Updated October 2, 2017: Here are the Scott catalogue numbers:
- 5233 (49¢) Flowers from the Garden coil stamp – Red Camellias and Yellow Forsythia in Yellow Pitcher, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
- 5234 (49¢) Flowers from the Garden coil stamp – White Peonies and Pink Tree Peonies in Clear Vase, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
- 5235 (49¢) Flowers from the Garden coil stamp – Blue Hydrangea in Blue Pot, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
- 5236 (49¢) Flowers from the Garden coil stamp – Assorted Flowers in White Vase, serpentine die cut 10¾ vert.
- a. Strip of 4, #5233-5236
- 5237 (49¢) Flowers from the Garden booklet stamp – Red Camellias and Yellow Forsythia in Yellow Pitcher, serpentine die cut 11 on 2 or 3 sides
- 5238 (49¢) Flowers from the Garden booklet stamp – Assorted Flowers in White Vase, serpentine die cut 11 on 2 or 3 sides
- 5239 (49¢) Flowers from the Garden booklet stamp – White Peonies and Pink Tree Peonies in Clear Vase, serpentine die cut 11 on 2 or 3 sides
- 5240 (49¢) Flowers from the Garden booklet stamp – Blue Hydrangea in Blue Pot, serpentine die cut 11 on 2 or 3 sides
- a. Block of 4, #5237-5240
- b. Booklet pane of 20, 5 each #5237-5240
Updated July 23, 2017:
Flowers from the Garden to Decorate Forever Stamps media advisory
WHAT: First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremony for the Flowers from the Garden Forever stamps. The event is free and open to the public. The public is asked to RSVP at usps.com/flowers.
WHO:
- South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard
- Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether
- Sioux Falls City Council member Michelle Erpenbach
- U.S. Postal Service Employee Resource Management Vice President Simon Storey
- Stamp artist Elizabeth Brandon
- Plant Scientist Sarah Stowers
WHEN: Wed., Aug. 16 @ 4 p.m. CDT
WHERE:
Mary Jo Arboretum & East Sioux Falls Historic Site
1900 South Perry Place
Sioux Falls, SD 57110
Please share the news on social media using the hashtag #FlowerStamps.
BACKGROUND: The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the beauty of flowers from American gardens by issuing the Flowers from the Garden Forever stamps. The four stamps feature still-life paintings of bountiful floral bouquets. The stamps may be pre-ordered now at this link for delivery shortly after the Aug. 16 issuance.
Elizabeth Brandon’s paintings were inspired by floral still lifes created by Dutch and Flemish artists of the 17th and 18th centuries. Each stamp features one of four different paintings of flowers gathered from the garden and artfully arranged in a container. One stamp features red camellias and yellow forsythia in a yellow pitcher, while on another there are white peonies and pink tree peonies in a clear vase. An arrangement of white hydrangeas, white and pink roses, green hypericum berries, and purple lisianthus in a white vase graces another stamp, while blue hydrangeas in a blue pot appear on another.
The floral paintings of the Dutch and Flemish artists featured exuberant, massed arrangements, which gave the impression of wild abandon and impromptu creativity. However, the arrangements were in reality carefully thought out and many times purely imaginary—and frequently botanically impossible. Though they looked as if they had just been plucked from the garden, the bouquets might include flowers that did not bloom during the same season or sometimes even grow in the same country.
Digital Images and Paintings © Elizabeth Brandon
Updated July 7, 2017:
On August 16, 2017, in Sioux Falls, SD, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Flowers From the Garden First-Class Mail® stamps (Forever® priced at 49 cents), in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) booklet and coils. The stamps will go on sale nationwide August 16, 2017.
The Flowers From the Garden stamps will be available in the following formats:
- PSA Booklet of 20 (Item 672100)
- PSA Coil of 3,000 (Item 755000)
- PSA Coil of 10,000 (Item 760100)
Flowers From the Garden stamps feature four different paintings of flowers that come from typical American gardens, each bunch artfully arranged in a container. One stamp features red camellias and yellow forsythia in a yellow pitcher, while another features white peonies and pink tree peonies in a clear vase. An arrangement of white hydrangeas, white and pink roses, green hypericum berries, and purple lisianthus in a white vase graces another stamp, while blue hydrangeas in a blue pot appear on another. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps with existing art by Elizabeth Brandon.
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 usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-782-6724. 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 – Flowers From the Garden 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 16, 2017.
Philatelic products for this stamp issue are as follows:
Booklet of 20
- 672106, Press Sheet with Die-cuts, $78.40
- 672110 Digital Color Postmark Keepsake (set of 4), $16.95
- 672116 First-Day Cover (set of 4), $3.72
- 672121 Digital Color Postmark (set of 4), $6.56
- 672124 Framed Art, $29.95
- 672130 Ceremony Program, $6.95
Coil of 10,000
- 760116 First-Day Cover (set of 4), $3.72
- 760121 Digital Color Postmark (set of 4), $6.56
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Flowers From the Garden Stamps
Item Number: 672100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail, Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20, (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: August 16, 2017, Sioux Falls, SD 57104
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Existing Art: Elizabeth Brandon
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Printed at: Browns Summit, NC
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 500,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit, NC
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 Pane Size (w x h): 5.74 x 2.38 in./145.87 x 60.33 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 11.49 x 9.5 in./ 291.74 x 241.30 mm
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Plate Size: 800 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings: • Plate numbers in peel strip area • © 2016 • USPS in peel strip area
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Flowers From the Garden Stamps
Item Number: 755000
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail, Forever
Format: Coil of 3,000 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: August 16, 2017, Sioux Falls, SD 57104
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Existing Art: Elizabeth Brandon
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Printed at: Browns Summit, NC
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Coil: 3,000
Print Quantity: 45,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Overall
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit, NC
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.54 x 21.34 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.10 x 24.89 mm
Plate Size: 560 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate numbers every 28th stamp below stamp image
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Flowers From the Garden Stamps
Item Number: 760100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail, Forever
Format: Coil of 10,000 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: August 16, 2017, Sioux Falls, SD 57104
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Existing Art: Elizabeth Brandon
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Printed at: Browns Summit, NC
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Coil: 10,000
Print Quantity: 100,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Overall
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit, NC
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.54 x 21.34 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.10 x 24.89 mm
Plate Size: 560 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate numbers every 28th stamp below stamp image
Updated July 6, 2017: Here is the Digital Color Postmark for this show: 
It measures 2.94″ x 1.38″. The rubber postmark is the standard four-bar FDOI.
Updated June 14, 2017:
The event calendar for the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum & East Sioux Falls Historic Site has “Event Pending” for August 16th. The Arboretum says its “mission is to nurture connections between plants and people, past and present, in an inspiring natural setting that invites discovery.”
Updated June 1, 2017:
The USPS says these stamps will be issued August 16 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
From the USPS, September 20, 2016:
Flowers from the Garden features new stamps with four different paintings of flowers that come from typical American gardens, each bunch artfully arranged. One stamp features red camellias and yellow forsythia in a yellow pitcher, while on another there are white peonies and pink tree peonies in a clear vase. An arrangement of white hydrangeas, white and pink roses, green hypericum berries, and purple lisianthus in a white vase graces another stamp, while blue hydrangeas in a blue pot appear on another. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps with existing art by Elizabeth Brandon.
First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremony for the Father Theodore Hesburgh Forever stamp. The event is free and open to the public. The U.S. Postal Service will post a video of the event at facebook.com/USPS. Share the news on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #FatherHesburgh.
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 usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-782-6724. 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 – Father Theodore Hesburgh Stamp
This measures 2.86″ x 1.33″. So does the B&W “hand” (rubber) cancel: 
There is also a “special” postmark that any post office may use: 
It measures 2.95″ x 1.44″.
from left, Edwin L. Jackson, featured speaker; American Philatelic Society President Mick Zais; USPS Chief Human Resources Officer and Executive VP Jeffrey C. Williamson; and Pledge of Allegiance leader Beatrix Clark.
It measures 2” x 1.5”.
Issue: U.S. Flag Stamp
It measures 2.99″ x 1.39″. The pictorial postmark is: 
It measures 2.63″ x 1.5″.
On July 26, 2017, in Newport, KY, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Sharks stamps (Forever® priced at 49 cents), in five designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 474500). The Sharks $9.80 pane of 20 stamps may not be split, and the stamps may not be sold individually. The stamps will go on sale nationwide July 26, 2017.
The U.S. Postal Service celebrates these visually striking posters of the Workers Projects Administration (WPA) with stamps featuring 10 outstanding posters from the Library of Congress collection.
Followers of the U.S. Postal Service’s Facebook page can view streaming video of the event at facebook.com/USPS<http://www.facebook.com/USPS>. The public is asked to share the news on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #WPAForever.
It measures 2.1” x 1.5”.
What:
The B&W “rubber-composition” (hand) cancel measures 2.30″ x 1.49″.
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 usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-782-6724. 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 – Celebrating African American History and Culture Stamp
It measures 2.94″ x 1.31″. There is also a “special” postmark that local stations may use: 
It measures 2.98″ x 1.50″.
On January 5, 2017, in Seattle, WA, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the Year of the Rooster First-Class Mail stamp (Forever priced at 47 cents), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 12 stamps (Item 552000). The Year of the Rooster $5.64 pane of 12 stamps may not be split, and the stamps may not be sold individually.
Only the pictorial postmark shown here is permitted for the Year of the Rooster stamp. The word “Station” or the abbreviation “STA” is required somewhere in the design, because it will be a temporary station.
It measures 3.0″ x 1.5″.
BACKGROUND:
All but two of the issues appear to be what the USPS calls (or has called) “mail-use:” Issues for specific rates (Uncle Sam’s Hat, additional ounces; California Dogface Butterfly, nonmachineable surcharge rate) or will be issued as booklets for the non-collecting mailing public: sharks, flowers, flag, and so on. The John F. Kennedy stamp design is in the definitive format (height/width ratio). [In response to an e-mailed question, the USPS said that the JFK stamp is “a semi-jumbo stamp” with “a similar aspect ratio to our “special” sized stamps, but is proportionally larger.”] The exceptions are Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, although that may be a two-ounce stamp, and the museum.
The United States entered “the War to End All Wars” — World War I — in 1917. Some historians feel this was the point at which the U.S. became a major world power, because the Americans turned the tide in the war. It would be shocking if the USPS does not issue at least one stamp for this historical event, and surprising if not several. (Israel’s 2016 stamp is shown on the left.)
With the release of the new Delicioso Forever stamps, the Postal Service celebrates the influence of Central and South American, Mexican and Caribbean foods on American cuisine. This booklet of 20 stamps features six dishes from an array of Latin American culinary traditions that have found new life and variations in the United States. Each stamp showcases a bright and playful illustration of one of the following dishes: tamales, flan, sancocho, empanadas, chile relleno and ceviche. The names of the six dishes appear in a festive font above each image. Artist John Parra designed the stamps under the direction of Antonio Alcalá.
With the release of Uncle Sam’s Hat in 2017, the Postal Service celebrates one of the country’s most popular patriotic characters. Known especially for his large top hat decorated in varying patterns of stars and stripes, Uncle Sam has represented the bravery and fortitude of the American spirit for more than 150 years. The stamp features eight graphic top hats in Uncle Sam’s signature style. Red and white vertical stripes extend above a blue band with a white star and a gray brim. Beneath each hat is an oval shape representing a face, each in a different shade, meant to suggest the ethnic and racial diversity of the United States. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp. The words “ADDITIONAL OUNCE” on this stamp indicate its usage value. Like a Forever stamp, this stamp will always be valid for the rate printed on it.
Four new postcard stamps celebrate the wonder of seashells. Each stamp depicts an iconic shell found in North American waters: the alphabet cone, the Pacific calico scallop, the zebra nerite, and the Queen conch, commonly known as the pink conch. The highly stylized stamp art expresses a lighthearted artistic view of shells. Horizontal swaths of white and blue in the background suggest waves washing the shells onto a beach. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps. Sergio Baradat created the stamp art.
The California dogface graces the seventh non-machineable butterfly stamp for use on irregularly sized envelopes, such as square greeting cards, invitations or announcements. The stamp is a highly stylized, simplified image of a California dogface (Zerene eurydice) Ñ named for the forewing markings of the male butterfly, which bear a pattern that resembles a poodle head in profile. Greeting card envelopes printed with a silhouette of a butterfly indicate the need for additional postage or the use of a butterfly stamp. Tom Engeman created the stamp andÊ art director Derry Noyes designed it.
The Postal Service celebrates a favorite backyard bird on this Barn Swallow stamped envelope. It features a large illustration of a barn swallow perching and a smaller illustration above it, showing the bird in flight. The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) originally nested in caves. As man-made structures began to dot the North American landscape, barn swallows adapted by building their mud nests under the eaves of barns, houses and bridges. Barn swallows are acrobatic flyers, and a single bird can catch and consume thousands of insects in one day. Art director William J. Gicker designed the stamp with original art by Matthew Frey.
