Updated December 3rd: The following Scott catalogue numbers have been assigned:
5143 (47¢) Florentine Madonna and Child
5143a (47¢) Madonna and Child booklet pane of 20
Updated October 14th: The first-day ceremony will be broadcast live on facebook.com/usps.
The scheduled speakers are:
- National Gallery of Art Associate Curator for Italian and Spanish Paintings Gretchen Hirschauer
- Italian American Magazine Editor and Chief Miles Fisher
- U.S. Postal Service Capital Metro Area Vice President of Operations Linda Malone
- U.S. Postal Service Chief Human Resources Officer and Executive Vice President Jeffrey Williamson
- Voice of America International Edition Host Lori Lundin
- Smithsonian National Postal Museum Director Allen Kane
Updated September 22nd: Here is the first-day ceremony information from the USPS: Note the new date.
Florentine Madonna and Child
Smithsonian National Postal Museum
Oct. 18 at noon
2 Massachusetts Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002 (across from Union Station)
Reservations are not necessary to attend this ceremony.
Updated September 17th: Here is the DCP for this issue: 
It measures 1.84” x 1.46”. The B&W postmark for this issue is the standard 4-bar First Day of Issue postmark.
Updated September 15th, from the USPS:
On October 18, 2016, in Washington, DC, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the Florentine Madonna and Child stamp (Forever priced at 47 cents), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) booklet of 20 stamps (Item 681300).
The stamp will go on sale nationwide October 18, 2016.
This Christmas stamp features a detail of Madonna and Child, a 15th-century tempera-on-panel painting in the Widener Collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The painting is dated to circa 1470, and its anonymous artist is known only as “a Follower of Fra Filippo Lippi and Pesellino.” Art historians have speculated that the painter may have had preparatory drawings or close copies of the works of the masters he imitated, and that a relationship may have existed between those artists’ workshops and the workshop of this anonymous painter. William J. Gicker served as art director for this issuance.
Stamp Fulfillment Services will not make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices.
How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at http:⁄⁄www.usps.com⁄shop, or by calling 800-782-6724. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:
Florentine Madonna and Child Stamp
Stamp Fulfillment Services
Cancellation Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Pillar 210
Kansas City, MO 64144-9998
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 December 18, 2016.
There are six philatelic products for this stamp issue:
- 681306, Press Sheet with Die-cut, $75.20.
- 681310 Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $11.95.
- 681316 First-Day Cover, $0.91.
- 681321 Digital Color Postmark, $1.62.
- 681324 Framed Art, $19.95.
- 681330 Ceremony Program, $6.95.
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Florentine Madonna and Child Stamp
Item Number: 681300
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail, Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20 (1 design)
Series: Holiday Celebrations
Issue Date & City: October 18, 2016, Washington, DC 20002
Art Director: William J. Gicker, Washington, DC
Designer: William J. Gicker, Washington, DC
Typographer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville , NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 300,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag applied
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.77 x 1.05 in.⁄19.56 x 26.67 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in.⁄23.11 x 30.23 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 5.76 x 2.38 in.⁄146.30 x 60.45 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 23.29 x 4.76 in.⁄591.57 x 120.90 mm
Colors: PMS 8003 Silver, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Plate Size: 880 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings: Header. “CHRISTMAS — Florentine Madonna and Child” • Twenty First-Class Forever Stamps • Plate numbers in peel strip area • © 2015 • USPS in peel strip area • Promotional text in peel strip area
Updated August 25th, from the USPS:
The date and city of issue of this stamp has been changed:
The Florentine Madonna and Child Forever stamp first-day-of-issue ceremony will take place Tue., Oct. 11 at 12:15 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art, West Garden Court, 6th St. and Constitution Ave., Washington, DC 20565
This Christmas stamp features a detail of Madonna and Child, a 15th-century tempera-on-panel painting in the Widener Collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The painting is dated to circa 1470, and its anonymous artist is known only as “a Follower of Fra Filippo Lippi and Pesellino.”
Art historians have long sought to identify the artist who created this painting. Early in the 20th century, the painting was attributed to the Florentine artist Pier Francesco Fiorentino, but it was soon seen instead as the work of another anonymous painter who had created a large number of paintings in the style of Pier Francesco.
Although some museums still refer to the artist as “Pseudo-Pier Francesco Fiorentino,” scholars have recently taken a different approach and concluded instead that this painter was heavily influenced by two prominent 15th-century Florentine artists, Fra Filippo Lippi and Francesco Pesellino. The specific painting on this stamp is believed to be based on a Pesellino painting, now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon in France, which shows a very similar Madonna and Child against a different background. For that reason, the National Gallery of Art refers to this painter as “a Follower of Fra Filippo Lippi and Pesellino.”
Similar paintings, presumably by the same artist or workshop, are in the collections of many museums, including those in such cities as Baltimore, Philadelphia, and London. Art historians have speculated that the painter may have had preparatory drawings or close copies of the works of the masters he imitated, and that a relationship may have existed between those artists’ workshops and the workshop of this anonymous painter.
This stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp in booklets of 20. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.
Updated March 24th, from the USPS: These stamps will be issued in booklets of 20, rather than in panes.
Updated February 25th, from the USPS:
This stamp will be issued Friday, October 7th, in New York at the American Stamp Dealers Association Fall Postage Stamp Show 2016.
From the USPS:
FDOI: Information to come.
Format: Pane of 20
This Christmas stamp features a detail of Madonna and Child, a 15th-century tempera-on-panel painting in the Widener Collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The painting is dated to circa 1470, and its anonymous artist is known only as “a Follower of Fra Filippo Lippi and Pesellino.”
Art Director: William Gicker
On November 3, 2016, in Washington DC, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the Nativity stamp (Forever priced at 47 cents), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) booklet of 20 stamps (Item 681200).
This postmark measures 3″ x 1.5″.
The USPS has a very limited number of free tickets to the Pickup Trucks Forever stamps dedication ceremony and that day’s Car Show that takes place July 15 in Syracuse, NY.
The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.6” x 1.25″ 
The B&W pictorial measures 2.52” x 1.13”.
Pickup Trucks Forever Stamps
International Harvester supplied and maintained trucks on stateside military bases during World War I. In 1917, Ford released the Model TT, which had a one-ton chassis. For 1918, Chevrolet introduced the Model 490 truck. But because drivers had to purchase their own cargo beds and bodies, these vehicles weren’t considered true pickup trucks.
Ford’s F-Series also differed greatly from relatively sparse models previously available. Also known as the “Bonus Built” line, F-Series trucks were, in the words of Ford’s famous advertising campaign, “built stronger to last longer.” Ford launched the new line with the 1948 Ford F-1. It included features like the roomy “Million Dollar Cab,” a sharp horizontal five-bar grille, and a six- or eight-cylinder engine. Ford sold more than 300,000 trucks in the first model year of the F-Series.
For the 1965 model year, the F-Series pickup got a facelift. The 1965 Ford F-100 had a new grille that featured 18 small rectangular openings. It also featured what Ford dubbed “Twin-I-Beam” independent front suspension, which improved the quality of the ride, and a powerful six- or eight-cylinder engine. The F-Series is still in production today and remains the country’s top-selling truck line. As of 2015, there have been 13 generations of F-Series pickups.
[This issue was rumored in 2014. See 
It measures 3.0” x 1.5”. The B&W postmark for this issue is the standard 4-bar First Day of Issue postmark.
On September 29, 2016, in Anoka, MN, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the Jack-O’-Lanterns stamps (Forever® priced at 47 cents), in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) booklet of 20 stamps (Item 681400).
. Javits Convention Center
The Digital Color Postmark measures 3.0” x 1.39”
The B&W pictorial measures 2.78” 1.33”
The “special” postmark that local post offices may use measures 3.0” x 1.12”.
NASHVILLE — The U.S. Postal Service Thursday June 30 dedicated the Soda Fountain Favorites Forever Stamp booklet featuring the cold, sweet treats beloved by people of all ages. The ceremony was held at the Elliston Place Soda Shop in Nashville.
This booklet includes four of each design. The words “FOREVER*USA” are featured along the right edge of each stamp. The geometric silver-toned patterns in the selvage and on the booklet cover evoke a classic chrome-accented soda fountain. The words “Soda Fountain Favorites” appear across the top of the booklet cover. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps, with illustrations by Nancy Stahl.
“The Postal Service issues a few dozen stamps each year. And each year, there are usually one or two edibles on the list,” said Rettinhouse. “In the past few years, grapes, pears and even wedding cakes have been immortalized with postage stamps. But I venture to say that we have tapped into something special with Soda Fountain Favorites.”
The ice cream soda’s precise origin is not clear, but by the turn of the 20th century, it had become a fountain staple. Adding a creamy scoop or two of chocolate or strawberry to a soft drink only added to its already considerable allure. The rise of refrigeration helped establishments produce, serve and store frozen confections, whose popularity surged. After all, it was difficult to resist thick milkshakes, malts, and sundaes topped with syrups, sauces, whipped cream and cherries.
In cities and towns across the United States, the soda fountain was an important gathering place. When Prohibition banned alcohol sales, people flocked to soda fountains. During World War II, soda fountains popped up at military bases in the United States and abroad, because drinking a soda or indulging in a sundae reminded soldiers of simple pleasures at home.
Soda Fountain Favorites is being issued as a First-Class Mail Forever booklet of 20. These Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price.
On June 30, 2016, in Nashville, TN, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue Soda Fountain Favorites stamps (Forever® priced at 47 cents) in five designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) convertible booklet of 20 stamps (Item 680800).
This postmark measures 3.0″ x 0.9″
5 designs
“Whether you’re a seasoned collector or you’re new to the hobby, these stamps will serve as a wonderful souvenir of the show,” said U.S. Postal Service Chief Marketing and Sales Officer Jim Cochrane while dedicating the new stamps. “The show gives visitors the unique opportunity to meet with thousands of fellow philatelists, expand their own collections and gain a greater appreciation of the many stamps and collections on display from around the world,” added Cochrane.
To add to the excitement and appeal for stamp collectors, these new stamps have been printed in intaglio – line engraving reminiscent of fine 19th-century stamps and banknotes. These stamps will be sold only at the stamp show in New York, and through mail, telephone and online ordering channels for those unable to attend the show. The stamps will not be available through local Post Offices. They will be sold only as a complete set / Folio of 24 stamps, and the price is $11.28 (24 X $0.47). (Photo left: Randy Neil, editor, American Stamp Dealer & Collector, who as a boy 
attended the last “international” held in New York, FIPEX, in 1956. Photo right: Bob Lamb, former executive director, American Philatelic Society.)
Issue: World Stamp Show-NY 2016 Folio
The folio, which will appear in the May 12, 2016 edition of the Postal Bulletin (PB 22441), will go on sale nationwide May 28, 2016.
Left to right, Dr. Dan Durda; Dr. Constantine Tsang; Cindy Conrad; Alice Bowman; Dr. Alan Stern, New Horizons Principal Investigator, Southwest Research Institute; David Williams, COO and Executive VP, USPS; Dr. Ellen Stofan, NASA Chief Scientist; Dr. Jim Green, NASA Director of Planetary Science; Delontae Jenkins, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Norman Kuring, Oceanographer, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt MD. (Ceremony photographs courtesy USPS/Daniel Afzal.)
“In 1991, the Postal Service issued a Pluto: Not Yet Explored stamp that served as a rallying cry for those who very much wanted to explore it,” said U.S. Postal Service Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President David Williams in dedicating the stamps. “At the time, Pluto was still considered a planet, and it was the only one in our solar system that hadn’t been visited by a spacecraft.”
America,” added Williams. “We trust they’ll find a home in your own collections too.”
“These breathtaking new images of Pluto and our planets make for an exciting day for NASA and for all who love space exploration,” said Green (left). “With the 2015 Pluto flyby, we’ve completed the initial reconnaissance of the solar system, and we’re grateful to the U.S. Postal Service for commemorating this historic achievement.”
“The 1991 stamp that showed Pluto ‘not yet explored’ highlighted some important, unfinished business for NASA’s first exploration of the planets of our solar system,” said Dr. Alan Stern, principal investigator for the New Horizons mission. “I’m thrilled that 25 years later, these new stamps recognize that Pluto has indeed been explored by the New Horizons spacecraft and revealed to be a complex and fascinating world.”
“The issuing of these ‘Views of our Planets’ and ‘Pluto Explored’ stamps has special significance for NASA, since this represents the culmination of a half-century of space exploration,” said NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan. “With the July 14, 2015 flyby of Pluto, we’ve completed the checklist of all the classical planets and can now declare—‘mission accomplished.’”
ue Marble” image of Earth.
The 45-minute ceremony was followed by an autograph session, in which speakers and VIPs signed first day of issue programs for hundreds of stamp enthusiasts—the line snaking through the hallways of the Javits Center in New York City (Photos above (USPS), left, and below (NASA)). 
The planetary stamps are now being sold at most U.S. post offices. The Pluto—Explored! Forever stamps are available online or by calling 800-782-6724.
“These breathtaking new images of Pluto and our planets make for an exciting day for NASA and for all who love space exploration,” said Green (left). “We’re grateful to the U.S. Postal Service for commemorating this historic achievement.”
The DCP measures 2.51” x 1.38” 
The pictorial measures 2.19 x 1.17”
On May 31, 2016, in New York, NY, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Pluto – Explored! stamps (Forever® priced at 47 cents) in two designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of four stamps (Item 586600). The Pluto – Explored! pane of stamps may not be split, and the stamps may not be sold individually.
“The 1991 stamp that showed Pluto ‘not yet explored’ highlighted some important, unfinished business for NASA’s first exploration of the planets of our solar system,” said Dr. Alan Stern, principal investigator for the New Horizons mission. “I’m thrilled that 25 years later, these new stamps recognize that Pluto has indeed been explored by the New Horizons spacecraft and revealed to be a complex and fascinating world.”
The DCP measures 2.76” x 1.57” 
The pictorial postmark measures 2.42 x 1.45”
On May 31, 2016, in New York, NY, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Views of Our Planets stamps (Forever® priced at 47 cents) in eight designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 16 stamps (Item 473600). The Views of Our Planets pane of 16 stamps may not be split, and the stamps may not be sold individually.
[press release]
The U.S. Postal Service® has issued stamps to commemorate these two Islamic holidays since 2001. The first Eid stamp, featuring gold calligraphy on a blue background, was issued on September 1, 2001. A new Eid stamp with gold calligraphy against a reddish background debuted in 2011 and was reissued with a green background in 2013. All Eid issuances to date have featured the work of world-renowned calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya of Arlington, Virginia.
On June 10, 2016, in Dearborn, MI, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the EID Greetings stamp (Forever® priced at 47 cents) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 556200).
