Author Archives: VSC

Canadians In Flight (Canada 2019)

Posted on by

[press release; see below for the first-day press release and illustrations]
Canadians in Flight stamp issue honours pilots, designers and aircraft
Join us at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum

OTTAWA, March 21, 2019 /CNW/ – On Tuesday, March 26, Canada Post will unveil five stamps that celebrate the heights of ingenuity and courage by honouring Canadians and aircraft that made their mark on civilian and military aviation.

WHAT: Canada Post unveils all five stamps from the Canadians in Flight issue, which will include stamps honouring First World War ace William George Barker, VC, and the pioneering Lazair ultralight plane. The remaining three stamp subjects have not yet been announced.

WHO: Interview opportunities will be available with representatives from the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Canada Post, and special guest Dale Kramer, designer of the Lazair ultralight plane.

WHERE: Canada Aviation and Space Museum
11 Aviation Parkway
Ottawa, Ont.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 26
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

[issuance press release]
Canadians in Flight stamp issue honours pilots, designers and aircraft that made aviation history
An ace, a bush pilot, the Queen of the Hurricanes, an ultralight and the Avro Arrow all soar again on stamps Canada Post has issued five stamps that celebrate legendary examples of Canadian ingenuity, technological prowess and courage in civilian and military aviation. Developed with the support of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum – one of three museums under the Ingenium brand – the stamps commemorate:

  • A First World War pilot, William George Barker, VC, who remains the most decorated member of the military in the history of Canada and the British Empire. Barker flew more than 900 combat hours between 1916 and 1918 and is credited with 50 victories over enemy aircraft.
  • Aviation pioneer and bush pilot C.H. “Punch” Dickins, who logged more than 1.6 million kilometres flying over northern Canada. The First World War flying ace and Distinguished Flying Cross recipient made the first reconnaissance flight across the unmapped Barren Lands of the Northwest Territories.
  • Elizabeth “Elsie” MacGill, who was the first woman in Canada to receive a degree in electrical engineering, and first in the world to hold a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering and to work as a professional aircraft designer. She was dubbed “Queen of the Hurricanes” in a wartime comic book for her work in overseeing design refinements and production of Hawker Hurricanes. The fighter plane was a stalwart workhorse in the Second World War, and especially the Battle of Britain.
  • The Lazair, a family of twin-engine, high-wing ultralight monoplanes designed by Dale Kramer of Port Colborne, Ontario. Manufactured as kits in Canada between 1979 and 1985, the Lazair is still considered one of the best light aircraft ever made. Kramer received the Roméo Vachon Award in 1983 for outstanding contribution to the development of aeronautics in Canada.
  • The twin-engine, supersonic Avro CF-105 Arrow interceptor, which could fly at more than twice the speed of sound. It is considered one of the greatest technological achievements in Canadian aviation history. Some of its innovative technologies are still in use today.

“As Canada’s storyteller, Canada Post is proud to share these stories of personal bravery and ingenuity, and to commemorate the aircraft that demonstrate Canadian technological innovation,” says Doug Ettinger, Canada Post President and CEO.

“Ingenium is thrilled that our collection has helped to bring these ground-breaking moments in Canadian aviation to life. We hope that by sharing stories of those who dared to think differently, we inspire ingenuity, creativity, and innovation in all Canadians,” says Christina Tessier, President and CEO of Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation.

The stamp issue, designed by Ivan Novotny of Taylor|Sprules and printed by the Lowe-Martin Group, is available in a booklet of 10 (two of each design) and a gummed mini-pane of five. Five Official First Day Covers are also available as a set or separately.

The stamps and related collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and at postal outlets across Canada.

100 Years of Aviation (Netherlands)

Posted on by

[press release]
100 years fly by The Hague, 14 March 2019. In 2019 it was 100 years ago that the Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) and the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) were founded. In that year Fokker built the first aeroplanes on Dutch soil. PostNL honours this special centenary celebration with the issuance of the 100 Years of Aviation postage stamp sheet.

11 aeroplanes
The 100 Years of Aviation postage stamp sheet consists of 3 stamps and shows 11 aeroplanes as major orientation points in the historical development and also the future of the 3 organisations. The stamps were designed by Edwin van Praet and Tim Hölscher of Total Design from Amsterdam.

From the very first to the very latest
The designers selected well-known and less well-known aeroplanes from 100 years of Dutch aviation. It starts with the F.II, the very first Fokker that was put into operation by KLM. And the last plane on the postage stamp sheet is the NLR Hybrid Electric Plane (concept), which is expected to fly around 2050. In between a parade of aeroplanes will fly by, including the KLM DC-2 Uiver, the Fokker F27 Friendship and the very latest Boeing 787-10, which KLM will start to operate this anniversary year.

3 jubilees
KLM started in 1919 as the Royal Dutch Airlines for the Netherlands and Colonies and is the oldest airline company still operating under its original name. Anthony Fokker also founded the Dutch Aeroplane Factory in 1919, which would later be named after him. Finally, 1919 was the year of the foundation of the National Study Office for Aviation, which nowadays is called NLR, the central institute for aviation and space research in the Netherlands.

Emphasis on the fairy tale
In honour of the celebrating parties Herna Verhagen, managing director of PostNL, presented the postage stamp sheet to Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen in the Eye Film Museum in Amsterdam this afternoon during the event 100 years of aviation in the Netherlands. Verhagen: “The special jubilee of 3 major icons from aviation, which are inextricably linked, should be accompanied by a special stamp. Certainly when you consider the ties that already existed between PTT, KLM and Fokker from the very start. Aviation has played an important role for (international) post. The cooperation between PTT and KLM was of great economic importance for both parties.”

Availability
The 100 Years of Aviation postage stamp sheet consists of 3 stamps, all marked with Nederland 1, the denomination for mail weighing up to 20 g destined for the Netherlands. The stamps are available as of 11 March 2019 from the post office counter in Bruna stores and online at www.postnl.nl/bijzondere-postzegels. The stamps can also be ordered by phone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number +31 (0)88 – 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite.

U.S. Postal Museum Seeks Nominations

Posted on by

[press release]
Nomination Process Is Announced for Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award

The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum has announced the nomination process for the 2019 Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award (SPAA).

The SPAA was established in 2002 to honor and celebrate living individuals for outstanding lifetime achievement in the field of philately. This achievement may include: original research that significantly advances the understanding of philately, exceptional service to the philatelic community or sustained promotion of philately to the benefit of current and future collectors.

Any individual or organization can submit SPAA nominations, with the exception of self-nominations. Nominations must be accompanied by a statement (maximum 500 words, or one single-spaced page) delineating the nominee’s lifetime philatelic achievements. Nominations may be sent no later than May 10, 2019, electronically to piazzad@si.edu or by mail to Daniel Piazza, Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum, P.O. Box 37012 MRC 570, Washington, D.C. 20013. To avoid disappointment, nominees should not be told they are under consideration. Note: Posthumous awards will not be made. As a rule, there are no more than three awardees in each selection period.

An SPAA Nominating Committee, chaired by the museum’s chief curator of philately and composed of members of the museum’s Council of Philatelists, evaluates nominations received.

Winners of the award will be announced at a special gala event Oct. 19. Previous award recipients can be found on the museum’s website.

About the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C., across from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). For more information about the Smithsonian, call (202) 633-1000 or visit the museum website at www.postalmuseum.si.edu.

Spooky Silhouettes (U.S. 2019)

Posted on by

Announced March 12th:

Halloween has long been a holiday that lets us delight in the things that scare us. With the approach of autumn, Spooky Silhouettes stamps will offer fun, frightful scenes that symbolize this annual celebration. Four stamps feature digital illustrations in which traditional Halloween motifs are rendered as black silhouettes in eerily backlit windows. Artist Tyler Lang created the artwork. Art Director Greg Breeding designed the stamps.

No date or first-day city were given. Further updates will appear below, in order announced.

Updated December 5th:
The Scott catalogue numbers for this issue are:
5420 (55¢) Spooky Silhouettes – Cat and Raven
5421 (55¢) Spooky Silhouettes – Ghosts
5422 (55¢) Spooky Silhouettes – Spider and Web
5423 (55¢) Spooky Silhouettes – Bats
a. Block of 4, #5420-5423

Updated September 26th:
Here are the first day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark for this issue measures 2.37″ x 1.49″ The B&W pictorial postmark measures 2.96″ x 1.48″

On October 11, 2019, the United States Postal Service will issue the Spooky Silhouettes stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 572200). The stamps will go on sale nationwide October 11, 2019, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Spooky Silhouettes pane of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

Halloween has long been a holiday that lets us delight in the things that scare us. As autumn approaches, these new stamps offer fun, frightful scenes that symbolize this annual celebration. Four stamps feature digital illustrations in which traditional Halloween motifs are rendered as black silhouettes in eerily backlit windows. Artist Tyler Lang created the artwork. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 572200 Spooky Silhouettes (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) PSA Pane of 20 Stamps. Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

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 – Spooky Silhouettes 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. The deadline is February 11, 2020.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Spooky Silhouettes Stamps
Item Number: 572200
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: October 11, 2019, Milford, NH 03055
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Typographer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Artist: Tyler Lang, Milwaukie, OR
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Flexographic, Rainbow Foil
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Arsoma EM 410
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 40,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 1.05 in./18.542 x 26.67 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in./23.114 x 30.226 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.3625 x 6.5 in./136.208 x 165.1 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 21.45 x 13.375 in./ 544.83 x 339.725 mm
Colors: PMS Cool Grey 6, PMS 266C Purple, PMS 032C Red, PMS 1585C Orange, PMS 388C Yellow, Black
Plate Size: 160 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by six (6) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Spooky Silhouettes • Plate numbers in bottom two corners
Back: ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (572200) • Promotional text • Plate position diagram

Updated September 10th:

These stamps will be issued October 11th in Milford, NH.

[press release]
Cats, Bats and Spiders, Oh My!
Spooky Silhouettes Forever Stamps to be Released in Time for Halloween

WHAT: The Postal Service issues four Forever stamps in time for Halloween. The Spooky Silhouettes stamps feature digital illustrations with Halloween motifs rendered as black silhouettes in eerily backlit windows. The images include a cat with an arched back beneath a raven perched on a bare tree branch, all against a yellowish-green background; two ghosts against an orange background; a spider and a web against a red background; and three bats against a purple background.

News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #HalloweenStamps.

WHO: Marc McCrery, vice president of mail entry and payment technology, U.S. Postal Service

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 11 at 5 p.m. EDT

WHERE: Milford Pumpkin Festival
Emerson Park Stage
6 Mont Vernon St.
Milford, NH 03055

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

WHY: As autumn approaches, these new stamps offer fun, frightful scenes that symbolize Halloween. With customs and traditions that vary widely by community, Halloween now inspires parades and carnivals, corn mazes, haunted houses, neighborhood and school parties, pumpkin festivals, and even pumpkin catapulting. Halloween remains a much-anticipated celebration of the macabre in the face of approaching winter.

Artist Tyler Lang worked with art director and designer Greg Breeding to create these stamps, which will be available for purchase Oct. 11. Additional details will be provided before the ceremony date.

Tyrannosaurus Rex (U.S. 2019)

Posted on by

Announced March 12th:

With this pane of 16 stamps, the Postal Service brings Tyrannosaurus rex to life — some 66 million years after its demise. One design illustrates a face-to-face encounter with a T. rex approaching through a forest clearing; another shows the same young adult T. rex with a young Triceratops — both dinosaurs shown in fossil form. The third and fourth stamps depict a newly hatched T. rex covered with downy feathers and a bare-skinned juvenile T. rex chasing a primitive mammal. The “Nation’s T. rex,” the young adult depicted on two of the stamps, was discovered on federal land in Montana and is one of the most studied and important specimens ever found. Its remains will soon be on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with original artwork by Julius T. Csotonyi, a scientist and paleoartist.

These stamps will be issued August 29, 2019 in Washington DC. Further updates will appear below, in order announced.

The Scott catalogue numbers for this issue are 5410-5413.

Important Update, May 15th:
The issue has been delayed. From the USPS:

“Hi, Good Afternoon. Due to a scheduling conflict, the previously announced first-day-of-issue ceremony for the Tyrannosaurus Rex Forever stamps is being rescheduled from June 28 to possibly the last two weeks of August. We will announce the specific date and more details about the event as information becomes available. The location for this event will remain at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. We apologize and deeply regret any inconvenience this change may have caused.”

Updated June 24th:

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Issuing Tyrannosaurus Rex Forever Stamps Aug. 29

What: With this pane of 16 stamps, the Postal Service brings Tyrannosaurus rex to life — some 66 million years after its demise.

The stamp dedication ceremony is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #USPSTRexStamps.

Who:
• Isaac Cronkhite, chief human resources officer and executive vice president, U.S. Postal Service and dedicating official

• Kirk Johnson, director, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

• Julius Csotonyi, paleoart and scientific illustration, T-Rex stamp artist, and creator and contributor to new Smithsonian Dinosaur exhibit

• Matthew Carrano, curator of “Dinosauria,” Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

When: Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. EDT

Where:
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Baird Auditorium
10th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20560

Background:
Tyrannosaurus rex dominated the tail end of the dinosaur age. A recent surge in discoveries has revolutionized our understanding of the fierce carnivore.

Four dynamic designs on a pane of 16 stamps depict the awe-inspiring dinosaur in growth stages from infancy to adulthood.

One design illustrates a face-to-face encounter with a T. rex approaching through a forest clearing; another shows the same young adult T. rex with a young Triceratops — both dinosaurs shown in fossil form.

The third and fourth stamps depict a newly hatched T. rex covered with downy feathers and a bare-skinned juvenile T. rex chasing a primitive mammal.

“The Nation’s T. rex,” the young adult depicted on two of the stamps, was discovered on federal land in Montana and is one of the most studied and important specimens ever found. Its remains are now exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with original artwork by scientist and paleoartist Julius T. Csotonyi.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex stamps are being issued as Forever stamps. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail
1-ounce price.

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through The Postal Store at usps.com/shop, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide.

Updated August 6th:
RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at usps.com/trex.

From the Postal Bulletin:

On August 29, 2019, in Washington, DC, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Tyrannosaurus Rex stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 16 stamps (Item 479200). The stamps will go on sale nationwide August 29, 2019, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Tyrannosaurus Rex pane of 16 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

The Postal Service™ brings Tyrannosaurus rex to life some 66 million years after its demise with four designs, which include:

  • A face-to-face encounter with a T. rex approaching through a forest clearing,
  • The same young adult T. rex with a young Triceratops shown in fossil form,
  • A newly hatched T. rex covered with downy feathers, and
  • A bare-skinned juvenile T. rex chasing a primitive mammal.

The “Nation’s T. rex,” the young adult depicted on two of the stamps, was discovered on federal land in Montana and is one of the most studied and important specimens ever found. Its remains are on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with original artwork by scientist and paleoartist Julius T. Csotonyi.

Availability to Post Offices, Item 479200, Tyrannosaurus Rex (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Commemorative Pane of 16 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

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 – Tyrannosaurus Rex Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300

Kansas City, MO 64144-9900After 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 December 29, 2019.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Tyrannosaurus Rex Stamps
Item Number: 479200
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 16 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: August 29, 2019, Washington, DC 20066
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Typographer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Artist: Julius Csotonyi, Vancouver, British Columbia
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Flexo, Lenticular
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 16
Print Quantity: 50,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tagged
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: Black, Yellow, Rubine Red, Cyan
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 1.085 in/36.068 x 27.559 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 1.225 in/39.624 x 31.115 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.9 x 7.15 in/200.66 x 181.61 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 14.3 x 23.7 in/363.22 x 601.98 mm
Plate Size: 96 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: TYRANNOSAURUS REX • Plate numbers in bottom 2 corners
Back: ©2019 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (479200) • Plate position diagram • Promotional text

Updated August 8th:
Here are the first-day cancels for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.98″x1.29″ The B&W pictorial postmark measures 2.87″ x 1.27″

Sesame Street (U.S. 2019)

Posted on by

Announced March 12th:

The Postal Service honors Sesame Street as one of the most influential and beloved children’s television shows. For the last 50 years, it has provided educational programming and entertainment for generations of children throughout the country and around the world. The stamp art features photographs of 16 Muppets from Sesame Street — Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Cookie Monster, Rosita, The Count, Oscar the Grouch, Abby Cadabby, Herry Monster, Julia, Guy Smiley, Snuffleupagus, Elmo, Telly, Grover and Zoe. Art Director Derry Noyes designed the stamps.

No date or first-day city were given. Further updates will appear below, in order announced.

According to Wikipedia, “Sesame Street” debuted on November 10, 1969. The show’s 50th anniversary press release says 50th-anniversary episode is planned for November 2019. The show’s website also has an anniversary page.

Updated May 23rd:

[press release]
Sesame Street Stamps
Iconic Show’s 50th Anniversary Celebrated by the U.S. Postal Service

What: The U.S. Postal Service honors Sesame Street, the influential and beloved children’s television show. For 50 years, the series has provided educational programming and entertainment for generations of children throughout the country and around the world.

The first day of issue event for the Sesame Street Forever stamps will be held immediately preceding one festival stop on the Sesame Street Road Trip, a celebration of the show’s golden anniversary that will be held in 10 cities across the United States. News of the release is being shared on social media with the hashtag #Sesame50.

When: Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. EDT

Where:
Lafayette Park
1592 Antietam Avenue
Detroit, MI 48207

RSVP: RSVP required for attendance at: www.usps.com/sesamestreet
Space is limited.

Background: The first episode of Sesame Street aired on Nov. 10, 1969. From the beginning, Sesame Street was like no other children’s program. Human characters, often children themselves, interacted with the Muppets of Sesame Street.

Arranged in horizontal rows, the stamps showcase 16 of the Muppets characters that appear on Sesame Street — Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Cookie Monster, Rosita, The Count, Oscar the Grouch, Abby Cadabby, Herry Monster, Julia, Guy Smiley, Snuffleupagus, Elmo, Telly, Grover, and Zoe. Images of nine of the characters appear on the right side of the pane underneath the iconic Sesame Street sign. The back of the pane displays the Sesame Street 50th anniversary artwork.

Sesame Street stamps are being issued as Forever stamps. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

All postage stamps are available for purchase at Post Offices locations, online at usps.com and by toll-free phone order at 1-800 STAMP-24.

From the June 6th Postal Bulletin:

On June 22, 2019, in Detroit, MI, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Sesame Street stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in 16 designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 16 stamps (Item 479500). The stamps will go on sale nationwide June 22, 2019, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Sesame Street pane of 16 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

In 2019, the Postal Service™ honors Sesame Street, the influential and beloved children’s television show. For the last 50 years, Sesame Street has provided educational programming and entertainment for generations of children throughout the country and around the world. The stamp art features photographs of 16 of the Sesame Street muppets:

  • Row 1: Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, and Cookie Monster.
  • Row 2: Rosita, The Count, Oscar the Grouch, and Abby Cadabby.
  • Row 3: Herry Monster, Julia, Guy Smiley, and Snuffleupagus.
  • Row 4: Elmo, Telly, Grover, and Zoe.

Images of nine of the characters appear on the right side of the pane underneath the iconic Sesame Street sign. The back of the pane displays the Sesame Street 50th anniversary artwork. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 479500, Sesame Street (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Commemorative Pane of 16 Stamps : Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

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 – Sesame Street 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 October 22, 2019.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Sesame Street Stamps
Item Number: 479500
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 16 (16 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 22, 2019, Detroit, MI 48233
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 16
Print Quantity: 62,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 1.05 in./18.542 x 26.67 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in./23.114 x 30.226 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 6.96 x 5.2 in./176.784 x 132.08 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 14.045 x 26 in./ 356.743 x 660.4 mm
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: “Sesame Street Logo” • Plate number one corner
Back: Sesame Street — 50 Years and Counting logo • ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • two barcodes (479500)
• Promotional text • Plate position diagram

Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.98″x1.41″The B&W pictorial measures 2.41″x1.44″

Updated August 7th:
Here are the Scott catalogue numbers for this issue:
5394 pane of 16
a. Big Bird
b. Ernie
c. Bert
d. Cookie Monster
e. Rosita
f. The Count
g. Oscar the Grouch
h. Abby Cadabby
i. Herry Monster
j. Julia
k. Guy Smiley
l. Snuffleupagus
m. Elmo
n. Telly
o. Grover
p. Zoe

U.S. Adds 3 Kid-Friendly Issues (U.S. 2019)

Posted on by

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Reveals Additional Stamps for 2019
Sesame Street, Tyrannosaurus Rex and Spooky Silhouettes Coming Soon

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service today announced three additional stamp subjects for 2019. More details, including dates and locations for the first-day-of-issue ceremonies, will be coming soon.

Click on the issue titles to go to the specific VSC pages for each issue.

Sesame Street
The Postal Service honors Sesame Street as one of the most influential and beloved children’s television shows. For the last 50 years, it has provided educational programming and entertainment for generations of children throughout the country and around the world. The stamp art features photographs of 16 Muppets from Sesame Street — Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Cookie Monster, Rosita, The Count, Oscar the Grouch, Abby Cadabby, Herry Monster, Julia, Guy Smiley, Snuffleupagus, Elmo, Telly, Grover and Zoe. Art Director Derry Noyes designed the stamps.

Tyrannosaurus Rex
With this pane of 16 stamps, the Postal Service brings Tyrannosaurus rex to life — some 66 million years after its demise. One design illustrates a face-to-face encounter with a T. rex approaching through a forest clearing; another shows the same young adult T. rex with a young Triceratops — both dinosaurs shown in fossil form. The third and fourth stamps depict a newly hatched T. rex covered with downy feathers and a bare-skinned juvenile T. rex chasing a primitive mammal. The “Nation’s T. rex,” the young adult depicted on two of the stamps, was discovered on federal land in Montana and is one of the most studied and important specimens ever found. Its remains will soon be on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with original artwork by Julius T. Csotonyi, a scientist and paleoartist.

Spooky Silhouettes
Halloween has long been a holiday that lets us delight in the things that scare us. With the approach of autumn, Spooky Silhouettes stamps will offer fun, frightful scenes that symbolize this annual celebration. Four stamps feature digital illustrations in which traditional Halloween motifs are rendered as black silhouettes in eerily backlit windows. Artist Tyler Lang created the artwork. Art Director Greg Breeding designed the stamps.

Sustainable Fishing (Australia 2019)

Posted on by

[press release]
Stamps focus on fishing for a sustainable futureCoinciding with Sustainable Seafood Week 2019 (11-17 March) Australia Post is releasing three striking stamps featuring sustainable fish species on Thursday.

Australia rates highly internationally when it comes to commercial fishing practices, and was the first country in the world to receive independent certification of one of its fisheries from the Marine Stewardship Council.

Professor of Marine System Management at the University of Tasmania Keith Sainsbury, who consulted with Australia Post on the stamps, said: “Sustainable fishing requires keeping fishing to a level that allows it to continue indefinitely, maintaining the integrity of ecosystems, and utilising non-destructive, wild-capture fishing techniques. Encouraging these practices on a global scale is critical to maintaining adequate fish levels and minimising harm to the natural environment.”

The stamps are designed by Sonia Young of the Australia Post Design Studio, using illustrations by Dr Lindsay Marshall, a natural history artist and PhD in shark morphology and fisheries science. The domestic base-rate ($1) stamps feature three sustainable Australian fish species, along with the relevant commercial fishing technique used to minimise environmental impacts.

Patagonian Toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) is a large and slender deep-water species. Commercial Patagonian Toothfish fisheries are located in the Southern Ocean and the Ross Sea. Fisheries have developed practices and devices to minimise seabird interactions with longlines, including the use of a bird exclusion device. The device forms a physical and visual barrier around the area where line hauling occurs, preventing seabirds from accessing baited hooks.

Blue Grenadier (Macruronus novaezelandiae) , also known as Hoki, is a bottom-dwelling deep-water fish found in temperate marine waters off New Zealand and Australia. Commercial Blue Grenadier fisheries are located in south-east and southern Australia and off the west coast of Tasmania. Special Seal Excluder Devices (SEDs) are used in fishing nets to help seals swim out nets if they are accidentally caught.

 

Tiger Flathead (Platycephalus richardsoni) is found from northern New South Wales to western Victoria, including Tasmanian waters. The commercial Tiger Flathead fisheries are located in south-eastern Australia and the Great Australian Bight, and use differently sized mesh in different parts of the fishing net to help non-target or undersized fish to escape.

Products associated with this issue include a first day cover, stamp pack, set of maxicards, minisheet and a booklet of 10 x $1 self-adhesive stamps. The stamps and associated products are available at participating Post Offices, via mail order on 1800 331 794 and online at auspost.com.au/stamps, from Thursday 14 March 2019 while stocks last.

Birds in Israel – Coraciiformes (Israel 2019)

Posted on by

Definitive series • Issue date March 5, 2019

The Coraciiformes series includes some of the most colorful bird species found in Israel. These species are known not only for their striking appearance, but also for their sound. While they don’t actually sing, their unique whistles and sounds can be heard from far and wide.

Coraciiformes live throughout the world. Seven species are found in Israel: the European Roller, three Kingfisher species (White-throated, Common and Pied) and three Bee-eaters (European, Little Green and Blue-cheeked).

The birds in this series all have long beaks and eat live prey. Bee-eaters expertly catch flying insects, Kingfishers dive from mid-air into the water to catch fish, while Rollers and some Kingfishers (White-throated) hunt arthropods and small mammals on the ground. These birds typically locate their prey from high exposed vantage points, which makes them perfect “models” for birdwatchers.

The manner in which they seek out their food requires exceptional flying skills as well as unique physiological characteristics. Bee-eaters utilize their wonderful aerobatic abilities to pursue dragonflies and wasps. Kingfishers can locate their prey underwater, dive sharply into the depths and take off again with wet feathers and a fish in their beaks.

All of these species nest in Israel, except for the Common Kingfisher. The nests are made in long horizontal burrows which the Coraciiformes dig in vertical dirt walls. Some of these burrows can be up to two meters long.

The future of the Coraciiformes depends on expansive open habitats with bodies of clean water. Accelerated development processes, expanding urban communities and agricultural areas as well as road-building reduce these habitats and threaten these birds’ continued existence. In addition, the wide-scale use of agricultural pesticides causes a buildup of toxins in their bodies and decreases their food sources. We must preserve their natural habitats in order to continue to enjoy the beauty of these special birds.

European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)
The Bee-eater is one of the most vibrant birds in Israel. With its long, narrow curved beak it is able to trap bees and wasps in flight. In order to avoid being stung the Bee-eater brings its prey back to its perch and flings it against the surface until the unlucky insect dies.

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus)
This gentle and elegant looking species is almost completely green. It used to nest in Israel’s northern but today nests only rarely in the Jordan Valley and is considered to be on the brink of extinction.

The discovery of a few new nesting sites in recent years has led to slight optimism regarding the future of this beautiful and special bird.

Little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis)
The Little Green is the smallest of the Bee-eater species in Israel, and is the most suited to the desert. It can mostly be seen in southern Israel and along the Dead Sea rift northward to the Sea of Galilee region.

The Little Green is the only one of the three Bee-eater species that remains in Israel year-round and does not migrate.

European Roller (Coracias garrulus)
The European Roller is uniquely colored in shades of blue. When it spreads its wings it reveals bold opposing hues of turquoise, blue and black that are thrilling to behold.

The Rollers’ name stems from its mating flight, which includes aerobatic maneuvers, dives and in-flight rolls.

Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
The Common Kingfisher is an expert diver that catches its prey by diving steeply into the water from its vantage point high above. Its transparent eyelids and short triangular tongue allow this species to open its beak and keep its eyes open while in the water in order to catch its prey.

—Dotan Yosha

Vlieland’s Nature And Architecture (Netherlands 2019)

Posted on by

[press release]
Vlieland to get its own stamp depicting nature and architecture

The well-known ‘Mooi Nederland’ (‘Beautiful Netherlands’) stamp series will be dedicated to the Dutch Frisian Islands in 2019. Today the second stamp sheetlet from this series was published, paying ample attention to Vlieland’s nature and architecture. Stamps about Texel were published last month and later this year PostNL will put the spotlight on Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog. There will also be an assembled stamp sheetlet about all five islands.

Scenic beauty
Since 2005, the ‘Beautiful Netherlands’ stamp series has drawn attention to local history, cultural wealth and scenic beauty. This year’s new series about the Dutch Frisian Islands was designed by Birza Design from Deventer.

Recognisable images of Vlieland
In the design of ‘Beautiful Netherlands 2019: Vlieland’, the island shape plays the leading role. This is reflected in the map of Vlieland, which the designers have positioned in miniature on the stamps and in large on the stamp sheetlet. The stamps show recognisable images of the island: the lighthouse on Vuurboetsduin, a whale jaw as a gravestone, the rescue house on the Vliehors nature reserve and a house with a blue wooden gable on Dorpsstraat. The typical shape of the island is also reflected in the design in other ways. For example, the font of the captions is a ‘stencil font’, made up of elements that are separate from each other.

Nature in abundance
Almost all of the photographs used were taken during a working visit to Vlieland by graphic designers Ingmar and Carla Birza in the sunny summer of 2018. Carla Birza describes Vlieland as an island “characterised by an abundance of nature, but without fences. Visiting Vliehors is a special experience due to its vastness, which sometimes makes it difficult to work out where the horizon is. That is something I have experienced almost nowhere else. The north-eastern point from which you can see Terschelling is also beautiful. Of course, with so much nature, you have to be careful when constructing new buildings. On Vlieland, they handle this issue very carefully.”

Availability
The ‘Beautiful Netherlands 2019: Vlieland’ stamp sheetlet features five identical stamps with ‘Nederland 1’, the denomination for items up to 20g in weight destined for mail in the Netherlands. The stamps are available from 25 February 2019 from PostNL locations on the island of Vlieland and online at postnl.nl/bijzondere-postzegels. The stamps can also be ordered by phone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number +31 (0)88 – 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite.