A Visit from St. Nick (US 2021)

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Late overnight change in location for the first day ceremony. Details here.

Announced May 14th:

Four new designs in this booklet of 20 stamps tell the story of Santa’s visit on Christmas Eve.

In the first stamp, Santa stands on a snowy rooftop, sack slung across his back, with one leg inside the red-brick chimney; the second stamp shows Santa as he descends through the chimney, his legs dangling over the hearth; the third stamp is a close-up of a winking Santa; and the fourth stamp shows Santa in his sleigh, with four reindeer visible as they fly across the face of the full moon and into a starlit sky.

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with original art by Brad Woodard.

These stamps will be issued October 7th in Santa Claus, Indiana.

Further details will be posted below the large illustration, with the most recent news at the top.

Updated December 6th:
The Scott catalogue numbers for this issue are:

  • 5644 Santa Claus on Roof
  • 5645 Santa Claus in Fireplace
  • 5646 Head of Santa Claus
  • 5647 Santa Claus, Sleigh and Reindeer in Flight
  • a. Block of 4, #5644-5647
  • b. Convertible booklet pane of 20, 5 each #5644-5647

Updated October 14th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.99″ x 1.08″ The B&W pictorial postmark measures 2.36″ x 1.38″

Updated October 7th:
[press release]
Change of Venue
Visit From St. Nick Forever Stamp Dedication

Due to weather conditions, the event has moved to
The Celebration Room of Santa’s Lodge
91 W. Christmas Blvd.
Santa Claus, IN 47579

Updated September 8th:
[ceremony details]
New Stamps Celebrate the Holidays With a Visit From St. Nick

WHAT: Every Christmas, children all around the world dream of a visit from St. Nick. The U.S. Postal Service celebrates that highly anticipated event with four new stamps, sold in booklets of 20.

The first-day-of-issue event for A Visit From St. Nick Forever stamps is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #VisitfromStNickStamps and #USPSHolidayStamps.

WHO: Scott Bombaugh, vice president, chief technology officer, U.S. Postal Service, will serve as dedicating official.

WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, at 11 a.m. CDT

WHERE: United States Post Office
45 N. Kringle Place
Santa Claus, IN 47579

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

BACKGROUND: St. Nick — Santa Claus — is one of our most recognized and beloved cultural icons, his jolly laugh and smiling eyes a happy reminder that Christmas is near.
European immigrants brought to their new country folk characters that over the years became our present-day Santa Claus.

A Visit from St. Nick stamps feature four festive, vividly colored designs that evoke the story of Santa’s visit on Christmas Eve.

In the first stamp, Santa stands on a snowy rooftop against a star-filled, pink-hued sky, his sack slung across his back and one leg inside the red-brick chimney.

The next stamp shows Santa as he descends through the chimney, his legs dangling over the hearth, clad in black boots and his trademark fur-trimmed suit. A log sits in the grate of the red-brick fireplace, while three green stockings, with white toes and heels, hang on the mantel.

The third stamp is a close-up of a winking Santa set against a green background.

The fourth shows Santa in his sleigh, with four reindeer visible, as they fly across the face of the full moon in a dark, starlit sky.

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with original art by Brad Woodard.

The A Visit from St. Nick stamps are being issued as Forever stamps. These Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Updated August 28th from the Postal Bulletin:

On October 7, 2021, in Santa Claus, IN, the United States Postal Service® will issue A Visit from St. Nick stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) booklet of 20 stamps (Item 683400). These stamps will go on sale nationwide October 7, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

Four new designs in this booklet of 20 stamps tell the story of Santa’s visit on Christmas Eve:

  • Santa stands on a snowy rooftop, sack slung across his back, with one leg inside the red-brick chimney;
  • Santa descends through the chimney, his legs dangling over the hearth;
  • Close-up view of a winking Santa; and
  • Santa in his sleigh, with four reindeer visible as they fly across the face of the full moon and into a starlit sky.

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with original art by Brad Woodard.

No automatic distribution.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop.They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – A Visit from St. Nick 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 7, 2022.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: A Visit from St. Nick Stamps
Item Number: 683400
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: October 7, 2021, Santa Claus, IN 47579
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Illustrator: Brad Woodard, Manchaca, TX
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 400,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
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 Numbers: “P” followed by four (4) single digits in four corners
Marginal Markings: Header: “A Visit From St. Nick” Twenty First-Class Forever Stamps • Plate number in peel strip area • ©2021 USPS in peel strip area • Barcode • Promotional text in peel strip area

Otters In Snow (U.S. 2021)

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This issue was announced May 14th:

This booklet of 20 stamps features four scenes of the alert and playful North American river otter reveling in winter’s white landscape.

The original illustrations were rendered in pen and ink, with watercolor in shades of brown for the otters, using black for facial features and crosshatching. The wintry background is white, with blue water, light blue and violet shadows, and black crosshatching.

Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps with artwork from illustrator John Burgoyne.

These stamps will be issued October 12th with a first-day city of Otter, Montana, but no “headquarters” first-day ceremony is planned.

Further updates on this issue will be posted below the large illustration, with the most recent at the top.

Updated December 6th:
The Scott catalogue numbers for this issue are:

    • 5648 Otter in Water
    • 5649 Otter, Tail at Right
    • 5650 Otter, Tail at Left
    • 5651 Otter in Snow
    • a. Block of 4, #5648-5651
    • b. Convertible booklet pane of 20, 5 each #5648-5651

Updated October 14th:
Here is the Digital Color Postmark first-day cancel for this issue:It measures 2.75″ x 1.05″. The standard 4-bar FIRST DAY OF ISSUE postmark is the B&W option.

Updated September 10th from the Postal Bulletin:
On October 12, 2021, in Otter, MT, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Otters in Snow stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) double-sided booklet of 20 stamps (Item 683500). These stamps will go on sale nationwide October 12, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

Otters in Snow, a new booklet of 20 stamps from the Postal Service™, features four different scenes of the alert and playful North American river otter reveling in winter‘s white landscape. The original illustrations were rendered in pen and ink with watercolor, in a color palette consisting of shades of brown for the otters, with black facial features and crosshatching. The wintry background is white, with blue water, light blue and violet shadows, and black crosshatching. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps with artwork from illustrator John Burgoyne.

No automatic distribution.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Otters in Snow 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 12, 2022.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Otters in Snow Stamps
Item Number: 683500
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: October 12, 2021, Otter, MT 59062
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Illustrator: John Burgoyne, West Barnstable, MA
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 300,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block Tag
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 4261
Plate Size: 800 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings: Header: OTTERS in SNOW • Twenty First-Class Forever Stamps • USPS logo • Barcode • Plate number in peel strip area • ©2021 USPS in peel strip area • Promotional text in peel strip area

U.S. Adds 2 Winter Issues (US 2021)

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[press release]
Postal Service Announces Additions to the 2021 Stamp Program

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Postal Service today announced two additions to its 2021 stamp program. The new stamps feature the North American river otter and St. Nick — Santa Claus, one of our most recognized and beloved cultural icons.

Otters in Snow
This booklet of 20 stamps features four scenes of the alert and playful North American river otter reveling in winter’s white landscape.

The original illustrations were rendered in pen and ink, with watercolor in shades of brown for the otters, using black for facial features and crosshatching. The wintry background is white, with blue water, light blue and violet shadows, and black crosshatching.

Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps with artwork from illustrator John Burgoyne.

A Visit From St. Nick
Four new designs in this booklet of 20 stamps tell the story of Santa’s visit on Christmas Eve.

In the first stamp, Santa stands on a snowy rooftop, sack slung across his back, with one leg inside the red-brick chimney; the second stamp shows Santa as he descends through the chimney, his legs dangling over the hearth; the third stamp is a close-up of a winking Santa; and the fourth stamp shows Santa in his sleigh, with four reindeer visible as they fly across the face of the full moon and into a starlit sky.

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with original art by Brad Woodard.

All stamp designs are preliminary and subject to change. Additional details, including issue dates, will be announced later.

Postal Products
Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shop, by calling (844) 737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide.

HRH Prince Philip (UK 2021)

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[press release]

In Memoriam
HRH The Prince Philip, Duke Of Edinburgh

Issue Date: 24 June

  • Royal Mail reveal images of four new portrait stamps in memory of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh
  • The four black and white images of The Duke are presented in a miniature sheet
  • Born on 10 June, 1921, The Duke of Edinburgh died on 9 April, 2021, aged 99
  • The stamps will go on general sale from 24 June 2021

Royal Mail has revealed images of four new stamps being issued in memory of HRH The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh.

The black and white images feature Prince Philip through the years:

  • 2nd Class stamp: HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh taken by the photographer Baron
  • 1st Class: HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh attending the passing out parade of Prince Andrew at Dartmouth Naval College, Devon
  • £1.70: HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at the Royal Windsor Horse Show
  • £2.55: HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh taken by the photographer Terry O’Neill

Simon Thompson, CEO, Royal Mail said: ”Throughout adulthood, The Duke of Edinburgh dedicated himself to the service of this country, the Commonwealth and to the many causes he was involved with. For more than seven decades he was at the centre of our national life. His passing is a key moment in our history which we mark with this set of commemorative stamps”.

Born on June 1921 in Corfu, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was the only son and youngest child of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenburg. Like HM The Queen, he was also a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria, descended from her second daughter, Princess Alice.

Following the abdication of his uncle, King Constantine I, during a turbulent period in Greece’s history, his family fled the country to exile in France when the Prince was 18 months old.

After education at Cheam Preparatory School and Gordonstoun, in 1939 the 18-year-old Prince joined the Royal Navy as a ‘Special Entry’ Cadet, where he excelled in his training.

In July 1947 the engagement of Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten to Princess Elizabeth was announced, and four months later their wedding at Westminster Abbey was the first great State occasion since the end of World War II.

On the death of King George VI in February 1952, Prince Philip gave up his naval career to commit himself fully to establishing his role as consort to the new monarch.

In addition to supporting HM The Queen, Prince Philip became patron or president of some 800 organisations during his lifetime, including the Industrial Society, the National Playing Fields Association and the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. He was also President of the World Wildlife Fund UK, WWF International President and President Emeritus, Chancellor of Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities, and President of the International Equestrian Federation.

Founding The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in 1956, HRH inspired and encouraged millions of young people around the world to learn new skills and develop their full potential.

In his spare time, Prince Philip pursued his interests in sports and adventure, becoming a qualified pilot, a keen sailor who competed regularly at the Cowes Regatta and an avid polo player. He also took up four-in-hand carriage-driving and represented Britain at several World and European championships.

An artistic individual, The Prince enjoyed painting landscapes and he was a keen collector of art. Prince Philip also played a vital role in helping to modernise the institution of the monarchy. In May 1961, he became the first member of the Royal Family to be interviewed on television. It was his suggestion that The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace should be built on the site of the chapel destroyed in an air raid in 1940 to display items from the Royal Collection to the public.

During more than half a century in the public eye, Prince Philip accompanied The Queen on more than 250 overseas tours and completed well over 20,000 official engagements. He successfully carved a niche that combined ceremonial and family duties, as the father of four children, with his own crowded itinerary.

The four portrait stamps presented in a miniature sheet, retails at £6.65. The stamps and a range of collectible products are available now to pre-order from www.royalmail.com/dukeofedinburgh.

The stamps will be available on general sale from 24 June 2021.

Tulino Is New USPS Deputy PMG

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[press release]
Douglas Tulino Appointed Deputy Postmaster General
Will report to Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Postal Service announced today Douglas Tulino, a 41-year veteran of the service, has been appointed deputy postmaster general, reporting directly to Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy.

The appointment is effective immediately. Tulino also becomes a member of the Postal Service’s Board of Governors and continues in his current role as chief human resources officer (CHRO).

Tulino assumes the deputy role as the Postal Service continues to implement “Delivering for America,” the 10-year plan unveiled on March 23 to restore service excellence and financial sustainability to one of America’s most treasured institutions and a vital part of the nation’s infrastructure.

As deputy postmaster general and CHRO, Tulino will ensure the organization’s culture, talent, labor relations and leadership development are such that they are all contributing to the successful implementation of the Delivering for America Plan. Tulino will also play a key leadership role in ongoing stakeholder outreach.

“As we have been sharing our vision for a more vibrant U.S. Postal Service, Doug has been a key player, providing thoughtful leadership as we have worked collaboratively with our stakeholders to advance our plans for growth, high performance, and financial sustainability,” DeJoy said. “His capacity for listening and problem-solving, as well as his deep knowledge of the opportunities and challenges before us, have earned him the trust of many. Now as deputy postmaster general and CHRO, he will play a pivotal role in ensuring the Postal Service has the culture, talent and stability necessary to become the high-performing service organization it aspires to be.”

Last November, Tulino became executive vice president and chief human resources officer (CHRO), overseeing all aspects of Human Resources for the Postal Service’s 644,000-member workforce. As deputy postmaster general, Tulino will continue to oversee Labor Relations, Humans Resource Management, Organizational Development, Compensation and Benefits, Learning and Development, Recruiting and Hiring and HR Technology. In addition, Tulino will serve as the sponsor of the Executive Diversity Council that is chaired by DeJoy.

In 2005, Tulino began more than fifteen years of service as Vice President, Labor Relations. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing contract negotiation, collective bargaining, grievance and arbitration administration and consultation with management associations, compensation, and benefits for EAS employees, and maintaining organizational compliance with employment-related statutory and regulatory mandates. Over that time, he earned the trust and respect of the leadership of our unions and management associations as they worked together during difficult times to achieve positive solutions and mutual successes.

Tulino started his Postal Service career as a management associate in 1980 in Chicago. He possesses a strong background in labor relations and human resources with more than 40 years of Postal Service experience. For 19 of those years, he obtained experience in positions in human resources, operations, and labor relations at every level of the field organizational structure.

Tulino holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and industrial relations from Kent State University in Ohio. He was recognized with vice president awards in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004, the Board of Governors award in 2007, and the Postmaster General awards in 2014 and 2016.

Biographies of all the executive leadership of the U.S. Postal Service are available at about.usps.com/who/leadership/pmg-exec-leadership-team.htm

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.

Queen Máxima’s 50th Birthday (Netherlands 2021)

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[press release] [click on the picture for a larger version] [translated by Google
Queen Máxima on Stamps in Honor of her 50th Birthday

The Hague, May 7, 2021 – May 17, Queen Máxima will celebrate her 50th birthday. Just like the 50th birthday of King Willem-Alexander, PostNL is publishing a special stamp sheetlet dedicated to this special day.

The stamp sheetlet Queen Máxima 50 years has a striking layout because the stamp with the black and white portrait of the Queen is twice the size of the stamps with the color photos. The stamps are intersected by narrow, kinked lines in the colors of the Dutch flag.

1971-2002-2013
Máxima Zorreguieta was born on May 17, 1971 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2002 she married Prince Willem-Alexander. As the wife of King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima has been supporting the head of state in fulfilling his duties and his unifying, representative and encouraging role in society since 2013.

Involvement
Queen Máxima is a member of the Council of State and fulfills various other positions at home and abroad. Designer Maud van Rossum chose photographs of Queen Máxima for the stamps, which show her involvement in the various positions she holds. The color photos were taken by photographer Robin Utrecht, the black and white portrait is a private photo.

Small insight
The black and white photo caught the attention of Van Rossum during a TV speech by King Willem-Alexander from his office. Special permission was given to use the photo as a small insight into their private life. “It’s a beautiful image, very intimate,” says Van Rossum. “I don’t think a queen has ever been depicted like that on a stamp.”

Oranjehuis [House of Orange]
Stephan van den Eijnden, commercial director Mail of PostNL, is happy with the latest issue about a member of the Royal Family for several reasons. “It has again become a very beautiful sheet of stamps, with striking portraits of Queen Máxima in a fascinating design. Moreover, it is 170 years ago this year that the first stamp appeared in the Netherlands, then with a portrait of King Willem III. There is of course no other subject that is depicted so often on Dutch stamps as the Oranjehuis. We are very proud of that.”

Availability
The Queen Máxima 50 years stamp sheet has 5 different stamps with the denomination Netherlands 1, intended for mail up to and including 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands. The stamps will be available from 17 May 2021 at the Bruna stores and via the PostNL website [direct link]. The stamps can also be ordered by telephone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number 088 – 868 99 00. The period of validity is indefinite.

US Postal Museum Adds to Council

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[press release]
National Postal Museum Announces Appointments to Council of Philatelists

The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum announces the appointments of Ann Dunkin, Scott Guthrie, Yamil H. Kouri and Edmund “Edi” Truell to its Council of Philatelists.

The Council of Philatelists provides the National Postal Museum with philatelic advice, advises on engagement with the global philatelic community, promotes and advocates for the museum’s mission, purpose and programs to the nation and helps build the financial base of the museum. Members are appointed by the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents.

Ann Dunkin
Ann Dunkin is a Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer focused on state and local government at Dell Technologies. Prior to joining Dell, Ms. Dunkin was the Chief Information Officer for the County of Santa Clara, located in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, the 15th largest county in the United States. Prior to joining Santa Clara County, Dunkin served in the Obama Administration as the chief information officer of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Prior to her time in Washington D.C., she was the chief technology officer for the Palo Alto Unified School District. She joined the School District after a long career at Hewlett Packard in a variety of leadership roles focused on engineering, research & development, information technology, manufacturing engineering, software quality and operations.

Dunkin’s collecting interests include United States stamps and airmail postal history. She specializes in the U.S. second airmail issue and the U.S. 75th Anniversary Universal Postal Union (UPU) issue. The 10-cent value of the UPU issue depicts the former Post Office Department headquarters, currently the headquarters of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Ms. Dunkin is a published author, most recently of the book Industrial Digital Transformation, and sought-after speaker on the topics of technology modernization, digital transformation and organizational development. Following the 2020 presidential election, she served on the EPA Agency Review team for the Biden-Harris transition team. She currently serves on the OptimEyes.io Board of Advisors, the Winter Simulation Conference Board of Directors, the Agile Government Leaders (AGL) Board of Directors and the Georgia Tech President’s Advisory Board.

Ms. Dunkin holds a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering, both from The Georgia Institute of Technology. She is a licensed professional engineer in the states of California and Washington.

Scott Guthrie
Scott Guthrie has been collecting since childhood and focuses on the U.S. Classic Period, Great Britain Line Engraved Issues, and British Commonwealth. His specialty is the U.S. 1-cent Franklin, 1861—1867. He is a member of the Royal Philatelic Society London, U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, Great Britain Philatelic Society and American Philatelic Society.

A computer scientist by training, Scott is executive vice president of Microsoft’s Cloud and AI business. He is a graduate of Duke University and lives with his wife and two children in Seattle, Washington.

Yamil H. Kouri
Yamil H. Kouri, Jr. has been a stamp collector since early childhood and became interested in postal history in the late 1970s. He has written close to 200 articles and monographs on postal history, most of them consisting of original research. They have covered a wide variety of subjects, primarily dealing with the maritime and military mail of Spain, former Spanish colonies, Cuba, the United States and several European countries. He has written or co-authored six books, most recently Spanish Colonial and Mexican Mail in the United States, which was published in early 2021.

Kouri is a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society, numbered member of the Real Academia Hispánica de Filatelia e Historia Postal, member of the European Academy of Philately and belongs to more than twenty philatelic organizations in the United States, Latin America and Europe. He was the president of the Postal History Society (United States), and is now a member of the board of the American Philatelic Congress, the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society and chairman of the board of the Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History. He is the former president of the Cuban Philatelic Society and past editor of its journal, The Cuban Philatelist. He has served as vice-president of the American Philatelic Society and is currently the vice-president of the Federación Interamericana de Filatelia (FIAF). On many occasions he also represented the United States as FIAF delegate.

A frequent public speaker on a wide range of philatelic and postal history themes, he has made nearly a hundred presentations at various clubs, societies, symposia, institutions, meetings and exhibitions. In 2019 he signed the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society’s Roll of Distinguished Philatelists and in 2020 he was invited to sign the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists by the Philatelic Congress of Great Britain.

When he is not engaged in philately, sports or family activities, he works as an oncologist and hematologist in the Boston area.

Edmund Truell
Edmund “Edi” Truell has been running third party funds since the age of 16. He qualified as a Chartered Financial Analyst while studying Economics at Durham University. He was credit trained at Bankers Trust LBO group where he structured and advised major LBOs and infrastructure projects.

Edi created and ran a series of innovative entities, including Hambros European Ventures, Duke Street Capital private equity and Duchess debt funds, as well as Pension Insurance Corporation; Disruptive Capital Finance and the London Lancashire Pension Partnership / London Pensions Fund Authority (“LPFA”).

In 2014 he was voted Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” and is a former special economic advisor to the Mayor of London (Boris Johnson). While chairman of the LPFA, Edi was the architect of the merger for £260bn of public sector funds into seven “superpools” and is the Founder of the Pension SuperFund, the UK’s first Defined Benefits pension consolidator.

Edi is Trustee and Founder of the Truell Conservation Foundation; and formerly Director of Galapagos Conservation, Charles Darwin Foundation – the first debt for nature swap. He is also the former Chair of the UK Strategic Investment Advisory Board.

Other members of the National Postal Museum’s Council of Philatelists are listed on the museum’s website.

About the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents
The Smithsonian Institution was created by Congress in 1846 as “an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” Congress vested responsibility for the administration of the Smithsonian in a Board of Regents, consisting of the Chief Justice of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, three members of the United States Senate, three members of the United States House of Representatives and nine citizens.

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. As a public health precaution due to COVID-19, all Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are temporarily closed to the public. For more information about the Smithsonian, call (202) 633-1000 or visit the museum website at postalmuseum.si.edu.

Paul McCartney (UK 2021)

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[press release] [click on any picture for a larger version]
Royal Mail to Honour Paul McCartney with a Set of 12 Special Stamps
Issue date: 28 May

  • Royal Mail reveals images of 12 stamps being issued as a tribute to the musical contribution of Paul McCartney – one of the most iconic and enduring music artists of all time
  • Eight of the stamps will feature images of some of his most loved album covers
  • A further four stamps, presented in a Miniature Sheet, reflect his passion for studio recording
  • Royal Mail collaborated closely with Paul and his team at MPL Communications Ltd. on the collection
  • The stamps and a range of collectible products are available for pre-order from 6 May from www.royalmail.com/paulmccartney, by phone on 03457 641 641 and from 7,000 Post Offices throughout the UK
  • The stamps go on general sale from 28 May

Royal Mail has revealed images of a set of 12 Special Stamps being issued to celebrate one of the UK’s most successful songwriters and greatest music icons, Paul McCartney.

The main stamp set features a selection of eight LPs which have defined Paul McCartney’s career from his first solo album McCartney released in 1970 through to his most recent No.1 album, McCartney III which was recorded and released during lockdown in 2020.

The remaining four stamps, presented in a Miniature Sheet, feature photographs spanning three decades of Paul in the studio, recording for some of the albums featured in the main Special Stamp set.

Royal Mail collaborated closely with Paul and his team at MPL Communications Ltd. on the collection – with Paul having personal involvement in the images used and the wider product range created for the issue.

Paul McCartney is an icon of 20th and 21st century popular music. He is recognised by Guinness World Records as ‘the most successful songwriter of all time’ having written or co-written 188 charted records in the UK, of which 91 reached the top 10 and 33 reached No.1. He is the most successful albums act in UK Official Chart history and has been awarded more than 60 gold discs.

In the USA he has composed 32 No.1 singles and is a 21-time Grammy award winner.

2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of RAM, and the formation of the band Wings, which achieved huge success as one of the biggest selling acts of the 70s – with 27 US top 40 hits, and five consecutive No.1 albums.

The 1977 Wings’ single, Mull of Kintyre, remains one of the UK’s biggest selling non-charity singles.

Paul McCartney is one of only three individual music artists to be featured in a dedicated stamp issue; the others being David Bowie (2017) and Elton John (2019).

David Gold, Royal Mail said: “Paul McCartney remains a vital figure at the centre of rock and pop – an artist whose legacy is immense, but whose work continues to generate popular attention and critical acclaim. This dedicated stamp issue is a fitting tribute to one of the UK’s much loved and revered musical icons.”

The stamps and a range of collectible products are available for pre-order from 6 May from www.royalmail.com/paulmccartney, by phone on 03457 641 641 and from 7,000 Post Offices throughout the UK. The stamps go on general sale from 28 May priced at £16.20 for the full set.

 

The stamps/albums:

Album: McCartney
A clean break from The Beatles and as far from the production extravaganza of their final album Abbey Road as you can get, Paul McCartney’s solo debut was recorded mostly in his living room, with its author playing every instrument.
The sound of a brilliant musical mind throwing out random ideas – and finding they all work – still sounds compelling 50 years on, with its loose patchwork of songs, fragments of songs, instrumentals and experiments.

Album: RAM
More professionally recorded than McCartney’s debut, RAM nevertheless shared its charming, homespun feel. Credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, RAM took in everything from the gentle, ukulele-driven ‘Ram On’ to the hard-rocking ‘Smile Away’ and the experimental song suite ‘Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey’, the latter an unexpected US No.1.
The closing ‘The Back Seat of My Car’ defines the adjective ‘McCartneyesque’ – impossibly melodically rich, apparently effortless song-writing.

Album: Venus and Mars
Venus and Mars’s ‘Rock Show’ is a paean to the kind of huge stadium gigs that McCartney’s 1970s band Wings would help pioneer: their ensuing world tour became one of the mid-1970s’ most celebrated musical events. Partly recorded in New Orleans,Venus and Mars captures Wings at their zenith: a supremely polished band operating on the cusp of pop and rock, mixing hits – ‘Listen to What the Man Said’ – with more whimsical ideas, among them a cover of the theme from TV soap Crossroads.

Album: McCartney II
Once more recorded at home and greeted with bafflement on release, McCartney II eventually assumed its rightful place as one of its author’s most celebrated solo albums. McCartney threw himself into experiments, largely driven by synthesisers
and drum machines, that ranged from the funky (‘Temporary Secretary’ or ‘Coming Up’) to the flatly bizarre (‘Bogey Music’).
The same sessions produced ‘Wonderful Christmastime’, a perennial favourite of the festive season.

Album: Tug of War
Produced by George Martin after the break-up of Wings, the global chart-topper Tug of War is a song-writing masterclass. ‘Ebony and Ivory’ and ‘Take It Away’ were the big hits and the reflective tribute to the late John Lennon ‘Here Today’ perhaps its most enduring moment, but the album is densely packed with fantastic tracks, the supremely funky Stevie Wonder collaboration ‘What’s That You’re Doing?’ and the gorgeous ballad ‘Wanderlust’ among them.

Album: Flaming Pie
Inspired by the years spent working on The Beatles’ Anthology and mostly co-produced by Jeff Lynne – who had also worked on ‘new’ Beatles songs ‘Free as a Bird’ and ‘Real Love’ – and featuring a rare co-writing credit for Ringo Starr, Flaming Pie saw McCartney strip back his sound, a move that allowed an extremely strong, occasionally understated set of songs to flourish. Poignantly, Flaming Pie is also the last McCartney album to feature the backing vocals of Linda McCartney, who died the following year.

Album: Egypt Station
In 2018, Paul McCartney unexpectedly teamed up with Adele producer Greg Kurstin and – on ‘Fuh You’ – blue-chip pop songwriter Ryan Tedder. But Egypt Station is not a straightforward lunge for latter-day pop contemporaneity: it is an impressively varied album, which switches between the raucous stomp of ‘Come on to Me’, the troubled, reflective ‘I Don’t Know’ and ‘Hunt You Down/Naked/C-Link’, the latest in a long line of McCartney tracks that segue different song fragments together in a thrillingly episodic whole.

Album: McCartney III
Inspired by the circumstances of lockdown to return to the home-studio, one-man-band approach of the previous albums in the McCartney series, McCartney III unexpectedly appeared at the end of 2020, a critically lauded collection of songs that ranged from acoustic ballads to tough rock and roll. The experimental spirit of its predecessors in the McCartney series was underlined by its lengthy instrumental opener, ‘Long Tailed Winter Bird’, and the powerful, episodic eight minutes of ‘Deep Deep Feeling’.