Announced January 29th:
“The Postal Service honors the nation’s brave and loyal military working dogs with this new booklet of 20 stamps. Each block of four stamps features one stamp of each of the following breeds — German shepherd, Labrador retriever, Belgian Malinois and Dutch shepherd — that commonly serve in America’s armed forces. The background of each stamp features a detail of a white star. A star appears in the center of each block. The stylized digital illustrations are in red, white, blue and gold to represent the American flag and patriotism. The art was created by DKNG Studios. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps.”
Further updates will appear below, in order announced.
Updated March 29th:
These stamps will be issued Thursday, August 1, in Omaha, Nebraska, coinciding with the first day of APS StampShow 2019 in that city.
From the June 20th Postal Bulletin:
On August 1, 2019, in Omaha, NE, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Military Working Dogs stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive commemorative booklet of 20 stamps (Item 680300). The stamps will go on sale nationwide August 1, 2019, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Military Working Dogs booklet of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.
The Postal Service™ honors the nation’s brave and loyal military working dogs with this new booklet of 20 stamps. Each block of four stamps features one of each of the following breeds serving in America’s armed forces:
- German shepherd,
- Labrador retriever,
- Belgian Malinois, and
- Dutch shepherd.
The background of each stamp features a detail of a white star. A star appears in the center of each block. The stylized digital illustrations are in red, white, blue, and gold to represent the American flag and patriotism. The art was created by DKNG Studios. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps.
Availability to Post Offices: Item 680300, Military Working Dogs (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Commemorative Booklet 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 – Military Working Dogs 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 December 1, 2019.
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Military Working Dogs Stamps
Item Number: 680300
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Commemorative Booklet of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: August 1, 2019, Omaha, NE 68108
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Typographer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Artist: DKNG Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 150,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal and Vertical
Image Area (h x w): 1.085 x 1.42 in./27.559 x 36.068 mm
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 1.085 in./36.068 x 27.559 mm
Stamp Size (h x w): 1.225 x 1.56 in./31.115 x 39.624 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 1.56 x 1.225 in./39.624 x 31.115 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 12 x 4 in./304.8 x 101.6 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 24 x 12 in./609.6 x 304.8 mm
Colors: 8382 Gold, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings: Cover: USPS logo • Twenty First-Class Forever stamps • MILITARY WORKING DOGS • Barcode • Plate number in fold • ©2019 USPS in fold • Promotional text in fold
Updated June 25th:
[press release]
Recognizing Four-Legged Heroes
U.S. Postal Service Honors Military Working Dogs on Forever Stamps
What: The U.S. Postal Service honors the nation’s brave and loyal canines with the Military Working Dogs Forever stamps. In this booklet of 20, each block of four stamps features one stamp of each of the following breeds—German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, Dutch Shepherd and Belgian Malinois —that commonly serve in America’s armed forces. News of the stamps are being shared with the hashtag #MilitaryDogsStamps.
Who: David C. Williams, Vice Chairman, U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors
When: Thursday, Aug. 1, at 12 noon CDT
Where: American Philatelic Society Stamp Show
CHI Health Center Omaha
455 N. 10th Street
Omaha, NE 68102
Background: Brave and loyal military working dogs are essential members of America’s armed forces. Courageous canines have aided U.S. soldiers in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Today, the 341st Training Squadron at Lackland Air Force Base just outside of San Antonio, TX, trains American military working dogs and their handlers.
Dozens of dog breeds have served in the U.S. armed forces, but over time the number has decreased significantly. Modern military working dogs are predominantly Belgian Malinois, German Shepherds and Dutch Shepherds. Labrador Retrievers are often trained as specialized search dogs.
The background of each stamp features a detail of a white star. A star appears in the center of each block. The stylized digital illustrations are in red, white, blue and gold to represent the American flag and patriotism. The art was created by DKNG Studios. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps. The Military Working Dogs stamps are being issued as Forever stamps and 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 catalog or at Post Office locations nationwide.
Updated July 4th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:
The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.57″x1.41″ 
The B&W pictorial postmark measures 2.93″x1.48″
“This issuance honors artist Ellsworth Kelly (1923–2015). Kelly pioneered a distinctive style of abstraction based on real elements reduced to their essential forms. His artworks include paintings, sculpture and works on paper. The 20 stamps on the pane feature 10 pieces, each represented twice: Yellow White (1961), Colors for a Large Wall (1951), Blue Red Rocker (1963), Spectrum I (1953), South Ferry (1956), Blue Green (1962), Orange Red Relief (for Delphine Seyrig) (1990), Meschers (1951), Red Blue (1964) and Gaza (1956). A detail from Blue Yellow Red III (1971) appears in the selvage. Derry Noyes served as art director and designer for this issuance.”
What:
The B&W pictorial postmark measures 2.61″ x 0.88″ 
“This issuance honors extraordinary tennis champion 
What: 
The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.82″x1.49″ 
The B&W pictorial measures 2.98″x1.04″ 
The “special” postmark, for use by other post offices, measures 2.88″x0.88″
“The Postal Service issues Star Ribbon, a stamp designed to meet the needs of business mailers. The artwork features a digital illustration of a star made of red, white and blue ribbon. The white space in the middle of the ribbon creates a second smaller star. The tri-colored ribbon, folded into a patriotic symbol, is intended to evoke the connectedness of the American people. The stamp will be sold in coils of 10,000 and in panes of 20. Greg Breeding was the art director. Aaron Draplin designed the stamp and created the artwork.”
This pictorial postmark measures 2.66″ x 1.36″.
On March 22, 2019, in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the Star Ribbon stamp (Forever priced at the First-Class Mail rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 120600), a PSA coil of 3,000 stamps (Item 759900), and a PSA coil of 10,000 stamps (Item 760500). The stamp will go on sale nationwide on March 22, 2019, and must not be sold or cancelled before the first-day-of-issue.
Three new stamps in a pane of 18 mark the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, a massive engineering feat that reduced travel time across the country from as many as six months to about one week and made the American West an integral part of the nation. Two different stamps feature the Jupiter and the No. 119 locomotives that powered the trains carrying the officers and guests of two train companies to the “Golden Spike Ceremony,” held when the two rail lines were joined at Promontory Summit in Utah. A third stamp portrays the famous golden spike that was a prominent part of the ceremony. Art director Greg Breeding designed the issuance. Michael J. Deas painted the Jupiter and No. 119 stamps. Kevin Cantrell illustrated the stamp depicting the ceremonial golden spike and did the border treatments and typography for all three stamps.
One major change is in “First-Class Package Service—Retail,” which the USPS calls “a lightweight expedited offering used primarily by businesses for fulfillment purposes.” It includes tracking, at about half the cost of Priority Mail. However, it is not easy to produce a table for this service, because the rate now 
TORONTO, Jan. 24, 2019 /CNW/ – Tomorrow, Canada Post will issue a stamp honouring Albert Jackson, thought to be the first Black letter carrier in Canada. Jackson earned his appointment to the civil service in 1882, but faced racism from his colleagues, media and members of the public as he pursued what ultimately turned out to be a successful 36-year career with the postal service.
Growing up in Toronto, Jackson was able to pursue his education and, as an adult, he competed for and won a position as a letter carrier in 1882. However, when he reported for work his co-workers refused to train him and he was assigned a lower job as hall porter. After political pressure, particularly from Toronto’s Black community, and intervention from Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald, Jackson was soon out walking his delivery route in Harbord Village, where a laneway has since been named after him.
The fascinating story of the first permanent English colony in America in 1607, and the stamps for an exposition to mark its tercentenary, was told by Roger S. Brody RDP FRPSL to the members of The Royal Philatelic Society London on 17 January.
President
