The U.S. Postal Service first announced this issue in its advisory August 28th about the Sparkling Holidays stamps first day ceremony:
The Postal Service issues four new stamps and a souvenir sheet [shown on right] showcasing classic images of Santa Claus painted by famed commercial artist Haddon Sundblom. Each stamp portrays a close-up of Santa’s face. The four images featured in the booklet are details from larger paintings created by Sundblom and originally published in ads for The Coca-Cola Company from the 1940s through the early 1960s. Sundblom is the man credited with refining the modern image of Santa Claus.
The souvenir sheet includes a semi-jumbo stamp as part of a wider scene of one of Sundblom’s paintings chosen for the Sparkling Holidays stamp booklet. In it, Santa is depicted standing by a fireplace holding a book that lists good boys and girls. Three Christmas stockings hang along a mantel decorated with greens and ornaments. Peering over his glasses, Santa reads a note among the stockings.
A quatrefoil design element surrounded by a metallic gold background encloses the scene. The use of gold metallic ink, the flow of the type, and the organic shape of the border are intended to harken back to the graphic style of the first half of the 20th century. Art director Greg Breeding designed the souvenir sheet and the stamps.
Santa’s legend is based on customs brought to America by European immigrants. St. Nicholas, the Dutch Sinterklaas, was one of Santa’s forebearers. He delivered gifts on Dec. 5, the eve of his feast day.
Note: Sparkling Holidays Stamps, sold in books of 20, and the Sparkling Holidays Souvenir Sheet, with one stamp, will be available for pre-order online starting Sept. 14 at The Postal Store at usps.com. The souvenir sheet will only be sold through usps.com or by calling 1-800-STAMP24.
The souvenir sheet, along with the stamps, will be issued Thursday, October 11th, at The Inn at Christmas Place in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Updated September 13th:
On October 11, 2018, in Pigeon Forge, TN, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Sparkling Holidays Souvenir Sheet (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive souvenir sheet of one stamp (item 566300). The stamp will go on sale October 11, 2018.
Celebrate the holidays with the Sparkling Holidays Souvenir Sheet. The artwork features a detail of a Haddon Sundblom painting originally published in an ad for The Coca-Cola Company in 1963. The souvenir sheet features an iconic holiday scene of Santa Claus visiting a home on Christmas Eve and showcases one stamp, a semi-jumbo version of one of the four special-sized stamps featured in the Sparkling Holidays booklet of 20. The stamp itself features Santa‘s face and hat with one hand holding a book and the other adjusting his glasses. The souvenir sheet format offers the opportunity to see more of Sundblom‘s original painting.
Not Available to Post Offices: Item 566300, Sparkling Holidays (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Commemorative Souvenir Sheet of 1 Stamp
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 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 – Sparkling Holidays Souvenir Sheet
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900
After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by February 11, 2019.
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Sparkling Holidays Souvenir Sheet
Item Number: 566300
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Souvenir Sheet of 1 (1 design)
Series: Holiday Celebration: Holiday
Issue Date & City: October 11, 2018, Pigeon Forge, TN 37862
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Typographer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Art: Haddon Sundblom
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 1
Print Quantity: 1,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: PMS 872 Gold, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.085 x 1.42 in./ 27.559 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.225 x 1.56 in./31.115 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 3.75 x 3.75 in./95.25 x 95.25 mm
Plate Size: 42 stamps per revolution
Marginal Markings:
Front: Sparkling Holidays
Back: ©2018 USPS • USPS logo • Barcode (566300) • Promotional text
A surprise addition to the stamp program, these souvenir sheets also went on sale August 7th with a first-day city of Las Vegas. They have been selling out in many locations, and also, many unperforated errors have been found — so much so that the second batch brought to APS StampShow/ATA National Topical Stamp Show was delayed so each sheet could be checked.
Australia Post will release a commemorative stamp to celebrate [18 August’s] record breaking 26th consecutive race win by Australian racehorse, Winx.
In celebration of Hot Wheels’ 50th anniversary, the U.S. Postal Service will issue a pane of 20 Forever stamps showcasing 10 of the most outrageous Hot Wheel car designs during a first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony at the Goodguys 26th Summit Racing Lone Star Nationals in Fort Worth, TX.
Texas Motor Speedway
Hot Wheels was born when Mattel co-founder Elliot Handler challenged his design team, which included a General Motors car designer and a rocket scientist, to create a toy car that was cooler and performed better than anything on the market. Mattel soon introduced its iconic orange tracks, which provided children unlimited ways to test out stunts and racing skills. The Hot Wheels toy line expanded rapidly. Since the inception of Hot Wheels, Mattel has produced thousands of varieties of cars. In 2011, Hot Wheels was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. Today, children and their parents still love racing the eye-poppin’, colorful, lightning-fast cars.
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
The Digital Color postmark measures 2.82″x1.25″
The B&W pictorial measures 2.36″x1.38″
The “special” postmark for use by local post offices measures 2.89″x1.22″
The clerk wanted the sheet back, but Larry tells The Virtual Stamp Club he wouldn’t part with it. The other 15 stamps are still on the backing sheet.
The ten-stamp set, four of which are presented in a miniature sheet, will include a selection of the original drawings and paintings of the indigenous peoples, landscapes of the Pacific and flora and fauna, some of which had never been seen before by Europeans, and which amazed the scientific establishment at the time.
During the expedition, Cook and his men initiated the first European contact with Eastern Australia, mapped New Zealand and observed the transit of Venus across the Sun.
voyage produced Pacific maps based on accurate information rather than conjecture.
Sir Joseph Banks Bt by Sir Joshua Reynolds, Phaethon rubricauda (red-tailed tropicbird) by Sydney Parkinson and Passiflora aurantia (red passion flower) outline drawing by Sydney Parkinson finished by Fred Polydore Nodder
Charles Green and Lieutenant James Cook alongside a photograph of a sextant
This August for Stamp Collecting Month, Australia Post is calling on Australians to go on a Reef Safari with the release of five beautiful stamps showcasing some of the diverse and threatened species found on the Great Barrier Reef.
“In the International Year of the Reef, we’re encouraging children to learn more about the environment and biodiversity of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef through the special Reef Safari stamp issue. The five stamps highlight the beauty and diversity of species living in the largest coral reef system in the world – the Grey Reef Shark, Green Sea Turtle, Nautilus, Olive Sea Snake and Emperor Angelfish,” said Ms Cohen.
“As one of the world’s seven natural wonders and one of our most popular tourist locations, the Great Barrier Reef is home to billions of organisms, corals, and marine life. Sadly, climate change has placed the reef under pressure like never before, and we hope these stamps can highlight the things we can do to make a difference.”
“Urgent protection is needed to save the reef, or Australia and the world risk losing a global treasure that provides enormous economic, social, and environmental benefits to hundreds of millions of people. Time and time again, we are seeing devastating impacts on coral reefs when sea temperatures warm even for short periods. If average global temperatures increase by 1.5 degrees above the pre-industrial period – a point just decades away – many scientists think that most coral reefs will become unviable. We must put the brakes on climate change for the sake of coral reefs,” he said.
The stamps and associated products will be available from 1 August in participating Post Offices, via mail order on 1800 331 794, and online at auspost.com.au/stamps while stocks last.
The Hague, 20 July 2018 The guilder was succeeded by the euro on 1 January 2002, following 700 years of loyal service. On 23 July, PostNL is issuing 10 stamps featuring 10 special guilder coins and guilder notes.
PostNL has issued five new stamps featuring Meneer de Uil (Mister Owl) from De Fabeltjeskrant (The Daily Fable). The stamp sheetlet represents the first in a series of stamps comprising a total of 25 characters from the old children’s programme that was so popular.
