Updated March 2nd: In the original Postal Bulletin article, the pricing was incorrect for two of the items, Love Skywriting and Year of the Rooster. We have corrected it below.
[from the Postal Bulletin]
The Stamp Ceremony Memento
In 2017, the United States Postal Service® launched a new and exciting product for our customers and collectors — the stamp ceremony memento. This memento will be offered for a number of different products wrapped into one first-day-of-issue experience collectable. The stamp ceremony memento is professionally packaged to preserve the contents.
Love Skywriting stamp memento, Item 561634, $19.95
The Love Skywriting stamp depicts the word “Love” written in white cursive script against a blue sky studded with wispy clouds. The edges of the letters are just beginning to blur into the surrounding sky. Underlining the word is a decorative swirl of smoke that emphasizes the message. A small, stylized plane, dwarfed by the giant letters, completes the end of the swirl, with smoke trailing from its tail.
The stamp ceremony memento for the Love Skywriting stamp includes:
First-Day Cover
Announce your affection with this new Love Skywriting first-day cover. The #6-¾ envelope bears one affixed Forever® stamp cancelled with an official first-day-of-issue postmark.
Digital Color Postmark
The Love Skywriting digital color postmark celebrates public displays of affection with handwriting floating between blue arcs representing clouds. Also included are an image of a plane and the stamp title, as well as the date and location of stamp issuance: January 7, 2016, Chino, CA 91710.
Ceremony Invitation
The stamp ceremony memento includes an original invitation to the official first-day-of-issue ceremony. This invitation shows the order of the event and all of the participants.
Ceremony Program
The full-color program features the first-day-of-issue ceremony agenda and participants on one side, with a narrative about the stamp design on the reverse.
The stamp ceremony memento is also currently available for the Lunar New Year: Year of the Rooster stamp, the Dorothy Height stamp, the Oscar de la Renta stamp, and the John Fitzgerald Kennedy stamp. Each memento has an individual item number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog, online at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:
U.S. Postal Service
Catalog Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014
Others mementos available:
- Lunar New Year: Year of the Rooster stamp memento, Item 552034, $18.95
- Dorothy Height stamp memento, Item 474334, $21.95
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy stamp memento, Item 474634, $18.95
- Oscar de la Renta stamp memento, Item 562734, $21.95
The Songbirds in Snow stamps were issued August 4, 2016, and from this stamp issue, the U.S. Postal Service produced the Northern Cardinal stamped envelope with an issue date of November 3, 2016. The Northern Cardinal stamped envelopes (Item 882105) were issued as a set of 12 pressure-sensitive adhesive #10 regular security stamped envelopes with seals (Forever First-Class Mail priced at $9.95 for each set).
On January 22, 2017, in Kansas City, MO, the Postal Service issued a new Priority Mail Flat-Rate Envelope (Item 232700). The new product is an accountable item and features the $6.65 Lili’uokalani Gardens stamp image printed directly on the envelope along with standard Priority Mail graphics.
Updated January 5, 2017:
It measures 2.59″ x 1.34″
OTTAWA — In time for the 2017 opera season, Canada Post has launched five stamps celebrating two significant Canadian-penned operas and three individuals who helped to put modern Canadian opera talent on the world stage.
Two of the highly theatrical stamps depict significant Canadian operas. 
both the 50th anniversary of its debut by the Canadian Opera Company and Canada’s sesquicentennial.
discovering and fostering some of the country’s greatest talent.
To celebrate the Year of the Rooster, 28 January 2017 to 15 February 2018, Australia Post is releasing two Lunar New Year stamps.
“The Chinese assign the Rooster as a proverbial mascot to the five virtues – civil responsibility, marital fidelity, courage, kindness and confidence. Those qualities are illustrated in the minisheet story – the Rooster coaxes the fearful hidden sun out from her hiding place. The puffed-up chest of the Rooster in the $1 stamp sums up the Rooster’s positive personalities. The Rooster is also traditionally related to the chasing away of evil spirits, by calling the sun out and bringing the light to life,” Dani said.
According to the Associated Press, Ahmed Fahour (right), managing director of Australia Post, was paid AU$4.4 million in salary and a AU$1.2 million bonus in the last fiscal year.
The Beautiful Netherlands 2017 series depicts the meandering course of streams and river valleys, the cultural and historical landscape, along with a striking national monument. For example, the historic Saxon farm in the village of Anderen is featured on the Drentsche Aa stamp. The stamp for the Linge also shows Fort Asperen (near Leerdam) and the stamp for the Reest features the Reestkerk from the village of Oud-Avereest.
central to the landscape and coexist well. Each stamp sheetlet combines nature and culture in the form of monumental architecture.
Later this year, PostNL will bring out further Beautiful Netherlands stamp sheetlets focusing on the river valleys of the Dommel and the Geul, and a collection sheet containing all five stream and river valleys.
