Announced by the USPS on May 3^rd:

The Postal Service evokes the holiday spirit with four new se-tenant stamps featuring a colorful digital illustration of elves preparing toys on a winding conveyor belt in a snow-laden forest.

Like many beloved Christmas traditions—including Santa Claus himself—elves did not become a well-established part of the holidays in America until the 19th century. In the 20th century, as elves became firmly rooted in American Christmas lore, they eventually took center stage in beloved holiday television specials, films and books.

Don Clark was the artist and stamp designer. Antonio Alcalá was the art
director.

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

Updated January 14, 2023:
Linn’s Stamp News, in its January 30, 2023, issue which went online on the 14^th, reports major diecut (perforation) errors in the Holiday Elves stamps issued late last year. The horizontal cuts have moved up or down to varying degrees. In one of the most egregious examples, found by Michael Moticha in Southern California, the diecuts are under the elves’ chins!
As a result, the error will get its own Scott catalogue number, 5722c. Other problems with the production of these stamps have also been reported.

Updated December 1^st:
The Scott Catalog numbers for this issue

• 5722 Elf and Teddy Bear
• 5723 Elf Tying Ribbon
• 5724 Elf with Toy Car
• 5725 Elf with Rocket
• a. Block of 4, #5722-5725
• b. Convertible booklet pane of 20, 5 each #5722-5725

Updated August 16^th:
Here are the first-day cancels for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.36″ x 1.49″ The pictorial postmark measures 2.75″ x 1.33″

[ceremony details]
Holiday Elves to Decorate Seasonal Greeting Cards

What: The U.S. Postal Service is getting ready for the holidays by holding the first day of issue ceremony for its Holidays Elves Forever stamps at Santa Claus House in North Pole, AK.

The event is free and open to the public. News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #HolidayElvesStamps.

Who: Mike Elston, U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors Secretary, will serve as dedicating official
Mike Miller, president, Santa Claus House
Santa Claus
Reindeer (maybe Blitzen)

When: Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, at 11 a.m. Alaska Daylight Time (3 p.m. Eastern)

Where:
Santa Claus House
101 St. Nicholas Drive
North Pole, AK 99705

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at: usps.com/holidayelves.

Background: The stamps are se-tenant, which means they work together as a single scene or as individual images. Santa’s happy helpers are tireless in their chores preparing treats and toys for holiday gift-giving. Just like flying reindeer, the North Pole and Santa himself, elves are woven into the fabric of the season’s traditions.

Artist Don Clark first sketched his design and then created the final illustration digitally. Antonio Alcalá was the art director.

Updated August 15^th from the Postal Bulletin:

On September 15, 2022, in North Pole, AK, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Holiday Elves stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), double-sided booklet (Item 683900). These stamps will go on sale nationwide September 15, 2022, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The Postal Service™ evokes the holiday spirit with four new se-tenant stamps featuring a digital illustration of elves preparing toys on a winding conveyor belt in the midst of a snowy landscape:

• One elf sews a tiny teddy bear.
• Another elf wraps a gift.
• One elf carefully puts the finishing touches on the paint of a model car.
• Another elf examines a model rocket.

Along the conveyor belt are other wrapped gifts, a candy cane, and a lollipop. Surrounding the elves is a small, snow-laden forest of evergreens. Don Clark was the artist and stamp designer. Antonio Alcalá was the art director.

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 store.usps.com/store/home. 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 – Holiday Elves 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 January 15, 2023.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Holiday Elves Stamps
Item Number: 683900
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20 (4 designs)
Issue Date & City: September 15, 2022, North Pole, AK 99705
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Don Clark, Maple Valley, WA
Artist: Don Clark, Maple Valley, WA
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 600,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block Tagged
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.77 x 1.05 in./19.558 x 26.67 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.91 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
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Pantone 5483
Plate Size: 800 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings: Header: Holiday Elves, 20 First-Class Forever Stamps • USPS Logo • ©2022 USPS • Barcode • Plate number in peel strip area • Promotional text in peel strip area

Updated June 15^th:
These stamps will be issued September 15th with a North Pole Alaska postmark.

Announced by the USPS on May 3^rd:

This year the Postal Service issues its ninth stamp in celebration of Kwanzaa, a holiday with origins in ancient and modern first-harvest festivities from across the African continent. Kwanzaa incorporates and reimagines many communal traditions as a contemporary celebration and reaffirmation of African American culture.

The stamp design depicts a girl and a boy dressed in robes akin to spiritual garments, with a kinara (candleholder) and seven lit candles (mishumaa saba) in front of them. The kinara is the focal point around which friends and family gather and place meaningful objects.

Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with original artwork by Erin Robinson.

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

Updated December 1^st:
The Scott Catalog number for this issue is 5737.

Updated September 21^st:
On October 13, 2022, in St. Louis, MO, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Kwanzaa 2022 stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 580600). This stamp will go on sale nationwide October 13, 2022, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The Postal Service™ issues its ninth stamp in celebration of Kwanzaa, the non-religious holiday that brings family, community, and culture together for many African Americans over 7 days from December 26 to January 1 each year. The stamp design features a girl and a boy dressed in colorful robes akin to spiritual garments. A kinara (candleholder) and its seven lit candles are in the foreground. A light-blue circle behind the children’s heads represents wholeness and unifies the figures, and a mosaic motif frames the background. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with original artwork by Erin Robinson.

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 store.usps.com/store/home. 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 – Kwanzaa 2022 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 February 13, 2023.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Kwanzaa 2022 Stamp
Item Number: 580600
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: October 13, 2022, St. Louis, MO 63155
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Erin Robinson
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 12,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.77 x 1.05 in/19.558 x 26.67 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in/23.114 x 30.226 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.55 x 5.76 in/140.97 x 146.304 mm
Plate Size: 160 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in four corners
Back: ©2022 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (580600) • Promotional text • Plate position diagram (8)

Updated September 13^th:
[ceremony information] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Postal Service Dedicating Kwanzaa Forever Stamp

What: The U.S. Postal Service continues its tradition of celebrating Kwanzaa, an annual Pan-African holiday that brings family, community, and culture together for many African Americans.

The first-day-of-issue event for the Kwanzaa Forever stamp is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #KwanzaaStamps.

Who: Eddie L. Banner, Kansas-Missouri District manager and dedicating official

When: Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, at 11 a.m. CDT

Where: America’s Center Ferrara Theater
701 Convention Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63101

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at:
www.usps.com/kwanzaa

Background: With this new stamp design, the U.S. Postal Service continues its tradition of celebrating Kwanzaa. The annual Pan-African holiday, which takes place over seven days from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, brings family, community, and culture together for many African Americans.

The stamp design depicts two children — a girl and a boy — standing together with a kinara (candleholder) and the seven lit candles (mishumaa saba) in front of them. They are dressed in robes a::kin to spiritual garments. A light-blue circle behind the children’s heads represents wholeness and unifies the figures, and a mosaic motif frames the background.

Kwanzaa is a festive time for rejoicing in the prospect of health, prosperity and good luck in the coming year. It is also a time for contemplation and recollection of past hardships, faced by both individuals and communities, and the ways in which history can inform and affect future happiness.

Each year, millions of African Americans gather with friends and family throughout the week of Kwanzaa to honor the holiday’s seven founding principles — unity (umoja), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba), and faith (imani).

With origins in ancient and modern first-harvest festivities occurring across the African continent, Kwanzaa incorporates and reimagines many communal traditions as a contemporary celebration and reaffirmation of African American culture.

Artist director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with original artwork by Erin Robinson.

The Kwanzaa stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp. This stamp will always be equal in valuedto the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark for this issue measures 2.94″ x 1.22″The Pictorial Postmark measures 2.74″ x 1.24″

Updated June 15^th:
This stamp will be issued October 13 in Saint Louis.

Announced by the USPS on May 3^rd:

This Christmas stamp features Virgin and Child, an oil-on-panel painting from the first half of the 16th century by a Florentine artist known as the Master of the Scandicci Lamentation.

Depicting the tenderness of a mother and child, interpretations of the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child take innumerable forms in the Christian art of the Italian Renaissance. Imbued with a sense of dignity and grace, this stamp offers a traditional touch for cards and letters in a season of celebration, reflection and family. This painting is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp.

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

Updated December 1^st:
The Scott Catalog number for this issue is 5721 (5721a for the convertible booklet pane of 20)

Updated August 23^rd:
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
‘Virgin and Child’ Painting Adorns New Forever Stamp

What: The U.S. Postal Service is dedicating a new Christmas stamp featuring “Virgin and Child,” an oil-on-panel painting from the first half of the 16th century by an unidentified Florentine artist known as “the Master of Scandicci Lamentation.”

The first-day-of-issue event for the Forever stamp is free and open to the public for those who have RSVP’d. News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtag#VirginAndChildStamp.

Who: Jenny Utterback, the Postal Service’s vice president for organizational development and dedicating official

When: Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, at 11 a.m. ET.

Where: Museum of Fine Arts Boston
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at:usps.com/virginandchild

Background: The painting depicts the Virgin Mary gazing downward at the infant Christ, one of her arms holding him protectively at his waist, the other tenderly touching his arm, while the Christ child turns his head to look out of the frame to the left.

The 16th-century painting “Virgin and Child” is part of the Robert Dawson Evans Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp.
Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide.

Updated August 15^th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.66″ x 1.23″ The B&W pictorial postmark also measures 2.66″ x 1.23″

From the Postal Bulletin:

On September 22, 2022, in Boston, MA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Virgin and Child stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), double-sided booklet (Item 684100). This stamp will go on sale nationwide September 22, 2022, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

This Christmas stamp features Virgin and Child, a 16th-century painting by a Florentine artist known as the Master of the Scandicci Lamentation. Part of the Robert Dawson Evans Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the painting depicts the Virgin Mary gazing downward at the infant Christ, one of her arms holding him protectively at his waist, the other tenderly touching his arm, while the Christ Child turns his head to look out of the frame to the left. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp.

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 store.usps.com/store/home. 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 – Virgin & Child 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 January 22, 2023.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Virgin and Child Stamp
Item Number: 684100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20 (1 design)
Issue Date & City: September 22, 2022, Boston, MA 02205
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Art: The Master of the Scandicci Lamentation
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 200,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tagged
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.77 x 1.05 in./19.558 x 26.67 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in./23.114 x 30.226 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 5.76 x 2.38 in./146.304 x 60.452 mm
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Plate Size: 880 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings: Header: Christmas, Virgin and Child, Twenty First-Class Forever Stamps • ©2022 USPS in peel strip area • Barcode • USPS Logo • Promotional text • Plate number in peel strip area • Photograph ©2022 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Updated June 15^th:
This stamp will be issued September 22 with a Boston MA postmark.

Updated May 10^th:
The painting is described on the Museum of Fine Arts’ website [direct link] and apparently “Master of the Scandicci Lamentation” is how the artist is known today. According to MFA, “The painting was formerly attributed to Andrea del Sarto.”

Also, the USPS has an article on its Christmas stamps here. It appears it was written in the past year or two.

And the frame of this 2022 stamp reminds me of the one from 2018, “Madonna and Child by Bachiacca.” We published details on that stamp here, and you can click on the illustration here for a larger view of the design.

Announced by the USPS on May 3^rd:

The Postal Service continues its tradition of celebrating the joyous Jewish holiday of Hanukkah with a stamp design that features an original wall-hanging.

The fiber art was hand-dyed, appliquéd and quilted to form a colorful abstract image of a hanukiah, the nine-branch candelabra used only at Hanukkah.

Jeanette Kuvin Oren [her website] was the stamp designer and artist. Ethel Kessl was the art director.

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

Updated December 1^st:
The Scott Catalog number for this issue is 5739.

Updated December 1^st:
Artist Jeanette Kuvin Oren advises there is a “second day ceremony” for this stamp on December 14^th at the Woodbridge (1449 Whalley Ave, New Haven, Conn.) post office “featuring local USPS dignitaries, light refreshments, and Second Day Covers. Dress warmly for this brief (free) indoor/outdoor program.” Kuvin Oren will be there. It starts at 2 pm.

Updated October 12^th:

The lettering on the Pictorial Postmark sample sent out last month was incorrect. Here is the correct design: The size is the same as reported below (2.74″x1.10″). The lettering on the left-hand face of the dreidel (also spelled “dreydl”) was incorrect. Here is a comparison of the two. As you can see, the ן or what I think was supposed to be a “final-nun” was replaced by the correct regular nun  נ

Updated September 13^th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.98″x 1.14” The Pictorial Postmark measures 2.74″ x 1.10″

Updated September 7^th:
Artist Jeanette Kuvin Oren tells The Virtual Stamp Club that she plans to be at the first-day ceremony. She has worked with other synagogues in the Cleveland area — mostly Torah (sacred scroll) covers, according to the list on her website — but not Temple Emanu El, where the ceremony is being held.

As noted in the September 6th entry, the stamp design bears a strong resemblance to Kuvin Oren’s wall hanging “Light Unto The Nations” [right] which has seven branches rather than nine. She says that is not coincidence: “Ethel Kessler from the USPS liked the “Light Unto the Nations” wall-hanging she saw on my website and asked if I would create a similar piece for the new Hanukkah Stamp,” Kuvin Oren said in email. “I made the new piece from hand-dyed silk, using quilting and other techniques.”

Updated September 6^th:
[ceremony advisory] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
USPS Celebrates Hanukkah With a New Stamp
Artwork Features an Original Wall Hanging of Abstract Hanukkiah Image

What: The U.S. Postal Service continues its tradition of celebrating Hanukkah, the joyous Jewish holiday also known as the Festival of Lights, with the issuance of a new Hanukkah Forever stamp.

The first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #HanukkahStamp.

Who: Lori Dym, USPS managing counsel for procurement and property law

When: Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, at 11 a.m. ET

Where: Temple Emanu El
4545 Brainard Road
Orange Village, OH 44022-1503

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at: usps.com/hanukkah.

Background: Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, a date that falls in late November or December. In 2022, Hanukkah begins at sundown on Dec. 18.

The stamp art features an original wall hanging. The fiber art was hand-dyed, appliquéd and quilted to form an abstract image of a hanukkiah, the nine-branch candelabra used only at Hanukkah.

Jeanette Kuvin Oren was the stamp designer and artist. Ethel Kessler was the art director.

The Hanukkah stamp is being issued in panes of 20. This Forever stamp will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Preorders for the Hanukkah Forever stamp can be made online at usps.com/stamps, beginning Sept 20.

VSC Notes: The stamp design bears a strong resemblance to Kuvin Oren’s wall hanging “Light Unto The Nations,” which has seven branches rather than nine.

An article on Kuvin Oren appeared in the December 2014/January 2015 issue of Quilting magazine, reproduced on her website.

She is based in Woodbridge, Conn.

Updated June 15^th:
This stamp will be issued October 20 with a Chagrin Falls OH postmark.

Announced by the USPS on May 3^rd:

These stamps celebrate the warmth and cheer that flowers and berries bring to our natural landscapes, even after a surprise snow.

In these hand-sketched and painted designs, the artist uses light, shadow and luminous color to evoke the beauty of 10 species: camellia, winter aconite, crocus, hellebore, winterberry, pansy, plum blossom, grape hyacinth, daffodil and ranunculus.

Derry Noyes designed the stamps with original oil paintings by Gregory Manchess.

The Snowy Beauty stamps will be released in Guilford, IN, without a first-day-of-issue ceremony this fall.

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

Updated December 1^st:
The Scott Catalog numbers for this issue are

• 5727 Camellia
• 5728 Winter Aconite
• 5729 Crocuses
• 5730 Hellebore
• 5731 Winterberry
• 5732 Pansies
• 5733 Plum Blossoms
• 5734 Grape Hyacinths
• 5735 Daffodils
• 5736 Ranunculus
• a. Convertible booklet pane of 20, 2 each #5727-5736

Updated September 21^st:
On October 11, 2022, in Guilford, IN, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Snowy Beauty stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in 10 designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) double-sided booklet (Item 684000). These stamps will go on sale nationwide October 11, 2022, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

Snowy Beauty celebrates the unexpected beauty of flowers in snow. The stamp designs, painted in oils on panel, feature 10 different plants:

• Camellia,
• Crocus,
• Hellebore,
• Winterberry,
• Pansy,
• Plum blossom,
• Grape hyacinth,
• Daffodil,
• Ranunculus, and
• Winter aconite.

Winter aconite is also shown on the cover of this booklet of 20 stamps. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps with original art by Gregory Manchess.

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 store.usps.com/store/home. 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 – Snowy Beauty 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 February 11, 2023.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Snowy Beauty Stamps
Item Number: 684000
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20 (10 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: October 11, 2022, Guilford, IN 47022
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Artist: Gregory Manchess, Fort Thomas, KY
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 300,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.05 x 0.77 in/26.67 x 19.558 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.19 x 0.91 in/30.226 x 23.114 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 2.38 x 5.76 in/60.452 x 146.304 mm
Plate Size: 880 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings: Header: Snowy Beauty, Twenty First-Class Forever Stamps • USPS logo • Barcode • ©2022 USPS in peel strip area • Plate number in peel strip area • Promotional text in peel strip area

Updated September 13^th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.98″ x 1.14″. There is no pictorial postmark for this issue.

Updated June 15^th:
These stamps will be issued without a ceremony on October 11 in Guilford, Indiana.

Announced by the USPS on May 3^rd:

Celebrate NASA’s remarkable James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most complex telescope ever deployed in space—capable of peering directly into the early cosmos and studying every phase of cosmic history. Launched on Dec. 25, 2021, Webb now orbits the Sun about a million miles away from Earth.

The image on the stamp is an artist’s digitally created depiction of the telescope against a dazzling starscape. The selvage photograph of a star and distant space was taken by Webb early in its mission, brilliantly confirming the perfect alignment of the telescope’s 18 mirror segments.

Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp using existing art by James Vaughan and an image provided by NASA/Space Telescope Science Institute.

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

Updated October 4^th:
The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 5720.

Updated July 28^th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.60″ x 1.19″ The B&W pictorial measures 2.74″ x 1.18″

Updated July 28^th from the Postal Bulletin:
On September 8, 2022, in Washington, DC, the United States Postal Service® will issue the James Webb Space Telescope stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 482700). This stamp will go on sale nationwide September 8, 2022, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

Celebrate NASA’s remarkable James Webb Space Telescope (Webb), the largest and most complex telescope ever deployed in space — capable of peering directly into the early cosmos and studying every phase of cosmic history. Launched on December 25, 2021, Webb now orbits the Sun about a million miles away from Earth.

The image on the stamp is an artist’s digitally created depiction of the telescope against a dazzling starscape. The selvage image of a star and distant space was taken by Webb early in its mission, brilliantly confirming the perfect alignment of the telescope’s 18 mirror segments. Art director Derry Noyes was the designer for the stamp project using existing art by James Vaughan and an image provided by NASA/STScI.

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 store.usps.com/store/home. 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 – James Webb Space Telescope 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 January 8, 2023.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: James Webb Space Telescope Stamp
Item Number: 482700
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20
Issue Date & City: September 8, 2022, Washington, DC 20066
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Existing Art: James Vaughan, Kent, OH
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 30,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 0.84 in/36.068 x 21.336 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 0.98 in/39.624 x 24.892 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.5 x 7.77 in/190.5 x 197.358 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 15.54 x 22.5 in/394.716 x 571.5 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header “James Webb Space Telescope” • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2022 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (482700) • USPS LOGO • Promotional text • Plate position diagram (6)

Updated July 26^th:
[ceremony details] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
USPS Celebrates James Webb Space Telescope
Device Seeks to Answer Age-Old Questions As It Reveals New Cosmic Mysteries

What: The James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most sensitive ever launched, can peer to the limits of the known universe.

The U.S. Postal Service will celebrate this remarkable device with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope Forever stamp.

Art director Derry Noyes was the designer for the stamp, using existing art by James Vaughan and an image provided by NASA/Space Telescope Science Institute.

The first-day-of-issue event is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #WebbTelescopeStamp.

Who: Anton Hajjar, vice chairman, U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors

When: Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, at 11 a.m. ET

Where: Smithsonian National Postal Museum
2 Massachusetts Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002-4945

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at: usps.com/webbtelescope.

Background: The U.S. Postal Service celebrates NASA’s remarkable James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most complex telescope ever deployed in space — capable of peering directly into the early cosmos and studying every phase of cosmic history.

Its gold-coated mirror segments form a 21-foot-wide lens that captures faint infrared rays from billions of light-years away that represent the universe’s first accessible starlight. Revealed is the universe in its infancy, including galaxy formation. The Webb Telescope can also analyze exoplanets for potentially life-supporting conditions and provide unprecedentedly high-resolution views of our own solar system.

The heat-sensitive telescope must operate in extreme cold. From its orbit of the sun about a million miles from Earth, it is constantly positioned above the planet’s night side, orienting its optics and instruments in perpetual shade from the sun and Earth behind its tennis-court-size solar shield.

Launched on Christmas Day 2021, the telescope represents multinational cooperation of NASA and the European and Canadian space agencies.

During the telescope’s expected five- to 10-year mission, scientists anticipate answers to age-old questions — plus introductions to new cosmic mysteries.

The image on the stamp is an artist’s digitally created depiction of the telescope against a dazzling starscape. The selvage image of a star and distant space was taken by the telescope early in its mission, brilliantly confirming the perfect alignment of the telescope’s 18 mirror segments.

The James Webb Space Telescope stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp in panes of 20. This Forever stamp is always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Preorders for the James Webb Space Telescope Forever stamp can be made online at usps.com/stampsbeginning August 8.

Updated June 15^th:
This stamp will be issued September 8th with a Washington, DC postmark.

Updated May 13^th:
The telescope is expected to go into operation in June 2022. Could this stamp be issued then?

Announced by the USPS on May 3^rd:

New stamps salute the centennial of cartoonist Charles M. Schulz (1922–2000) whose “Peanuts” characters are some of the best known and most beloved in all of American culture. For five decades, Schulz alone wrote and drew nearly 18,000 strips, the last one published the day after he died. Each character reflects Schulz’s rich imagination and great humanity. His resonant stories found humor in life’s painful realities including rejection, insecurity and unrequited love.

In a celebratory mode, characters from “Peanuts” adorn 10 designs on this pane of 20 stamps and form a frame around a 1987 photograph of Schulz.

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps from Schulz’s artwork and an existing photograph by Douglas Kirkland.

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

Updated December 1^st:
The Scott Catalog numbers for this issue are

• 5726 pane of 20, 2 each #5726a-5726j
• a. (60¢) Charlie Brown
• b. (60¢) Lucy
• c. (60¢) Franklin
• d. (60¢) Sally
• e. (60¢) Pigpen
• f. (60¢) Linus
• g. (60¢) Snoopy and Woodstock
• h. (60¢) Schroeder
• i. (60¢) Peppermint Patty
• j. (60¢) Marcie
• k. As #5726, imperforate
• l. As #5726a, imperforate
• m. As #5726b, imperforate
• n. As #5726c, imperforate
• o. As #5726d, imperforate
• p. As #5726e, imperforate
• q. As #5726f, imperforate
• r. As #5726g, imperforate
• s. As #5726h, imperforate
• t. As #5726i, imperforate
• u. As #5726j, imperforate

Updated August 30^th:

On September 30, 2022, in Santa Rosa, CA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Charles M. Schulz stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in 10 designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 561700). These stamps will go on sale nationwide September 30, 2022, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Charles M. Schulz pane of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

With 10 fun-filled new stamps, the Postal Service salutes cartoonist Charles M. Schulz on his birth centennial. In a celebratory mode, characters from his beloved comic strip Peanuts adorn the 10 designs on this pane of 20 stamps:

• Charlie Brown,
• Lucy,
• Franklin,
• Sally,
• Pigpen,
• Linus,
• Snoopy (with Woodstock),
• Schroeder,
• Peppermint Patty, and
• Marcie.

The characters form a frame around a 1987 photograph of the cartoonist whose vivid imagination gave great humor and humanity to Peanuts. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp issuance, using artwork by Charles M. Schulz and an existing photograph by Douglas Kirkland.

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 store.usps.com/store/home. 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 – Charles M. Schulz 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 January 30, 2023.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Charles M. Schulz Stamps
Item Number: 561700
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (10 designs)
Issue Date & City: September 30, 2022, Santa Rosa, CA 95402
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Art: Charles M. Schulz
Existing Photo: Douglas Kirkland
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus, RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 50,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tagged
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: 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): 6.91 x 7.27 in./175.514 x 184.658 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 13.82 x 21.81 in./351.028 x 553.974 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: SCHULZ • CHARLES M. SCHULZ CENTENNIAL 2022 • Plate number in four corners
Back: PEANUTS Characters © Peanuts Worldwide LLC | ©2022 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (561700) • Promotional text • Plate position diagram (6)

Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: The DCP measures 2.94″ x 1.11″ The pictorial postmark measures 2.73″ x 1.25″.

Updated June 15^th:
These stamps will be issued September 30 with a Santa Rosa, CA postmark.

[press release] [issue titles link to the page for that issue]
U.S. Postal Service Reveals More Stamps for 2022
Peanuts, Holidays and Space Exploration Featured

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service has announced several additions to the 2022 stamp program first announced last fall. All stamp designs are preliminary and subject to change. Additional details, including issue dates and locations, will be announced later.

Charles M. Schulz [Click for more information on this issue]
New stamps salute the centennial of cartoonist Charles M. Schulz (1922–2000) whose “Peanuts” characters are some of the best known and most beloved in all of American culture. For five decades, Schulz alone wrote and drew nearly 18,000 strips, the last one published the day after he died. Each character reflects Schulz’s rich imagination and great humanity. His resonant stories found humor in life’s painful realities including rejection, insecurity and unrequited love.

In a celebratory mode, characters from “Peanuts” adorn 10 designs on this pane of 20 stamps and form a frame around a 1987 photograph of Schulz.

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps from Schulz’s artwork and an existing photograph by Douglas Kirkland.

James Webb Space Telescope [Click for more information on this issue]
Celebrate NASA’s remarkable James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most complex telescope ever deployed in space—capable of peering directly into the early cosmos and studying every phase of cosmic history. Launched on Dec. 25, 2021, Webb now orbits the Sun about a million miles away from Earth.

The image on the stamp is an artist’s digitally created depiction of the telescope against a dazzling starscape. The selvage photograph of a star and distant space was taken by Webb early in its mission, brilliantly confirming the perfect alignment of the telescope’s 18 mirror segments.

Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp using existing art by James Vaughan and an image provided by NASA/Space Telescope Science Institute.

Snowy Beauty [Click for more information on this issue]
These stamps celebrate the warmth and cheer that flowers and berries bring to our natural landscapes, even after a surprise snow.

In these hand-sketched and painted designs, the artist uses light, shadow and luminous color to evoke the beauty of 10 species: camellia, winter aconite, crocus, hellebore, winterberry, pansy, plum blossom, grape hyacinth, daffodil and ranunculus.

Derry Noyes designed the stamps with original oil paintings by Gregory Manchess.

The Snowy Beauty stamps will be released in Guilford, IN, without a first-day-of-issue ceremony this fall.

Hanukkah [Click for more information on this issue]
The Postal Service continues its tradition of celebrating the joyous Jewish holiday of Hanukkah with a stamp design that features an original wall-hanging.

The fiber art was hand-dyed, appliquéd and quilted to form a colorful abstract image of a hanukiah, the nine-branch candelabra used only at Hanukkah.

Jeanette Kuvin Oren was the stamp designer and artist. Ethel Kessl was the art director.

Virgin and Child [Click for more information on this issue]
This Christmas stamp features Virgin and Child, an oil-on-panel painting from the first half of the 16th century by a Florentine artist known as the Master of the Scandicci Lamentation.

Depicting the tenderness of a mother and child, interpretations of the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child take innumerable forms in the Christian art of the Italian Renaissance. Imbued with a sense of dignity and grace, this stamp offers a traditional touch for cards and letters in a season of celebration, reflection and family. This painting is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp.

Kwanzaa [Click for more information on this issue]
This year the Postal Service issues its ninth stamp in celebration of Kwanzaa, a holiday with origins in ancient and modern first-harvest festivities from across the African continent. Kwanzaa incorporates and reimagines many communal traditions as a contemporary celebration and reaffirmation of African American culture.

The stamp design depicts a girl and a boy dressed in robes akin to spiritual garments, with a kinara (candleholder) and seven lit candles (mishumaa saba) in front of them. The kinara is the focal point around which friends and family gather and place meaningful objects.

Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with original artwork by Erin Robinson.

Holiday Elves [Click for more information on this issue]
The Postal Service evokes the holiday spirit with four new se-tenant stamps featuring a colorful digital illustration of elves preparing toys on a winding conveyor belt in a snow-laden forest.

Like many beloved Christmas traditions—including Santa Claus himself—elves did not become a well-established part of the holidays in America until the 19th century. In the 20th century, as elves became firmly rooted in American Christmas lore, they eventually took center stage in beloved holiday television specials, films and books.

Don Clark was the artist and stamp designer. Antonio Alcalá was the art
director.