead, où le militaire a été élevé. Le timbre est oblitéré dans la réserve de St. Peter, au Manitoba. Imprimée par Lowe-Martin, l’émission comprend un carnet de 10 timbres PermanentsMC au tarif du régime intérieur, un feuillet miniature de cinq timbres gommés et un pli Premier Jour officiel.
AFDCS Zoom Program: Unusual FDCs
Free Online Presentation October 16
A first day cover may be just a stamp and postmark on an envelope, with maybe a design on the envelope, but FDCs can be so much more. Lloyd de Vries will present some of those possibilities live on Zoom on Sunday, October 16, at 8:00 pm EDT, in a program 
titled “Weird Stuff FDCs.” It will be offered afterward on the American First Day Cover Society’s YouTube Channel.
De Vries recently presented some of his collection in an exhibit at the Great American Stamp Show 2022, where it won a large silver medal. It includes FDCs with moving parts, materials seldom used in FDCs, and unusual artistic techniques. Shown here is a “cover-cover.”
The president of the AFDCS, de Vries writes the first day cover column for Linn’s Stamp News and manages The Virtual Stamp Club, a philatelic news and information website. Before retirement, he was a writer-producer for network radio, television and website news operations: ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR. He also hosted and produced a nationally-syndicated philatelic radio feature for CBS News from 1997 to 2017.
The Zoom address for “Weird Stuff First Day Covers” is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88594826222?pwd=RVQ5SEFTeDlwODJ6ei9zMkFHdkJQQT09 or the meeting ID 885 9482 6222 with a passcode of 724390.
Membership in the AFDCS is not required to attend the seminar, but with memberships starting at $24 for Internet-only access or $35 with the printed magazine, it is very affordable and a good asset for any first day cover collector, anywhere in the world.
The AFDCS publishes handbooks, catalogues, directories and a bimonthly award-winning journal, First Days. The society also advocates for first day cover collecting and exhibiting, and is a co-host of Great American Stamp Show, which next will be held August 25-28, 2022, in Sacramento, Calif.
For more information on the AFDCS, visit its website www.afdcs.org, email afdcs@afdcs.org or write to the society at Post Office Box 246, Colonial Beach, VA 22443-0246.
These changes were approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission on November 25, 2022, in Order No. 6341. — VSC
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
U.S. Postal Service Announces New Prices for 2023
Forever Stamp to Rise Three Cents
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of price changes to take effect Jan. 22, 2023. The new rates include a three-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 60 cents to 63 cents.
If favorably reviewed by the Commission, the proposed increases will raise First-Class Mail prices approximately 4.2 percent to offset the rise in inflation. The price changes have been approved by the Governors of the U.S. Postal Service.
The price for 1-ounce metered mail will increase to 60 cents, and the price to send a domestic postcard will increase to 48 cents. A 1-ounce letter mailed to another country would increase to $1.45. There will be no change to the single-piece letter and flat additional-ounce price, which remains at 24 cents. The Postal Service is also seeking price adjustments for Special Services products including Certified Mail, Post Office Box rental fees, money order fees and the cost to purchase insurance when mailing an item.
The proposed Mailing Services price changes include:
| Product Letters (1 oz.) Letters (metered 1 oz.) Domestic Postcards International Postcards International Letter (1 oz.) |
Current Prices 60¢ 57¢ 44¢ $1.40 $1.40 |
Proposed Prices 63¢ 60¢ 48¢ $1.45 $1.45 |
As operating expenses continue to rise, these price adjustments provide the Postal Service with much needed revenue to achieve the financial stability sought by its Delivering for America 10-year plan. The prices of the U.S. Postal Service remain among the most affordable in the world.
The PRC will review the changes before they are scheduled to take effect. The complete Postal Service price filing, with prices for all products, can be found on the PRC website under the Daily Listings section at prc.gov/dockets/daily. The Mailing Services filing is Docket No. R2023-1. The price tables are also available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website at pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index.
The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
[excerpted from the PostNL press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
World Post Day 2022
Issue: Dag van de Postzegel 2022 (World Post Day 2022)
Date of issue: 17 October 2022
Format: sheet with ten stamps in two different designs, marked ‘Nederland 1’ for mail up to and including 20 grams destined for delivery within the Netherlands
Item number: 421061
Design: Sandra Smulders, Vormgoed, Gouda
Source: Filatelie Informatief
The Dag van de Postzegel is an annual international event. It is not celebrated on the same day in all countries, although this is usually on the first Sunday after 9 October: the founding date of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). The UPU sets the rules for the international movement of mail between its member countries. PostNL will be highlighting the Dag van de Postzegel with the issue of a stamp sheet on Monday 17 October. Previous issues in the Dag van de Postzegel series often coincided with the POSTEX annual stamp show – an international event with swap meets, exhibitions and other special gatherings.
The Dag van de Postzegel 2022 issue will have the De Ruyter stamps of 1907 as its topic. The new stamp sheet has ten stamps in two different designs, with the denomination 
‘Nederland 1’ for mail up to and including 20 grams destined for delivery within the Netherlands. PostNL is also issuing a stamp album and prestige stamp booklet. The prestige stamp booklet is the twelfth in the series about the history of the stamp in the Netherlands. The information featured in the prestige booklet about the De Ruyter stamps of 1907 was taken from a 1982 article by Gert Holstege in Filatelie Informatief. Filatelie Informatief is the predecessor of the Handboek Postwaarden (handbook for postal values) Nederland. This handbook has been published in instalments since 1994 and takes a scientific approach to the various stamp issues and the history of the postal service since 1850. A new publication on the issues of the De Ruyter postage stamps and postage certificates is currently being prepared for the Handboek Postwaarden. Just like the album and the booklet, the Dag van de Postzegel 2022 sheet was designed by Sandra Smulders from Gouda.
In the year 1907, a set of De Ruyter stamps were issued to mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of Michiel Adriaansz. de Ruyter (1607 – 1676), an admiral of the war fleet of the United Provinces of the Netherlands. The validity period of the De Ruyter stamps only ran 
from 23 March until 31 May 1907 and they could only be used on domestic mail. The stamps were issued in three equal designs with the postage values ½ cent (blue), 1 cent (red-violet) and 2½ cents (brick red).
The creation of the 1907 stamp design was not exactly a straightforward process. Initially, naval officer Willem Mouton made a pen drawing, derived from a print by Hendrik Bary after a painting of De Ruyter by Ferdinand Bol. To cut costs, the Post Office decided to use letterpress instead of intaglio printing. It turned out that Mouton’s pen drawing was not suitable for the corresponding savings bank stamp format. That is why printer Enschedé had a simplified drawing made as a basis for the wood engraving. The design and the execution of the De Ruyter stamps was met with considerable criticism by both philatelic magazines and the general press.
Due to the validity period of only a few months, post offices were left with large stocks of unsold De Ruyter stamps on 31 May 1907. After extensive consultation, the post office decided to overprint the remaining stamp sheets to turn them into postage stamps for internal use. Postage stamps were intended to recover postage from the addressee in the case of insufficiently franked postal items. After postage stamps were introduced by the post offices on 1 November 1907, it turned out that many collectors bought them at the counter. Post offices had been allowed to sell postage stamps to the public since 1870. At the end of 1907, stamp traders, too, tried to buy large quantities of these imprinted postage stamps for speculative reasons. This led to a lot of criticism, not only from philatelic magazines, but also from newspapers. For this reason, the post office decided to overprint additional De Ruyter stamps to turn them into postage stamps. As a result, some of the De Ruyter-printed postage stamps remained in use at the post office for years.
Design
The 2022 issue features ten stamps in two designs: a cut-out of an engraving with a portrait of Michiel Adriaansz. de Ruyter and a cut-out of a print showing a naval battle between the Dutch and English fleets. A fragment of the print of the naval battle continues onto the portrait stamp. To these original images, Smulders added graphical elements in the shape of wavy red and blue lines. On the portrait stamp, De Ruyter is on the right, on the naval battle stamp, the largest ship in the war fleet is on the left. Both stamps are interconnected by De Ruyter’s hair. In turn, the red hair is intertwined with the blue waves at the bottom of the stamps.
The bottom five stamps of the stamp sheet are rotated 180 degrees in relation to the top five stamps. As a result, the blue waves run in a long strip across the centre of the sheet, right onto the tabs on the left and right. The title of the issue is placed at the top of the stamp using a rubber-stamp font: horizontally on the portrait stamp, vertically on the naval battle stamp. For the country name Nederland, the direction is reversed in a handwriting font.
The original stamp designs:
Admiral Michiel Adriaansz. de Ruyter holding a command staff. Engraving created by Hendrik Bary between 1673 and 1707, after a painting by Ferdinand Bol from 1673. Source: Thijs Verbeek, Amsterdam
Four-Day Naval Battle between the State fleet led by Admiral Michiel de Ruyter and the English fleet led by Admiral George Monck, 11-14 June 1666. Print created by Petrus Johannes Schotel between 1848 and 1855. Source: Thijs Verbeek, Amsterdam
The Dag van de Postzegel 2022 sheet was designed by graphic designer Sandra Smulders from Gouda, who also was responsible for the 2021 and 2020 issues in the series. In this series, PostNL highlights special Dutch stamps from the past.
The original De Ruyter stamps were made up of many different pictorial elements that were not very coherent. For the new stamps, Smulders limited herself to a portrait of Admiral De Ruyter and a picture of a naval battle. ‘The portrait of De Ruyter is a reproduction of the same engraving by Hendrik Bary that would have been used in 1907 if intaglio printing had been chosen, ’ said Smulders. ‘The original image of the naval battle did not tie in with my concept. That is why I went in search of a better image with more detail. I found a print of the 1666 four-day naval battle between the Dutch and English fleets.
‘De Ruyter won the battle, by the way.’
While previous Dag van de Postzegel issues were printed in two colours, this is the first year that it will be printed in four colours. For the new stamps, Smulders chose the colours in which the historic De Ruyter stamps were printed.
The stamps are available, while stocks last, in Bruna shops and at the webshop. The stamps can also be ordered by phone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number +31 (0)88 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite.
Technical Details:
Stamp size: 40 x 30 mm
Sheet size: 122 x 170 mm
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Gum: gummed
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: yellow, magenta, cyan and black
Print run: 73,000 sheets
Appearance: sheet of 10 stamps in 2 different designs
Design: Sandra Smulders, Gouda
Printing company: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item number: 421061
Opinion by Lloyd A. de Vries
The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and not necessarily those of any other organization, philatelic or otherwise.
In a message on the American Philatelic Society website, executive director Scott English outlines a proposal to “merge” the APS and the American Stamp Dealers 
Association. I put “merge” in quote marks because it seems more like a takeover, with the ASDA becoming a section of the APS, even more so than an Affiliate. (An independent stamp collecting organization that is recognized, but not managed, by the APS.)
English identifies a number of problems with stamp dealing today, but I don’t see in his proposal how combining the two groups would rectify those problems. For instance, he states that fewer than a quarter of ASDA members are stamp show dealers. (Exclusively selling at shows? Or ever selling at shows?) How would merging the two organizations change that? Does it need to be changed? Or does ASDA need to restructure to address that situation?
Talking about selling on platforms like HipStamp and eBay, “…those bound by a code of ethics are treated the same as bad actors by clumsy policies undermining the 100+ years of knowledge and good practices established by these two organizations.” Given the APS’ new partnership with HipStamp and its on-again/off-again one with eBay, I assume he is referring to eBay’s policies. (He didn’t mention any of the other selling platforms.)
Again, how would a merger fix that? Would a combined APS-ASDA convince eBay to give up its own “clumsy policies?” I don’t think so.
He says this merger would “assert our collective membership value in the digital marketplace.” How? An advertising/promotion campaign saying “look for APS membership” would do much the same. Is eBay or any other selling platform likely to require APS, ASDA or any other membership of its dealers? I don’t think so. As long as they pay and don’t violate those “clumsy policies,” all sorts of people will be allowed to use those services.
A well-known dealer who had been expelled from one or both of these organizations continue to be a very active seller on eBay up until his death a few years ago.
I’m not an ASDA member and not privy to its inner workings, but the problem prompting this proposal may be internal: a lack of money, declining membersihp, poor management and so on.
For many decades, ending around the end of the 20th century, ASDA membership was a requirement for a booth at the top stamp collecting shows in New York City. Collectors from all over the Northeast, and some from further, would come to these shows. Any dealer of any size and importance, mail-order or storefront or both, needed to have a booth at those shows.
That is no longer the case. In fact, the ASDA doesn’t even have a New York City show any longer. The fault is not solely that of internet selling. However, that eliminated a major reason for belonging to ASDA.
English proposes adding “dealer representation on the APS Board of Directors.” When I was first elected to the APS Board (1997), I asked why there was a non-voting dealer represent to the Board but not an actual seat on the Board for dealers. I was told in no uncertain terms that the APS represents collectors, not dealers. Has that changed? And what about representation for other philatelic groups, some of which have more members than the ASDA?
Dealers who are members of the APS have for years been able to get “dealer certification” from the APS, giving them access to booths at the APS-produced shows (such as the Great American Stamp Show), display advertising in the journal American Philatelist, and sometimes newsletters and other benefits. Do they still need the ASDA?
If the ASDA is in danger of going out of business, the solution might not be a takeover, but fixing the ASDA’s problems. Or even letting it die. When the Society of Philatelic Americans, a rival to the APS, encountered significant, perhaps insurmountable, problems, it went out of existence.
Canadians in Flight
Issue date: October 17, 2022
First posted: October 6th. Newest information is above the line.
Scott catalogue numbers:
Updated October 23:
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Canadians in Flight stamps celebrate leadership in aviation and aeronautics technology, innovation
Five-stamp set commemorates groundbreaking female pilot, legendary bush plane and three innovators who changed aviation
OTTAWA – Canada Post released the second instalment of its Canadians in Flight stamps today, an issue that celebrates the people, planes and technology that have allowed Canada’s reputation for innovation to soar.
Developed with the support of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, as well as the Ottawa chapter of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society, this edition of Canadians in Flight honours these achievements:
born Vi Milstead instructed at Toronto’s Barker Field before signing up with Britain’s Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War. The civilian organization ferried military aircraft between factories and front-line squadrons. Over 28 months, Milstead logged more than 600 hours in 47 types of aircraft, including massive, multi-engine bombers. Following the war, she moved to Sudbury, Ont., where she flew as a bush pilot and also instructed.
bush plane ever built and was named one of Canada’s top 10 engineering achievements of the 20th century. The all-metal plane’s short takeoff and landing capability – along with its ability to be fitted with wheels, floats or skis – made the Beaver ideal for accessing and connecting remote areas of the country.
New Brunswick’s Kenneth Patrick, a former Royal Canadian Air Force officer, introduced simulator technology to Canada through CAE Inc. (then Canadian Aviation Electronics Ltd.), the company he founded in 1947. By the 1980s, CAE had developed a simulator so realistic it was no longer necessary for all flight training to be completed on actual aircraft. Today, air travel is the safest mode of transportation in part because commercial pilots train in simulators – most produced by CAE Inc.
Saint John, N.B., native was a pioneering aeronautical engineer who developed the variable pitch propeller. The device allowed pilots to adjust the pitch, or angle, of propeller blades in flight as easily as one would change gears in a manual car. This improved the aircraft’s efficiency.
born in Weston, Ont., developed the world’s first anti-gravity suit used in combat, during the Second World War. The rubber suit, which he personally tested and was also known as the Franks Flying Suit, was lined with water-filled pockets that created enough hydrostatic pressure to counter strong gravitational (G) forces.These global advances provided the foundation for ongoing improvements in aviation and remain an important part of Canadian history.The stamp issue, designed by Ivan Novotny of TaylorISprules Corporation and printed by Lowe-Martin, is available in a booklet of 10 PermanentTMdomestic rate stamps (two of each design) and a gummed mini-pane of five. A limited number of framed panes and five Official First Day Covers are also available as a set or separately.
The first five stamps were issued in 2019.
Technical Specifications:
[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
La série de timbres Exploits de l’aviation canadienne salue les réalisations du pays dans le monde de l’aviation
Le jeu de cinq timbres souligne l’importante contribution d’une pilote avant-gardiste, d’un avion de brousse légendaire et de trois inventeurs à l’histoire de l’aéronautique
OTTAWA – Aujourd’hui, Postes Canada a lancé le deuxième volet de sa série Exploits de l’aviation canadienne. Cette émission célèbre des personnes, un aéronef et des avancées technologiques qui, par leur caractère novateur, ont permis au Canada de se bâtir une réputation de visionnaire.
Conçus en collaboration avec le Panthéon de l’aviation du Canada, le Musée de l’aviation et de l’espace du Canada et la section d’Ottawa de la Canadian Aviation Historical Society, ces timbres rendent hommage aux réalisations suivantes :
premières pilotes de brousse au Canada. Instructrice au Barker Field de Toronto, elle se joint à l’organisation britannique Air Transport Auxiliary pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Au cours de ses 28 mois en Grande-Bretagne, elle transporte des aéronefs militaires entre les usines et les escadrons de première ligne, effectue plus de 600 heures de vol et pilote 47 types d’aéronefs, comme de gros bombardiers multimoteurs. Après la guerre, elle s’installe à Sudbury, en Ontario, où elle enseigne et vole à titre de pilote de brousse.meilleur avion de brousse jamais construit, le Beaver est désigné comme l’une des 10 plus grandes réalisations d’ingénierie canadiennes du 20e siècle. L’aéronef entièrement fait de métal est capable de décoller et d’atterrir sur de courtes distances, et on peut l’équiper de roues, de flotteurs ou de skis, ce qui en fait l’appareil idéal pour se rendre dans les régions éloignées du Canada.ancien officier de l’Aviation royale canadienne originaire du Nouveau-Brunswick, introduit la technologie de simulateur de vol au Canada avec CAE Inc., l’entreprise qu’il fonde en 1947 et qui s’appelle à l’époque Canadian Aviation Electronics Ltd. Dans les années 1980, l’entreprise met au point un simulateur de vol si réaliste que les pilotes n’ont plus à suivre toute leur formation à bord de véritables aéronefs. Si l’avion est aujourd’hui le mode de transport le plus sécuritaire, c’est en partie dû au fait que les pilotes professionnels s’entraînent sur des simulateurs de vol, la plupart produits par CAE Inc.John, au Nouveau-Brunswick, ce pionnier de l’ingénierie aéronautique est l’inventeur de l’hélice à pas variable. Cette invention améliore l’efficacité de l’aéronef en permettant aux pilotes d’ajuster l’angle, c’est à dire le pas, des pales pendant le vol, ce qui équivaut à changer de vitesse dans une voiture.à Weston, en Ontario, le Dr Franks met au point la première combinaison anti-gravité utilisée au combat pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Il teste personnellement sa création, que l’on appelle aussi la combinaison de vol Franks. Faite de caoutchouc, elle est doublée de poches remplies d’eau, créant une pression hydrostatique suffisante pour contrer les forces g.Ces avancées mondiales ont contribué aux progrès continus dans le domaine de l’aviation et continuent d’occuper une place importante dans l’histoire du Canada.
Les timbres, conçus par Ivan Novotny de Taylor|Sprules et imprimés par le groupe Lowe-Martin, sont offerts en carnet de 10 timbres PermanentsMC au tarif du régime intérieur (deux de chaque motif) et en mini-feuillet de cinq timbres gommés. Un nombre limité de feuillets encadrés et cinq plis Premier Jour officiels sont également offerts ensemble ou séparément.
Les cinq premiers timbres de la série ont été émis en 2019.
[from Details] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Ready for take-off on its return trip, the second edition of Canadians in Flight once again celebrates the people, planes and technologies that have allowed Canada’s reputation for innovation to soar. Since the early days of flight, Canadians have made global advances in the fields of aviation and aeronautics, with some contributions remaining the foundation for ongoing advancement in these fields.
One of Canada’s first female bush pilots, Toronto-born Violet (Vi) Milstead (1919-2014) earned her private pilot’s licence in 1939, followed by her commercial licence and instructor’s rating, and taught at Toronto’s Barker Field. During the Second World War, she joined Britain’s Air Transport Auxiliary, ferrying military aircraft – everything from single-engined fighters to large multi-engined bombers – between the factories and frontline squadrons. After the war, she married and moved to Sudbury, instructing and flying as a bush pilot.
The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver made its first flight on August 16, 1947, and by the time production ended in 1968, the company had produced 1,692 of the bush planes, delivered to 62 countries. With its short take-off and landing capability, flexibility to be fitted with wheels, floats or skis, and ability to carry up to nine passengers or bulk cargo, the Beaver is considered the best bush plane ever built. The Engineering Centennial Board named it one of Canada’s top ten engineering achievements of the 20th century.
Pilots around the world can thank Canadian flight-simulator technology for their highly specialized training. Former Royal Canadian Air Force officer Kenneth Patrick (1915-2002) brought the technology to Canada through CAE Inc. (then Canadian Aviation Electronics Ltd.) – the company he founded in 1947. CAE built its first flight simulator in the early 1950s 
and by the early 1980s had developed a flight simulator so realistic that it was no longer necessary for all flight training to be completed on an actual aircraft.
Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, pioneering aeronautical engineer Wallace Rupert Turnbull (1870-1954) built Canada’s first wind tunnel in 1902 and spent the next decade researching aircraft stability and airfoils and experimenting with lift devices, internal combustion engines, turbines and hydroplanes. His most notable achievement, the variable pitch propeller, allowed pilots to adjust the pitch, or angle, of the propeller blades in flight, improving the efficiency of the propeller and the aircraft. His influence can still be seen on modern propeller-driven aircraft.
Born in Weston, Ontario, Dr. Wilbur Rounding Franks (1901-86) was conducting cancer research at the University of Toronto in 1939 when he joined Dr. Frederick Banting’s aviation medicine research team to study the life-threatening risks of high- speed aerial manoeuvres due to strong gravitational (G) forces. Franks developed – and personally tested – a rubber flying suit lined with water-filled pockets that created enough hydrostatic pressure to counter the G-forces. During the Second World War, it became the world’s first anti-gravity suit used in combat.
This issue will be available in both booklets of 10 stamps and a pane of 5 (above). Individual Official FDCs may also be ordered: More details and better pictures wlll be available on the day of issue.
