The U.S. Postal Service typically issues a stamp for former presidents on their first birthday after their death. That would put a stamp for the 39th President on or about October 1. It has not yet been confirmed by the USPS.
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Canada Post to restart operations on December 17 and welcome back employees
Postal service is focused on stabilizing operations to return reliable service to Canadians and businesses
OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 16, 2024 /CNW/ – Canada Post will restart operations tomorrow and begin the process of safely ramping up and stabilizing operations across the country. With 
a large, integrated network of processing plants, depots and post offices, stabilizing operations will take time and the company asks Canadians for their patience.
Canada Post will continue to keep Canadians updated with information posted on canadapost.ca.
Parcels, Lettermail and Direct Marketing mail
Post office hours of operation may vary as the company works to stabilize operations.International mail and parcels
Announced by the USPS on December 16, 2024:
Marking the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War, this pane of 15 stamps invites us to witness and remember five turning points in the fight for American independence. Watercolor paintings depicting scenes of five battles appear alongside photographs of sites involved in each battle. Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps with art by Greg Harlin and photographs by Jon Bilous, Richard Lewis, Tom Morris, Gregory J. Parker and Kevin Stewart.
Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent informaton at the top.
Updated March 6th:
These stamps will be issued April 16 in Concord, MA.
Full name of the issue: “Powwows: Celebrating Native American Culture.” Announced by the USPS on December 16, 2024:
The Postal Service strives to tell the stories of all Americans on its stamps, and issuing stamps that honor the living culture and heritage of Indigenous people is an important part of that goal. These stamps celebrate powwows, Native American social and ceremonial gatherings that feature music, dance and festive regalia. For this issuance, Cochiti Pueblo artist Mateo Romero created original paintings of four powwow dancers performing their craft against brightly colored backgrounds that highlight each dancer’s movement and traditional dress. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps.
Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent information at the top.
Updated March 20th:
[media advisory] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
USPS Celebrates Native American Culture with Powwow Stamps
What: The U.S. Postal Service will hold a first-day-of-issue ceremony for the Powwows: Celebrating Native American Culture stamps at the annual Gathering of Nations Pow Wow in Albuquerque, NM.
News of the Forever stamps is being shared with the hashtag #PowwowsStamps.-
Who: Steve Monteith, the Postal Service’s chief customer and marketing officer and executive vice president, will serve as the dedicating official.-
When: Friday, April 25, at 1:30 p.m. MDT-
Where:
Gathering of Nations Pow Wow
Tingley Coliseum / Expo New Mexico
300 San Pedro Drive NE
Albuquerque, NM 87108
RSVP: Attendees are encouraged to RSVP at www.usps.com/powwowsstamps. USPS will have a limited number of admission tickets and guests must register to receive one.-
Background: Powwows are festive gatherings where Indigenous people can celebrate their identities through dance, prayer, music and art. The largest powwow is the annual Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with more than 100,000 attendees.
These ceremonies open with a grand entry parade featuring Native veterans, tribal elders, dancers, and musicians. In addition to traditional and competitive dancing, main events include singing, pageantry, the honoring of ancestors, arts and crafts, and giveaways or donations to those in need.
The four powwow stamps showcase original paintings of Native American dancers by Cochiti Pueblo artist Mateo Romero. The artist took photographs of the dancers in their traditional clothing while performing and then painted on top of the images. The stamps include the Women’s Traditional Dance, Crow Hop Dance, Men’s Hoop Dance, and Women’s Fancy Shawl Dance.
Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps, which will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:
The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.99″ x 1.28″
The Pictorial Postmark measures 1.47″ x 1.30″
From the Postal Bulletin:
On April 25, 2025, in Albuquerque, NM, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Powwows: Celebrating Native American Culture stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 486400). These stamps will go on sale nationwide April 25, 2025, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Powwows: Celebrating Native American Culture commemorative pane of 20 stamps must not be split and the stamps must not be sold individually.
Powwows: Celebrating Native American Culture stamps honor these vibrant North American Native gatherings and their unique contribution to our American culture. Four new stamps, in a pane of 20, showcase original paintings of four Native American powwow dancers by Cochiti Pueblo artist Mateo Romero. The dances featured are Crow Hop, Women’s Traditional, Women’s Fancy Shawl, and Men’s Hoop. A large powwow drum is showcased on the selvage along with the title of the issuance. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps and the stamp pane.
Automatic distribution.
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 – Powwows: Celebrating Native American Culture 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 August 25, 2025.
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Powwows: Celebrating Native American Culture Stamps
Item Number: 486400
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: April 25, 2025, Albuquerque, NM 87101
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Mateo Romero, Santa Fe, NM
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Flexographic
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 18,000,000
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.8400 x 1.4200 in. / 21.3360 x 36.0680 mm.
Overall Size (w x h): 0.9800 x 1.5600 in. / 24.8920 x 39.6240 mm.
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.9200 x 8.0000 in. / 150.3680 x 203.2000 mm.
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 11.9650 x 16.1250 in. / 303.9110 x 409.5750 mm.
Plate Size: 80 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: -“B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: POWWOWS: Celebrating Native American Culture • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: © 2024 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (486400) • Plate position diagram (4) • Promotional text
Updated March 6th:
These stamps will be issued April 25 in Albuquerque, NM.
Announced by the USPS on December 16, 2024:
Recreational fishing attracts more than 55 million anglers to America’s lakes, rivers, and oceans each year — and lure designs for different environments are part of its growing appeal. These stamps feature brightly detailed photographs by Sarah Cramer Shields showing five lures considered icons of the sport. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps.
In addition, the USPS says these stamps will be issued March 13, 2025, in Springfield, MO.
Additional information will appear below the line, with the newest information at the top.
Updated March 10th:
Here is what the full pane of 20 looks like:
You can click on this picture for a larger version.
Updated February 6th:
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Freshwater Fishing Lures Stamps To Be Issued March 13
What: The U.S. Postal Service will issue its Freshwater Fishing Lures stamps at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, MO, on March 13. This release celebrates the beauty and ingenuity of some of America’s most successful freshwater fishing lures with a colorful pane of 20 Forever stamps featuring five different, close-up photographs of five popular designs.
The first-day-of-issue event for the Freshwater Fishing Lures stamps is free and open to the public. News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #FishingLuresStamps.
Who: John DiPeri, vice president, regional processing operations — Western Region, U.S. Postal Service
When: Thursday, March 13, 2025, at 11 a.m. Central
Where:
Bass Pro Shops, Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium
500 W. Sunshine St.
Springfield, MO 65807
RSVP: Attendees are required to register at usps.com/fishingluresstamps to receive free admission to Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium.
Background: From the earliest handmade wooden lures to modern swimbaits made of advanced materials, there are countless freshwater fishing lures available, each designed to meet the specific needs of the angler.
Crankbaits, or plugs, are popular among anglers because they are relatively easy to use. They attract a variety of fish, including bass, walleye and pike. Their unique swimming action is generated by a plastic lip and curved body, which make the lures dive and wiggle just by reeling them in. Anglers tend to run these lures along the bottom, bouncing them off rocks, logs or other submerged structures.
An in-line spinner lure is made to mimic the movement of a swimming bait fish, attracting predator fish with a spinning blade and a weighted body that create vibration in the water. They often have tails dressed with feathers, animal hair or rubber skirting to attract bass, trout, pike and other species in shallow streams, deeper rivers and lakes.
Spoon lures have been around since the 1800s and are named for their concave shape. It is believed that a blacksmith in Vermont created the first spoon lure by sawing off the handle of a spoon and attaching a hook. Spoons have remained popular because their unique movement and glimmer under water are so effective at catching fish, especially bass, pike and trout.
Topwater lures are extremely popular and are designed to be used on the surface of the water.
Wakebaits use metal or plastic wings to create a commotion like the wake of a boat as they skim the surface. A popper has a concave face that creates a popping sound when it is pulled across the water.
Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps using original photographs by Sarah Cramer Shields.
As Forever stamps, Freshwater Fishing Lures will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: 
The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.91″ x 1.46″
The pictorial postmark measures 2.11″ x 1.12″
From the Postal Bulletin:
On March 13, 2025, in Springfield, MO, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Freshwater Fishing Lures stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate), in five designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 486500). These stamps will go on sale nationwide March 13, 2025, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Freshwater Fishing Lures commemorative pane of 20 stamps must not be split and the stamps must not be sold individually.
This issuance celebrates the beauty and ingenuity of some of America’s most successful freshwater fishing lures. The colorful pane of 20 Forever® stamps features five close-up photographs of five different, popular fishing lure designs: crankbait, popper, spoon, spinner, and wakebait. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps using original photographs by Sarah Cramer Shields.
Automatic distribution.
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 – Freshwater Fishing Lures 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 July 13, 2025.
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Freshwater Fishing Lures Stamps
Item Number: 486500
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (5 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: March 13, 2025, Springfield, MO 65801
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville VA
Photographer: Sarah Cramer Shields, Charlottesville, VA
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 15,000,000
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area 1 (w x h): 1.420 x 0.8400 in. / 36.0680 x 21.3360 mm.
Stamp Size 1 (w x h): 1.560 x 0.9800 in. / 39.6240 x 24.8920 mm.
Image Area 2 (w x h): 1.710 x 0.8400 in. / 43.4340 x 21.3360 mm.
Stamp Size 2 (w x h): 1.850 x 0.9800 in. / 46.9900 x 24.8920 mm.
Full Pane Size (w x h): 9.450 x 5.5000 in. / 240.030 x 139.7000 mm.
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Plate Size: 160 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: FRESHWATER FISHING LURES • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: © 2024 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (486500) • Plate position diagram (8) • Promotional text
The Washington Post reports that President-elect Trump has been talking to advisors about privatizing the U.S. Postal Service. The newspaper says people with knowledge of 
the subject have said that Trump feels the government should not subsidize the mail carrier, especially in light of its financial losses.
“There’s a lot of [other] carrier services that became legal in the ’70s that are doing things so much better with increased volumes and reduced costs,” Casey Mulligan, who served as a top economist in the first Trump administration, told the Post.
The paper points out that Trump “feuded with the nation’s mail carrier as president in 2019, trying to force it to hand over key functions — including rate-setting, personnel decisions, labor relations and managing relationships with its largest clients — to the Treasury Department.” He also opposed voting by mail.
The USPS says it processed more than 99 million ballots last month, “In 2024, the Postal Service once again admirably performed our role of efficiently and effectively delivering the 
nation’s ballots,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in a press release.
The Post warns that changes to the USPS could have a major impact on the e-commerce industry. Cuts in its service could also have a backlash from voters (and members of Congress) in rural areas that are only served by the USPS, which pledges six-day-a-week delivery to every address in the U.S.
How would privatization affect stamp collectors? Would we see more issues for toys like Hot Wheels (2018) and movie releases like “Lightyear” (2022)?
Note: You may need a subscription to read the entire Washington Post article.
[press release]
AFDCS Honors Tom Mueller with Holiday Cachet
The American First Day Cover Society in 2024 is honoring cachet artist Tom Mueller as its Court of Honor cachetmaker. The Santa Claus cachet is taken from a 1991 cover for the Holiday Celebrations issue with Santa in a chimney (Sc. 2579).
AFDCS Court of Honor No. 44 (an example of which is shown on the right) was serviced with singles of all the U.S. holiday issues, including Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, and with all of this year’s holiday first-day postmarks. They are available for sale in the Marketplace section of the AFDCS website, www.afdcs.net/AFDCS-Marketplace
Mueller, a self-taught Midwestern artist, began producing his hand-painted “Silverwing” cachets in 1990 (Dwight Eisenhower, Sc. 2513), and continued designing for new issues until 2006, concentrating then on add-on cachets. Most are one of a kind. His 1991 
cachet for the Basketball stamp (Sc. 2560) won the top award in the AFDCS Cachet Contest and his work was featured in a gold-medal exhibit by Anthony Dewey shown at St. Louis Stamp Expo this past March. Nearly three dozen of his family members attended the show to celebrate his philatelic career. (photo left. Dewey is second from the left in the back row)
An article on Mueller by Patrick Morgan (on the left in the blue polo shirt) appeared in the November-December 2021 issue of First Days, the official journal of the AFDCS.
The Court of Honor series commemorates cachet artists who have, over the years, contributed so much to the hobby through the beauty of their art. It began in 1981 and the
The original 1991 FDC
first artist honored was Ralph Dyer. There has been a new Court of Honor FDC every year since then. Stamps with Christmas themes are used because the U.S. issues new ones every year. A different artist is selected each year.
Many of the earlier years’ covers are also available.
The AFDCS is the largest not-for-profit first day cover society in the world, with members in more than a dozen countries. In addition to publishing First Days and handbooks, catalogues and You-Tube videos, the society is a co-sponsor of the annual Great American Stamp Show. It holds an annual cachetmaking contest and two mail auctions a year, and encourages philatelic exhibiting and writing about FDCs.
For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 57, Somerset, WI 54025-0057
Only 14 issues have been announced, many of them “mail-use” or “definitive” stamps. Undoubtedly, more issues will be announced.
What do you think will be in the program? What do you think should be in the program for 
2025?
We’ll start: 2025 will be the 250th anniversary (“semiquincentennial” if you want to be fancy) of the Battle of Lexington & Concord, of the Second Continental Congress, and other American Revolution milestones. It will also be the centennial of a Great American Novel, The Great Gatsby. The radio program Grand Ole Opry went on the air in 1925, too.
American entertainers born that year include Gwen Verdon, Paul Newman, Elaine Stritch, Jack Lemmon, Kim Stanley, Hal Holbrook, George Kennedy, Rod Steiger, Tony Curtis, Maureen Stepleton, June Lockhart, Merv Griffin, Donald O’Connor, Mel Torme, B.B. King, Lenny Bruce, Angela Lansbury, Johnny Carson, Rock Hudson, Jonathan Winters, and Sammy Davis Jr. (Me, I’d put my money on Davis and — if they can figure out which wife has the rights — Carson.) Dick Van Dyke will turn 100 in 2025 but he’s still with us.
Remember that the U.S. Postal Service doesn’t like to commemorate disasters and other unpleasantness, so a stamp for the massive 1925 Ku Klux Klan rally in Washington is unlikely.
We used Wikipedia’s pages for 1925 and there are similar pages for toher years. The oft-ignored guidelines say anniversary increments of 50 years, not 25 or 75, and no corporations or organizations, which could seem to eliminate the Chrysler Corporation.
So what do you think?
5948 (73¢) Winter Whimsy – Snowflake with dark blue background
5949 (73¢) Winter Whimsy – Snowflake with aquamarine background
5950 (73¢) Winter Whimsy – Snowflake with pale gray background
5951 (73¢) Winter Whimsy – Snowflake with dark green background
a. Block of 4, #5948-5951
b. Convertible booklet pane of 20, 5 each #5948-5951
