Blueberries (U.S. 2022)

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Announced November 1, 2021:

The new 4-cent Blueberries stamp will be available for sale in panes of 20 and coils of 3,000 and 10,000. The stamp features a pen, ink and watercolor illustration of a cluster of blueberries and leaves. Blueberries will join other similarly designed low-denomination stamps available separately for purchase: 1-cent Apples, 2-cent Meyer Lemons, 3-cent Strawberries, 5-cent Grapes and 10-cent Pears. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps using existing illustrations by John Burgoyne.

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

Updated February 9th:
Here are the Scott catalogue numbers:
• 5652 4c Blueberries, serpentine die cut 11¼x11
• 5653 4c Blueberries coil stamp, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.

Updated December 16th:
Paper type corrected for all three varieties in “Technical Specifications.”

Updated December 9th:
Only the FIRST DAY OF ISSUE cancel is available for this issue.

Updated December 3rd:

On January 9, 2022, in Blue Hill, ME, the United States Postal Service® will issue the 4-cent denominated Blueberries stamp in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 121600), a PSA Coil of 3,000 stamps (Item 750600), and a PSA Coil of 10,000 stamps (Item 760800). This stamp will go on sale nationwide January 9, 2022, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

Blueberries, a new 4-cent definitive stamp, will be available for sale in panes of 20 and coils of 3,000 and 10,000. The stamp features a pen, ink, and watercolor illustration of a cluster of blueberries and leaves. Art director Derry Noyes designed this stamp using an existing illustration by John Burgoyne.

  • Item 121600, Blueberries, 4 Cents, Pane of 20 Stamps: No automatic distribution.
  • Item 750600, Blueberries, 4 Cents, Coil of 3,000 Stamps: No automatic distribution.
  • Item 760800, Blueberries, 4 Cents, Coil of 10,000 Stamps: 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. Each cover must have sufficient postage to meet First-Class Mail® requirements. 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 – Blueberries Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by May 9, 2022.

Technical Specifications — Pane of 20:

Issue: Blueberries Stamp
Item Number: 121600
Denomination & Type of Issue: 4-cent Denominated, Mail-use
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 9, 2022, Blue Hill, ME 04614
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, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 20,000,000
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.542 x 21.336 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.098 x 24.892 mm
Pane Size (w x h): 5.30 x 4.88 in./134.62 x 123.952 mm
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Pantone 535, Pantone 5415
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by six (6) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in four corners
Back: ©2021 USPS • Barcode • USPS Logo • 2 barcodes (121600) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text

Technical Specifications — Coil of 3,000:

Issue: Blueberries Stamp
Item Number: 750600
Denomination & Type of Issue: 4-cent Denominated, Mail-use
Format: Coil of 3,000 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 9, 2022, Blue Hill, ME 04614
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Existing Art: John Burgoyne, West Barnstable, MA
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Coil: 3,000
Print Quantity: 9,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Pantone 535, Pantone 5415
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.542 x 21.336 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.098 x 24.892 mm
Plate Size: 540 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by six (6) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate number every 27th stamp below stamp image

Technical Specifications — Coil of 10,000:

Issue: Blueberries Stamp
Item Number: 760800
Denomination & Type of Issue: 4-cent Denominated, Mail-use
Format: Coil of 10,000 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 9, 2022, Blue Hill, ME 04614
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Existing Art: John Burgoyne, West Barnstable, MA
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Coil: 10,000
Print Quantity: 200,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Pantone 535, Pantone 5415
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.542 x 21.336 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.098 x 24.892 mm
Plate Size: 540 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by six (6) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate number every 27th stamp below stamp image

Lunar New Year: Tiger (U.S. 2022)

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Announced November 1, 2021:

The third of 12 stamps in the latest Lunar New Year stamp series celebrates the Year of the Tiger. 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 tiger is a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk art crafts created during this auspicious time of year. The tiger mask design incorporates colors and patterns symbolic to the holiday. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp and pane with original art by Camille Chew.

The Scott catalogue number for this stamp is 5662.

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

Updated January 10th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.97″ x 1.43″ The Pictorial Postmark measures 2.35″ x 1.23″

Updated December 16th from the Postal Bulletin:

On January 20, 2022, in New York, NY, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Lunar New Year — Year of the Tiger stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 481500). This stamp will go on sale nationwide January 20, 2022, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Lunar New Year — Year of the Tiger commemorative pane of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

In 2022, the Postal Service™ will issue the third of 12 stamps in its third Lunar New Year series. The Year of the Tiger begins February 1, 2022, and ends on January 21, 2023. Calling to mind the elaborately decorated masks used in the dragon or lion dances often performed in Lunar New Year parades, this 3-dimensional mask depicting a tiger is a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk art crafts created during this auspicious time of year. Simplified illustrations of the 12 zodiac animals form vertical lines on the left and right sides of the stamp pane. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed this stamp issuance with original artwork by Camille Chew.

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 – Lunar New Year — Year of the Tiger Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by May 20, 2022.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Lunar New Year — Year of the Tiger Stamp
Item Number: 481500
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Lunar New Year
Issue Date & City: January 20, 2022, New York, NY 10199
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Camille Chew, Providence, RI
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Foil Stamping, Flexographic, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 24,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Pantone 7579 C Orange, Pantone 7563 C Light Brown, Gold Foil Luxor MTS 413, Purple Foil Luxor MTS 323
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): 7.25 x 8.5 in./184.15 x 215.9 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 14.5 x 19.5 in./368.3 x 495.3 mm
Plate Size: 80 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by six (6) single digits in two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Lunar New Year — Year of the Tiger • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2021 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (481500) • Plate position diagram (4) • Promotional text

Updated December 16th:
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright!

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the Lunar New Year with the release of the Year of the Tiger Forever stamp. The Year of the Tiger begins Feb. 1, 2022 and ends Jan. 21, 2023.

News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #LunarNewYearStamp.

WHO: The Honorable Ronald A. Stroman, Member,
United States Postal Service Board of Governors

WHEN: 11 a.m. EST, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022

WHERE:
Peter Norton Symphony Space
2537 Broadway
New York, NY 10025-6990

TICKETS: This is a ticketed event. To facilitate contract tracing if necessary, tickets must be obtained from Peter Norton Symphony Space. Information on how to obtain free tickets and other information can be found here.

VENUE PROTOCOL: Everyone entering the building is required to show proof of full vaccination and state-issued I.D. Peter Norton Symphony Space will not accept negative test results in lieu of proof of full vaccination. More information can be found on their website.

BACKGROUND: The tiger is the third of the 12 zodiac animal signs associated with the Chinese lunar calendar. As with other zodiac signs, personality traits and other attributes are often associated with people born in the year of a particular animal. Those born during the Year of the Tiger may be seen as brave, confident and well-liked by others. Blue, orange and gray are lucky colors for Tigers, and yellow lilies and cineraria flowers may also bring good luck.

Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with original art by Camille Chew.

The Year of the Tiger 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.

Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays of the year for many Asian communities around the world and is primarily celebrated by people of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan, Mongolian, Malaysian and Filipino heritage. Across these varied cultures, many traditions exist for ringing in a new year of good luck and prosperity.

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.

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.

Updated December 11th:
Linn’s Stamp News reports this stamp will be issued January 20th with New York City as the location.

Updated December 3rd:
VSC member Foster Miller reports in VSC’s Facebook Group that this stamp is expected in mid- to late-January. The Lunar New Year begins February 1.

U.S. “Operation Santa” Takes Off

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[press release]
‘USPS Operation Santa Is Now Accepting Letters for 2021 Program
It’s Time To Start Sending in Wish Requests for the Holidays

WASHINGTON, DC — Starting today, the Postal Service is accepting letters for the 109-year-old USPS Operation Santa program. Letters must be postmarked by Dec. 10, and will be uploaded to USPSOperationSanta.com through Dec. 15 for potential adoption.

Every day can be a challenge for some families simply trying to make ends meet.

Holiday expectations put extra pressure on those same families who want to make it a special time, but just can’t. That’s where the USPS Operation Santa program — and generous Postal Service customers — can help make the holidays a joyous and magical time. Since the program began, hundreds of thousands of less-fortunate children and their families have been helped by the kindness of others.

Program Details
USPS Operation Santa was established by the Postal Service to help those in need during the holidays. Whether you believe in Santa or not, the nondenominational program is intended to help as many deserving families as possible experience a happy holiday season. And that can only happen if there are letters to post on USPSOperationSanta.com.

Participation in USPS Operation Santa is simple. All you have to do is write a letter, put it in an envelope affixed with a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, and make sure you include your full return address — apartment number, directional information (i.e., E Main St, Apt 103) and ZIP Code — and send it to Santa’s official workshop address:

Santa Claus
123 Elf Road
North Pole, 88888

Letters without full return addresses or names will not be posted for adoption.

What Should I Ask For?
It is entirely up to the letter writer as to what appears on their wish list. But the more specific writers are with sizes, colors, styles, favorite authors, book titles, toys, etc., the better chance their wishes will be granted if their letter is adopted.

When someone writes a letter, it is opened by Santa’s elves, and for safety reasons, all personally identifiable information of the letter writer is removed (i.e., last name, address, ZIP Code) and uploaded to USPSOperationSanta.com for adoption. Letters must be postmarked by Dec. 10 and letters will be uploaded to the website for adoption through Dec. 15.

There is no guarantee that letters submitted to the program will be adopted.

How to Write a Letter
Sending a letter to Santa is easy and the Postal Service has guides and tips to help kids and their parents write and send their best letters ever. All the information you could possibly need to write a letter, address an envelope, put on a stamp and send it on its way can be found on USPSOperationSanta.com and in our Holiday Newsroom [which includes a countdown clock to Christmas].

You can also use these letter writing tips throughout the yearhttps://about.usps.com/holidaynews/ if you want to send thank-you cards, birthday cards or letters to friends and family just to say “Hi.”

Adopting a Letter
Adopter registration, ID verification and letter adoption will open in the next few weeks. Until then, there are a few things to know for those who plan to adopt a letter.

Potential adopters, once approved, can visit USPSOperationSanta.com, read through the posted letters, pick one or more that they’d like to fulfill, and follow the directions on how to grant that special wish for a child. For security reasons, all potential adopters must be vetted through a short registration and ID verification process before they can adopt any letter. If you’ve adopted letters in the past, you must still be verified each year.

Businesses also get into the spirit of the season by creating teams to adopt letters — all the better to help grant those special wishes to deserving families and kids.

USPS Operation Santa History
USPS Operation Santa started more than 109 years ago when the Postal Service began receiving letters to Santa from kids across the country. It wasn’t until 1912 that Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized local Postmasters to allow postal employees and customers to respond to the letters. That simple act of kindness has led to a very successful holiday program benefiting deserving kids and families throughout the United States.

The complete Operation Santa history can be found online at the Postal Service Holiday Newsroom, along with additional news and information, including all mailing and shipping deadlines.

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.

Christmas (Canada 2021)

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[press release] [big pictures of the four stamps are at the bottom of the page]
‘Tis the season for Christmas and holiday stamps
Customers can make mail festive with sacred and secular expressions

OTTAWA – Canadians know that the appearance of Christmas and holiday stamps is a signal that the big day is getting closer. Since 1964, Canada Post has encouraged Canadians to make their cards and letters more festive. Once again, we can all make our mail merrier with stamps bearing either sacred or secular holiday imagery.

characters souvenir sheet

This year’s heavenly Christmas issue is inspired by the angels who played an essential role as messengers in the Nativity story. Designed by Stéphane Huot and illustrated by Luc Melanson, the simple line drawings on a crisp white background call up a sense of purity and peace. The PermanentT domestic rate stamp is available in booklets of 12. The Official First Day Cover is cancelled in Christmas Island, Nova Scotia.

The 2021 holiday stamps, designed by Larry Burke and Anna Stredulinsky of Burke & Burke, and illustrated by Geneviève Godbout, feature adorable, full-of-personality portraits of three classic holiday characters, Santa (domestic rate), a reindeer (U.S. rate) and an elf (international rate). Domestic rate stamps are available in booklets of 12, with the U.S. and international rate stamps offered in booklets of six. A festive souvenir sheet that brings together all three characters is also part of the issue, along with a souvenir sheet Official First Day Cover, cancelled in Noëlville, Ontario.Stamps and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca [direct] and postal outlets across Canada.

Angel Specifications:
Characters Specifications:[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
C’est le temps des timbres de Noël et des Fêtes
Les clients peuvent orner leur courrier d’images religieuses ou profanes

OTTAWA – Les Canadiens savent que l’arrivée des timbres de Noël et des Fêtes est un bon indice que le grand jour approche. Depuis 1964, Postes Canada encourage les Canadiens à rendre leurs cartes et leurs lettres plus festives. Cette année encore, nous pouvons tous orner notre courrier de timbres présentant des images sacrées ou profanes des Fêtes.

characters souvenir sheet

L’émission de timbres de Noël de cette année s’inspire des anges qui ont joué un rôle essentiel en tant que messagers dans l’histoire de la Nativité. Conçus par Stéphane Huot et illustrés par Luc Melanson, les motifs épurés sur fond blanc évoquent un sentiment de pureté et de paix. Le timbre Permanent au tarif du régime intérieur est offert en carnets de 12. Le pli Premier Jour officiel est oblitéré à Christmas Island, en Nouvelle-Écosse.

Conçus par Larry Burke et Anna Stredulinsky de Burke & Burke, et illustrés par Geneviève Godbout, les timbres profanes de 2021 sont ornés d’adorables portraits du père Noël (tarif du régime intérieur), d’un renne (tarif des envois à destination des États-Unis) et d’un lutin (tarif du régime international). Le timbre Permanent au tarif du régime intérieur est offert en carnets de 12, tandis que les vignettes au tarif des envois à destination des États-Unis et du régime international le sont en carnets de 6. L’émission comprend également un bloc-feuillet réunissant les trois personnages, ainsi qu’un pli Premier Jour officiel du bloc-feuillet oblitéré à Noëlville, en Ontario.Le timbre et les articles de collection sont en vente sur postescanada.ca et dans les comptoirs postaux partout au pays.

Overview: US 2022 Stamp Program

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Quick summary: Year of the Tiger, Pete Seeger, pioneering marine biologist Eugenia Clark, Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham, women’s rowing (four designs), Native American/African American sculptor Edmonia Lewis for the Black Heritage series, National Marine Sanctuaries (16 stamps), pony cars (Mustang, Challenger, Camaro, Cougar, Javelin), elephants (1 stamp), Native American modernist artist George Morrison (5 stamps), Mighty Mississippi (10 stamps),, Title IX (the civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational program or activity), cryptology, blackberries, and assorted flowers.

2022us_release

Scott Catalogue Update (November 2021)

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5635 (58¢) Happy Birthday

5636 (58¢) Message Monsters – Pink and Red Monster
a. Imperforate
5637 (58¢) Message Monsters – Four-armed Monster
a. Imperforate
5638 (58¢) Message Monsters – Tentacled Monster
a. Imperforate
5639 (58¢) Message Monsters – Red-headed Monster
a. Imperforate
b. Horiz. or vert. strip of 4, #5636-5639
c. Imperforate strip of 4, #5636a-5639a

5640 (58¢) Day of the Dead – Girl’s Skull with Bow
a. Imperforate
5641 (58¢) Day of the Dead – Man’s Skull with Hat
a. Imperforate
5642 (58¢) Day of the Dead – Woman’s Skull with Curled Hair
a. Imperforate
5643 (58¢) Day of the Dead – Boy’s Skull
a. Imperforate
b. Horiz. strip of 4, #5640-5643
c. Imperforate strip of 4, #5640a-5643a

Poppy (Canada 2021)

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[press release]
Stamp marks 100 years of the poppy as symbol of remembrance
Release coincides with launch of the 2021 National Poppy Campaign

OTTAWA – Canada Post released today a poignant stamp to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the official adoption of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance in Canada. The release coincides with the launch of The Royal Canadian Legion’s 2021 National Poppy* Campaign, which begins the last Friday of October each year.

Canada Post has a long history of commemorating Remembrance Day and Canada’s military history through its stamp program. The Legion’s annual campaign is a highly visible way for Canadians to honour veterans and those who have fallen in Canada’s military.

The concept behind this special stamp was not only to immortalize the crimson flower, but also offer another way to remember the more than 117,000 Canadians who died for their country.

While the poppy is distributed freely, the Legion accepts donations to the Poppy Fund. Money raised helps to provide veterans and their families with financial assistance and other support. Millions of poppies are distributed in Canada every year, raising close to $20 million annually.

About the remembrance poppy
During the First World War, the appearance of the bright red flowers on the battlefields in France and Belgium inspired Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae of Guelph, Ontario, to pen the poem “In Flanders Fields” in May 1915, after he lost a friend in the Second Battle of Ypres. Moved by his words, a number of women and charities began to create poppies made of fabric as a memorial and to raise funds for veterans and families of the fallen. The Great War Veterans’ Association of Canada (the Legion’s predecessor) officially adopted the poppy as a symbol of remembrance on July 6, 1921. Canada’s first National Poppy Campaign launched later that year.

About the stamp issue
Blair Thomson of the Believe in studio designed the stamp, which was printed by Colour Innovations. The poppy’s red ink was created specially to match the crimson of the poppy, while metallic ink was used for the pinhead. A stark white background provided the contrast that makes the image pop. On the Official First Day Cover [below], the cancel features a stylized “100” to mark the poppy’s centennial as a symbol.The Remembrance Poppy issue includes a booklet of 10 Permanent™ domestic rate stamps and an Official First Day Cover. Both products are available here [direct link] and post offices across the country.

[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Un timbre souligne le 100e anniversaire du coquelicot comme symbole du souvenir
Le lancement coïncide avec celui de la Campagne nationale du coquelicot de 2021

OTTAWA – Postes Canada a émis aujourd’hui un timbre émouvant pour souligner le 100e anniversaire de l’adoption officielle du coquelicot comme symbole du souvenir au Canada. L’émission coïncide avec le lancement de la Campagne nationale du coquelicot* de 2021 de la Légion royale canadienne, qui débute le dernier vendredi d’octobre de chaque année.

Postes Canada commémore depuis longtemps le jour du Souvenir et l’histoire militaire du Canada au moyen de son programme des timbres-poste. La campagne annuelle de la Légion est un moyen concret d’honorer les anciens combattants et les soldats qui sont tombés au combat.

Ce timbre spécial vise non seulement à immortaliser la fleur cramoisie, mais propose aussi une autre façon de se souvenir des plus de 117 000 Canadiens qui sont morts pour leur pays.

Bien que les coquelicots soient distribués gratuitement, la Légion accepte les dons au Fonds du coquelicot. L’argent ainsi recueilli est utilisé pour offrir une aide financière et d’autres formes de soutien aux anciens combattants et à leur famille. Des millions de coquelicots sont distribués chaque année au Canada, ce qui permet d’amasser près de 20 millions de dollars par an.

À propos du coquelicot, symbole du souvenir
Pendant la Première Guerre mondiale, le lieutenant-colonel John McCrae, originaire de Guelph, en Ontario, est interpellé par les fleurs rouges qu’il voit dans les champs de bataille de France et de Belgique. C’est cette vision qui lui inspire en mai 1915 l’écriture du poème Au champ d’honneur (adaptation française de Jean Pariseau), après la perte d’un ami durant la deuxième bataille d’Ypres. Touchées par ce poème, plusieurs femmes et organisations de bienfaisance commencent à confectionner des coquelicots commémoratifs en tissu et à les vendre afin de recueillir des fonds pour les anciens combattants et la famille des soldats morts au front. La Great War Veterans Association of Canada (maintenant la Légion royale canadienne) adopte officiellement le coquelicot comme symbole du jour du Souvenir le 6 juillet 1921. La première Campagne nationale du coquelicot est lancée plus tard la même année.

À propos de l’émission de timbre
Ce timbre a été conçu par Blair Thomson, du studio Believe in, et imprimé par Colour Innovations. L’encre rouge a été spécialement créée pour reproduire la couleur cramoisie du coquelicot et une encre métallique a été utilisée pour la tête d’épingle, tandis que l’image de coquelicot a été placée sur un fond blanc immaculé pour créer un effet de contraste. Sur le pli Premier Jour officiel [au dessous de], le cachet d’oblitération contient le nombre « 100 » stylisé en hommage au centenaire du coquelicot.L’émission Le coquelicot, symbole du souvenir – 100e anniversaire comprend un carnet de 10 timbres PermanentsMC au tarif du régime intérieur et un pli Premier Jour officiel. Les deux produits sont offerts ici [lien direct] et dans les bureaux de poste à l’échelle du pays.

2021’s Awards Season

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No red carpets or glittering stars, but at Great American Stamp Show, the major stamp societies honored members who helped both the organizations and the hobby.

The American Philatelic Society honored Darryl Ertzberger, Ron Lesher and Alberto Frohlich with the Luff Award, possibly the highest in philately. In a first, all three of the people named to the APS Hall of Fame were women, and a number of other individuals were also recognized for their service.

The American First Day Cover Society gave its Distinguished Service Award to a key figure in its first years, recognized other volunteers, and gave its writing award to a first-time winner. And The American Topical Association recognized a past president whose accomplishments included putting the ATA on a sound financial footing as its Distinguished Topical Philatelist.

2020 was a challenging year, for first day cover collectors as well as the rest of us, but the year’s award-winning FDC cachets brought beauty and brightness in our lives. History was also made during the American First Day Cover Society’s annual contest. The story is here.

Hydrofoil Passenger Ship “Voshod” (Ukraine 2021)

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This stamp (No. 1958) was issued October 22, 2021. It covers the cost of mailing a letter of up to 50 grams within Ukraine. The size of the stamp 52×25 mm. The 9-stamp pane measures 186×106 mm. Valerii Rudenko designed the stamp, the first day cover and the maximum card.

You can purchase this and other Ukrainian stamps at http://pm.ukrposhta.ua/nishop.php and click on the tiny British flag near the top for an English translation. The pane of stamps is 94.50 UAH (Hryvnia, about US $3.54). The FDC with the special cancellation is 17.00 UAH (64¢) or without the cancellation, 15¢) and the same prices apply to the maximum card.

Digi Art (Netherlands 2021)

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Appearance: Five different personal stamps marked ‘Nederland 1’, the denomination for post weighing up to 20g sent to an address within the Netherlands
Date of issue: 28 October 2021
Item number: 810060
Design: stamps Tim Ottens (Rijswijk), sheet edge Sandra Smulders (Gouda)With the Digi Art issue, PostNL is the first postal company in the world to issue a stamp sheet with a design created by a computer algorithm. The Digi Art stamp sheet features five different personal stamps that were designed by an algorithm based on a collection of around 1500 stamps from the period from 1852 to 1920. The personal stamps are marked ‘Nederland 1’, the denomination for post weighing up to 20g sent to an address within the Netherlands.

Background:
Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems that mimic human intelligence. These AI systems are capable of extrapolating large amounts of data, making new decisions and choices, and coming up with new interpretations. To achieve this, the computer systems use algorithms – mathematical formulas that are able to make independent decisions based on data or indicators – and learn from them. The developments in artificial intelligence are coming thick and fast. It is used in numerous applications, from face recognition on smartphones and self-driving cars to smart thermostats and deep fakes – digitally manipulated images, sounds and texts. Within AI there is a separate discipline called generative art, which is when a computer algorithm creates an original work of art or design. And this is exactly what was used for PostNL’s Digi Art stamp issue.

Design:
The stamp Digi Art stamp sheet features five postage stamps in five different designs. The five stamps feature five unique computer-generated designs against a dark background. At first glance, the five stamps look as if they have been issued before, but appearances can be deceiving. They may look like classic stamps, but they are not. All the elements are familiar, such as a supporting picture in the centre with a frame around it, a strip at the bottom for text, decorations in the corners and a frame with perforations… and yet, they are different from the familiar stamps from the 1852-1920 period.

The sheet edge, which was designed by graphic designer Sandra Smulders, features ten old Dutch stamps. From left to right, these are: King Willem III 5 cents (1864), Numeral stamp ½ cent (1876), Queen Wilhelmina 20 cents (1899), King Willem III 7½ cents (1872), Postal order stamp 4 guilders (1884), Numeral stamp 2 cents (1876), Numeral stamp 1½ cents (1899), Jubilee stamp 100 years of independence 12½ cents (1913), Coronation stamp Queen Wilhelmina 1 guilder(1898) and Michiel de Ruyter 1 cent (1907).

The 10 stamps are connected to the personal stamps with vertical lines via a horizontal elongated wave. The lines indicate the direction that the old stamps have travelled through the algorithm – represented by the wave – to form the new stamps. The background colour is derived from the personal stamp in the centre. The dark corners suggest depth. The gradient returns in the background of the stamps. In between the stamps, there are six individual letters in binary code (ones and zeros). The ones and zeros have different hues to symbolise the process of their creation.

Typography:
The font used for the denomination 1 and Nederland was designed in 2018 by font designer Martin Majoor from Arnhem. Pirulen Bold is used for the typography of the title, Pirulen Book for the binary code and Pirulen Light for the remaining text. All these fonts were designed in 2016 by Raymond Larabie of Typodermic Fonts in Nagoya, Japan.

Designer:
The Digi Art personal stamps are the brainchild of Tim Ottens, data scientist with the Analytics & Decision Support team at PostNL. Ottens introduced the idea during a hack-time project: time he and his colleagues were allowed to spend on innovations not directly related to their own job. The result was so popular and the stamp colleagues at PostNL were so enthusiastic, that they decided to issue the Digi Art stamp sheet. During the creation process, Ottens worked together with Ying Yu, a data engineer at PostNL, to teach the computer algorithm to design new stamps.

Feedback
To explain how the algorithm works in practice, Ottens draws a comparison with the learning process of a real artist or designer. ‘Their designs are based on existing works of art, designs and impressions on the one hand and on feedback from others on the other. Generative art, so when an algorithm creates a design, works pretty much the same way. The algorithm also has to learn from existing works of art and designs plus feedback. To accomplish this, we need a considerable amount of data. In this case, we fed the algorithm a huge collection of images of old stamps. That’s what we call a dataset. When you have a good dataset, you get a balance between diversity and homogeneity. In other words, the stamps used as input for the algorithm must be different, but at the same time they should not be too different. That is why we focused on the more classic stamps from the period from 1852 to 1920.’

Marked stamps
Ottens started with a total dataset of 4500 different stamps from dozens of countries to feed the algorithm. This was whittled down to 1500 stamps over time. That is because the process ran across quite a number of obstacles. Ottens: ‘Images of marked stamps, for example. The algorithm doesn’t realise that it is a mark, so it teaches itself to create images with black splodges. So we removed all the marked stamps from the dataset.’

Noses
The next obstacle was the fact that many stamps feature faces. So when an algorithm creates new images based on these, you may end up with a face with two noses or no nose. ‘For an algorithm, this is only a small deviation, but we humans immediately notice that something is not right,’ says Ottens. ‘That is why we filtered all the stamps featuring faces from the dataset. And then there was the problem that the quality of some of the images just wasn’t adequate. We removed these by hand or adapted them to determine the final dataset. Sometimes, we offered the same stamps to the algorithm again, but in a different colour, or with a small piece cut off. Because the more variation you have in a dataset, the better the final result will be.’

Millions of evaluations
Ottens and Yu adapted open-source software to design the Digi Art stamps. This specific algorithm is able to learn unsupervised. This means that the algorithm discovers the structure of the input itself and does not receive any commands relating to the desired output. In practice, there are two algorithms: the first is called the ‘generator’, the second the ‘discriminator’. Ottens: ‘The first algorithm functions as an artist who comes up with images from scratch. The second algorithm provides feedback by analysing the difference between the invented images and real stamps and passing this on to the other algorithm. By the way, the generator doesn’t just create a single image, it produces lots of them. That does take some computational time, the algorithms create and evaluate images millions of times.’

Human assessment
Ottens and Yu regularly checked a sample of the generated stamp designs. Ottens: ‘At first it didn’t look like anything, then slowly we saw outlines of stamps emerging. It started with the perforations and other recurring elements. During each assessment we tinkered with the program to give the algorithm a little push in the right direction. At some point we put together a longlist of the results and, together with our stamp colleagues, chose a number of designs. We didn’t adjust them any further, even the colours were picked by the algorithm. I am very happy with the final result, which far exceeded my expectations. Especially because sometimes unexpected details emerged. Like the double perforation on the centre stamp, for example. I couldn’t have come up with that myself.’

About the designers
Tim Ottens (Winterswijk, 1989) studied business economics, marketing intelligence and marketing management at the University of Groningen from 2010 to 2015. After graduating, he worked as a data-analyst at T-Mobile for four years. In 2019, he moved to PostNL, where he is now a senior data scientist responsible for projects related to predictive modelling and artificial intelligence. He applies his knowledge and experience to, for example, the personalisation of the PostNL app. He also develops models for the prediction of package volumes and the time lapsed between the pre-advice and the actual delivery of the packages.

Sandra Smulders (The Hague, 1974) studied advertising and presentation design at Nimeto Utrecht from 1991 to 1995, specialising in graphic design. She started the Vormgoed agency in Gouda in 2007 as a graphic designer and art director. Smulders specialises in designing logos and corporate styles and further developing the associated means of communication. For PostNL Smulders also designed the Stamp Day 2021 and 2020 stamp sheets, the Back to the 20th Century and Trains & Journeys (2019) stamp series, the 2018 Children’s Welfare Stamps, the stamp series celebrating 50 years of the Daily Fable (2018) and the 25 years of Fokke & Sukke (2018) stamp series.

The stamps are available while stocks last at www.postnl.nl/bijzondere-postzegels and can be ordered by telephone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number +31 (0)88 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite.

Value:
The denomination on these stamps is ‘1’, the denomination for items weighing up to 20 g destined for delivery in the Netherlands.

Technical Specifications:
Postage stamp dimensions: 30 x 40mm
Appearance: five different personal stamps marked ‘Nederland 1’, the : denomination for post weighing up to 20g sent to an address within the Netherlands
Print run: 8,000 per issue
Item number: 810060
Design: stamps Tim Ottens (Rijswijk), sheet edge Sandra Smulders (Gouda):

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