USPS Raising Some Rates, Not Letters

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[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Announces New Prices for 2020
No change in price of Forever stamp

WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) today of price changes to take effect Jan. 26, 2020.

The proposed prices, approved by the Governors of the Postal Service, would raise Mailing Services product prices approximately 1.9 percent. Shipping Services price increases vary by product. For example, Priority Mail Express would increase 3.5 percent and Priority Mail would increase 4.1 percent, on average. Although Mailing Services price increases are based on the Consumer Price Index, Shipping Services prices are primarily adjusted according to market conditions. The Governors believe these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with needed revenue.

If favorably reviewed by the PRC, the new prices will include no increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, which would remain at 55 cents. The single-piece letter additional ounce price would remain at 15 cents. Also unchanged would be the prices of postcard stamps at 35 cents, and 1-ounce flats at $1.

The proposed Mailing Services price changes include:

Product Current Proposed
Letters (1 oz.) 55 cents 55 cents [no change]
Letters additional ounces 15 cents 15 cents [no change]
Letters (metered 1 oz.) 50 cents 50 cents [no change]
Flats (1 oz.) $1 $1 [no change]
Outbound International Letters (1 oz.) $1.15 $1.20
Domestic Postcards 35 cents 35 cents [no change]

The proposed domestic Priority Mail Flat Rate Retail price changes are:

Product Current Proposed
Small Flat-Rate Box $7.90 $8.30
Medium Flat-Rate Box $14.35 $15.05
Large Flat-Rate Box $19.95 $21.10
APO/FPO Large Flat-Rate Box $18.45 $19.60
Regular Flat-Rate Envelope $7.35 $7.75
Legal Flat-Rate Envelope $7.65 $8.05
Padded Flat-Rate Envelope $8 $8.40

The Postal Service has some of the lowest letter mail postage rates in the industrialized world and also continues to offer a great value in shipping. Unlike some other shippers, the Postal Service does not add surcharges for fuel, residential delivery, or regular Saturday or holiday season delivery.

The PRC will review the prices before they are scheduled to take effect Jan. 26, 2020. The complete Postal Service price filings with prices for all products can be found on the PRC site under the Daily Listings section at prc.gov/dockets/daily. For the Mailing Services filing see Docket No. R2020-1. For the Shipping Services filing see Docket No. CP2020-5. The price change tables are also available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website at pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

The Gruffalo (UK 2019)

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[press release]
ROYAL MAIL SPECIAL STAMPS MARK 20 YEARS OF THE GRUFFALO

  • Royal Mail reveals 10 Special Stamps depicting characters from The Gruffalo; the 1999 children’s internationally, best-selling picture book written by Julia Donaldson, and illustrated by Axel Scheffler
  • Six stamps remain true to the original tale, following the Mouse’s progress through the deep dark wood and introducing the other characters one by one
    Completing the set, four stamps are presented in a Miniature Sheet
  • Royal Mail commissioned Axel Scheffler to create new illustrations of characters from The Gruffalo for the stamps in the Miniature Sheet
  • A full set of the stamps, available in a Presentation Pack, retails at £12.20
  • The stamps and other collectible products are available to pre-order now at www.royalmail.com/thegruffalo and by phone on 03457 641 641
  • They will be available on general sale at 7,000 Post Offices across the UK from 10 October

The Gruffalo has won numerous awards; it was the UK’s best-selling picture book of 2000, won the Blue Peter Best Book To Read Aloud award and was voted Best Bedtime Story in a BBC poll of 2009. It has been adapted into theatre productions with runs in the West End, Broadway and the Sydney Opera House. It has also been adapted into an Oscar nominated, animated film.

Philip Parker, Royal Mail, said: “We celebrate 20 years of The Gruffalo with these charming stamps, and are delighted that Axel has taken us back to the deep, dark wood with his new illustrations of the much-loved characters.”

A full set of all 10 stamps, available in a Presentation Pack (which includes a Gruffalo snakes and ladders game), retails at £12.20.

In the book, Mouse encounters several predators in the wood, and declines their invitations to dinner, telling each that he is meeting his (imaginary) friend, the fearsome Gruffalo. Hearing this, each predator flees in terror. Then, however, Mouse is shocked to encounter the real monster from his imagination.

Axel Scheffler illustrated Royal Mail’s 2012 Christmas stamps.

USPS Further Restricts Packages With Stamps

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The “executive summary:” If your mailing weighs more than 10 ounces or is more than half an inch thick, and has stamps on it, you’ll have to either hand it to a clerk at a post office, or put it in the package bin at a self-service kiosk.

We are not aware of any recent incident prompting this change. The initial restriction in 1996 was caused by the Unabomber series of mail-bombs.

The first section of this press release is mostly history. The limit had been 13 ounces.

[press release]
Package Security Enhancements Begin This Month

WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service is increasing the safety and security of its collection box procedures through a modification of the long-standing Aviation Mail Security Rule, which was established in August 1996 and called for all packages weighing 16 ounces to be presented in person to a postal clerk or a letter carrier. The action was taken to enhance security measures and to protect the public, postal employees and postal contractors who transport the U.S. Mail.

In 2007, the weight allowance was decreased to 13-ounces or more for all anonymous mail. Since then, packages and other mail pieces weighing 13 ounces or more, bearing only stamps as postage must only be presented to a postal employee at a retail counter.

This month’s update to the rule will enhance the existing safety program by prohibiting packages with stamps as postage that are more than one-half inch thick and/or weigh more than 10 ounces from anonymously being entered into the mail stream through collection boxes or Post Office mail slots. Packages and all other mail pieces of this type will now need to be taken to a retail counter. This change is effective Oct. 1, 2019.

How to mail a package
Consumers who opt to use postage stamps to mail packages, or other items, weighing more than 10 ounces and/or more than one-half inch thick must conduct their transactions at a Post Office retail counter. Consumers can also take advantage of Postal Service self-service kiosks to purchase postage labels and drop those packages into the package slots, not mail slots, at a Post Office. If a restricted package or mail piece is found in a collection box, mail chute or lobby mail slot after Oct. 1 it will be returned to the sender with a Customer Return Label attached explaining the restrictions and reason for return.

Click-N-Ship customers will be unaffected by this change. [Of course not: Click-N-Ship provides postage labels and its mailings don’t use stamps. —VSC.]

Consumers can expect to see label changes on collection boxes and Post Office mail slots with the updated information. The Postal Service apologizes for any inconvenience to its customers.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Murchison Meteorite (Australia 2019)

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[press release]
Australia Post remembers rare class of meteorite

Australia Post is releasing a commemorative stamp to mark the 50th anniversary of the arrival of one of the world’s most scientifically acclaimed meteorites, the Murchison meteorite.

Arriving just two months after the first Moon landing, the Murchison meteorite was declared “as exciting as moon dust”. The meteorite shower fell around the small town of Murchison, some 160 kilometres north of Melbourne in Victoria, on Sunday, 28 September 1969.

Commenting on the stamp release, Australia Post Philatelic Manager Michael Zsolt said the stamp was one for science fans, history buffs, and collectors alike.

“The Murchison meteorite retained many chemical properties from the time of its formation some 4.56 billion years ago and may even be a fragment of a comet. It has been extensively studied due to its rarity and the large amount of material recovered.”

The commemorative stamp, designed by Tim Hancock of the Backpack Creative studio, features a graphic representation of the meteor falling to Earth in the vicinity of the town of Murchison.

The hexagons suggest the structure of the amino acids that were found in the meteorite.

Other products associated with this issue include sheetlet of 10 x $1 stamps, first day cover and maxicard.

The Murchison Meteorite commemorative stamp issue is available now at participating Post Offices, via mail order on 1800 331 794 and online at auspost.com.au/stamps, while stocks last.

Beautiful Cities: Sydney, Perth (Australia 2019)

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[press release]
Our beautiful cities once again catch the eye

Australia Post is celebrating two of our beautiful cities, releasing two International Post stamps featuring Sydney and Perth. The stamp issue is the second in a series featuring Australian cities, with the first issue in 2018 featuring Adelaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne.

Based on a number of indices, including political and economic stability, environmental integrity and access to public transport and recreation, our major cities are regularly named among the world’s most liveable.

Speaking on the stamp release, Australia Post Philatelic Manager Michael Zsolt said Australians are justifiably proud of our cities.

“Not only are they great places in which to live, they are situated on beautiful scenic waterways, and feature so much that makes them loved by so many,” he said.

Sydney was established in 1788 on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. With more than five million residents, today Sydney is the most populous of our state capitals. The stamp shows the famous Sydney Opera House, situated on Bennelong Point on the spectacular Sydney Harbour.

The largest state by area, Western Australia occupies approximately a third of the continent. Its capital city Perth, located on the beautiful Swan River and bounded by the Indian Ocean, was established in 1829 on the lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people. With around 2.3 million people, Perth is the fourth largest city in Australia. The stamp shows Elizabeth Quay, named in honour of Queen Elizabeth II during her Diamond Jubilee.

The stamps, designed by Jason Watts of the Australia Post Design Studio, feature recent photographs of the two cities.

Other products associated with this issue include a stamp presentation pack, first day cover, maxicards, postcards and a self-adhesive sheetlet of five $3.20 (Sydney) stamps.

The Beautiful Cities commemorative stamp issue is available now at participating Post Offices, via mail order on 1800 331 794 and online at auspost.com.au/stamps, while stocks last.

Autumn Forest (Netherlands 2019)

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[press release – translated by Google]
Tribute to the autumn forest

The Hague, September 13, 2019. Autumn is the season to go into the forest. The leaves change color, the trees look different every day. With the stamp sheetlet “Experience nature – trees and leaves”, which was released today, PostNL brings an ode to the forest in the autumn.

Totally Dutch
On the latest stamp sheet, the depicted trees and leaves are closely linked, as if they were close to each other. All the trees shown can indeed be found in Dutch nature. All used photos are also made in the Netherlands

The first experience
For graphic designer Frank Janse from Gouda, who designed the stamps, the forest plays an important role in our experience of nature. “For children, a forest is often the first experience with nature. There’s a lot going on. You see, smell and hear everything. At the same time you realize that everything happens that you do not immediately see, smell or hear. That makes it even more exciting. ”

Decay process
Experience the nature – trees and leaves at the center of the design of the sensory and associative nature experience. When selecting the photographic material, Janse searched for autumn colors that are as close as possible to each other. “I stayed away from the romantic, multi-colored autumn hues, but chose greenish and orange-colored brown. They are the first steps in the rotting process that nature simply undergoes in the autumn. ”

Biodiversity
With the new stamps, PostNL calls attention to the diversity of nature in our country. “It is much larger than we sometimes think at first sight,” says Stephan van den Eijnden, MailNL’s commercial director, Mail. “Trees play a major role in this. Especially in an urbanized country like the Netherlands. That is why it is so important to safeguard the biodiversity of our forests.”

Image bank for nature photography
After the mammals (2 January), stinsenplants (25 February) and butterflies (11 June), this fourth stamp sheet about trees and leaves is the last of this year from the series Experience nature. All photos on the stamps are from Buiten-Beeld, the Dutch image bank for nature photography. A single stamp sheet in the single sale costs nature experience € 8.70. The price for the entire series is € 34.80, including storage folder.

Availability
The stamp sheet Experience nature – trees and leaves has 10 different stamps with the value indication Netherlands 1, intended for mail up to and including 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands. The stamps are available now at all points of sale of PostNL, the post office in the Bruna stores and via www.postnl.nl/bij exception- postzegels. The stamps can also be ordered by telephone from Collect Club customer service on telephone number 088 – 868 99 00. The period of validity is indefinite.

Dutch Royal Family (Netherlands 2019)

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[press release – translated by Google]
Special stamps with informal portraits of the royal family

The Hague, 16 September 2019. The latest stamps from PostNL contain 5 penetrating portraits of King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and the princesses Amalia, Alexia and Ariane. The photos were taken by photographer Erwin Olaf, who is celebrating his 40th anniversary this year.

Royal Christmas card
In the background of the stamp sheet is a group photo of the king, queen and their 3 daughters. This photo, also by Olaf, decorated the royal Christmas card of 2018. The issue of the new stamps with the 5 royal portraits is an initiative of PostNL.

Self-Guided
In 2019 there were various anniversary exhibitions with the work of Olaf, including in the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag and the Fotomuseum Den Haag. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima also visited these exhibitions, where they were shown around in person by Olaf. Olaf: “The overview exhibitions showed how I changed from an angry young man to a visual artist who looks at the world more thoughtfully and with contemplation. This also applies to the almost abstract and absurd discovery of the portrait as a medium, with techniques such as cropping and broaching. How close can you come to the essence of man? I applied those lessons to these portraits of the royal family. ”

High-profile artists
PostNL very much wanted to put the informal photos of the royal family on stamps, explains Stephan van den Eijnden, commercial director Mail of PostNL. “On the 5 stamps released earlier this year with Olaf’s most important work, there was no room for it. Now these accessible and penetrating photos get all the attention they deserve. Today’s issue is also in line with our tradition of regularly commissioning high-profile artists for stamp designs. For example, the permanent stamps with King Willem-Alexander were designed by Studio Job, based on a portrait by photographer Rineke Dijkstra. ”

Erwin Olaf
Erwin Olaf (Hilversum, 1959) attended the School for Journalism in Utrecht and after graduating focused successively on reportage photography and staged photography. In 2013, Olaf designed the statue for the new euro coin with King Willem-Alexander. The photographer has won many prizes, including a Lucie Award (for Achievement in Advertising) and in 2011 the Johannes Vermeer Prize, the Dutch state prize for the arts.

Availability
The stamp sheet The Royal Family has 5 different stamps with the value indication Netherlands 1, intended for mail up to and including 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands. The stamps can be ordered now via the website and at Collect Club customer service on telephone number 088 – 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite.

Hotchner: U.S. Presidential Memorial Stamps

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A New Presidential Memorial Stamp Is Waiting in The Wings
By John M. Hotchner

[It’s been about a year since George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, died, and several months since the U.S. issued a stamp for him.]

I had the good fortune to meet him—twice—and I’m a fan. So I looked forward to the commemorative memorial stamp for him that was issued on his next birthday, June 12, 2019.

This is a tradition that has its roots in the 19th Century, with the issuance of the first presidential mourning stamp of the United States in April, 1866, a 15¢ stamp in black (Scott #77, plus later grilled issues) honoring Abraham Lincoln; who had been assassinated a year earlier. The earliest known use, per Scott, is April 21, 1866.

A mourning stamp was a novelty in 1866, though earlier presidents had been included in the stamp program after their passing. But Lincoln s e t a n e w standard: a stamp in black, issued within a year of death, or shortly after. A use of his stamp, on a mourning cover, is shown in Figure 1.

We would not see such an issuance again until the passing of Pres. Warren Harding from a heart attack on August 2, 1923. A mourning stamp in his honor (Figure 2)—a flat plate-printed, perf. 11 version (Scott #610)—was released just a month later, on Sept. 1, 1923. It was followed by three more versions (perf. 10 flat plate, imperf., and perf. 11 rotary press; Scott #s 611-613) within a couple of months.

After this there was a hit-or-miss period. Woodrow Wilson, who passed away in 1924, after he left office, was given a 17¢ memorial stamp in black (Scott 623) almost two years after he died, seen in a first day cover, Figure 3. William Howard Taft whose presidency ended in 1913, left us on March 8, 1930, and was included in the Fourth Bureau issue with a brown 4¢ sheet stamp and a coil just three months later (Fig. 4)

But Calvin Coolidge, who passed in 1933 was not placed on a stamp until the presidential issue of 1938, where he was the honoree on the $5 (Scott #834).

The next president to die was Franklin D. Roosevelt, on April 12, 1945; at the start of his fourth term. Four stamps were issued in his honor—none of them black—within a year of his death. The first was released on June 27, 1945; a 3¢ purple (which can be considered as a mourning color). It was followed by a 1¢ blue green, a 2¢ carmine rose, and a 5¢ bright blue (Scott #930-933). They broke the mold by including illustrations of more than just the picture of the president. See Figure 5 below.

The next president to die was John F. Kennedy, the victim of an assassin, on November 22, 1963. And here is where the modern system of memorial stamps was inaugurated. On May 29, 1964, a 5¢ blue-grey commemorative was issued showing JFK and his eternal flame (Scott #1246, Figure 6). His birth date was May 29, 1917.

Figure 6 shows JFK on a Sc. 1246 FDC along with stamps for other assassinated Presidents: McKinley, Garfield, and Lincoln (Sc. 559, 558, 1036)

Presidential deaths after Kennedy, and the date of their memorial stamp (on or near their birthday), are shown here:

Name
Herbert Hoover
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Harry S. Truman
Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
Ronald Reagan
Gerald Ford
George H.W. Bush		 Date of Death
Oct. 20, 1964
March 28, 1969
Dec. 26, 1972
Jan. 22, 1973
April 22, 1994
June 5, 2004
Dec. 26, 2006
Nov. 30, 2018		 Date of Issue
Aug. 10, 1965
Oct. 14, 1969
May 8, 1973
Aug. 27, 1973
April 26, 1995
Feb. 9, 2005
Aug. 31, 2007
June 12, 2019

We are long past the times when the U.S. Postal Service was simply reactive to a presidential passing. Wouldn’t be prudent. They now have “in the bank” an approved image of each president who has left office, ready for use on the memorial stamp. It has been selected by the president himself, and discussed with the immediate family as well.

Also gone are the grim black stamps that celebrate death, in favor of brighter colorful portraits. This is not to say that all the presidential memorial stamps are beautiful—or popular. Richard Nixon’s stamp was not expected to do well, so the USPS ordered only 80 million printed. Compare that to the 511,750,000 stamps ordered for JFK, and 170 million for Ronald Reagan.

Should you wish to comment on this editorial, or have questions or ideas you would like to have explored in a future column, please write to John Hotchner, VSC Contributor, P.O. Box 1125, Falls Church, VA 22041-0125, or email, putting “VSC” in the subject line.

Or comment right here.

Community Foundation: Children (Canada 2019)

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[press release]
Canada Post Community Foundation issues grants of $1.2 million to better the lives of children
118 groups across the country will receive funds to help children, as new stamps go on sale to raise funds for next year’s grants

OTTAWA – The Canada Post Community Foundation today announced approximately $1.2 million in grants to 118 groups that help children in communities across Canada, as new stamps went on sale to help raise funds for next year’s grants.

In addition to the annual stamp issue, the Foundation raises funds through a five-week in-store campaign to solicit point-of-sale donations from customers, from local fundraisers by employees, and a year-round employee payroll donation program. Funds go to organizations that operate in the province or territory in which they were raised.

Over the past eight years, the Foundation has granted more than $8 million to hundreds of initiatives. They include literacy and language programs, youth outreach services, gender and sexual diversity programs, arts and recreation projects, special education programs, childhood health programs, anti-bullying initiatives, mentoring programs and many others.

Among this year’s organizations receiving grants are:

  • Kids Help Phone, which helps children and youth through 24/7 bilingual professional counselling and support services;
  • Easter Seals Alberta, for its Camp Horizon Earth Program, an adaptive hiking program for kids with disabilities or medical conditions;
  • Les YMCA du Québec, for its Alternative Suspension Program, which supports suspended students who benefit from more structure than traditional school suspensions offer.

About the Foundation
Established in 2012, the Canada Post Community Foundation for Children provides grants to Canadian schools, charities and organizations in an effort to make a difference in the lives of children in our communities.

About the stamp issue
The 2019 Canada Post Community Foundation stamp issue is the work of Chad Roberts, of Chad Roberts Design Ltd, with illustrations by Joanna Todd. The brightly coloured pair of stamps – featuring whimsical frozen treats, strolling hand in hand – invokes nostalgia and reminds us that childhood should offer sweet memories. The stamp is available at Canada Post outlets throughout Canada and online at www.canadapost.ca/shop.

[Official First Day Cover (“OFDC”) and the inside of the stamp booklet are illustrated below.]

La Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada verse 1,2 million de dollars en subventions pour améliorer la vie des enfants
118 groupes d’un bout à l’autre du pays reçoivent des fonds pour aider des enfants, tandis que de nouveaux timbres sont mis en vente pour recueillir de l’argent pour les subventions de l’année prochaine

OTTAWA – La Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada a annoncé aujourd’hui le versement d’environ 1,2 million de dollars en subventions à 118 groupes qui aident des enfants dans des communautés d’un bout à l’autre du pays et le lancement de nouveaux timbres afin de recueillir des fonds pour les subventions de l’année prochaine.

En plus de l’émission annuelle, la Fondation recueille des fonds à l’aide d’une campagne de cinq semaines pour solliciter les dons de clients en magasin, de collectes de fonds effectuées par les employés et d’un programme de retenues à la source auquel les employés peuvent participer tout au long de l’année. La subvention que reçoit un organisme provient de fonds qui ont été amassés dans la province ou le territoire dans lequel il exerce ses activités.

Au cours des huit dernières années, la Fondation a distribué plus de 8 millions de dollars à des centaines d’initiatives, notamment des programmes de lutte contre l’intimidation, d’alphabétisation et de langue, de mentorat, d’éducation spéciale et de santé visant les enfants, des services d’aide pour les jeunes, des programmes sur la diversité de genre et sexuelle, et des projets artistiques et récréatifs.

Voici quelques-uns des organismes auxquels une subvention sera versée cette année :

  • Jeunesse, J’écoute, qui aide les enfants et les jeunes tous les jours, 24 heures sur 24, grâce à des services de counseling et de soutien professionnels bilingues;
  • Easter Seals Alberta et le Camp Horizon Earth, pour le programme de randonnée adapté destiné aux enfants handicapés ou ayant des problèmes de santé;
  • Les YMCA du Québec, pour son programme Alternative Suspension qui aide les élèves sous le coup d’une suspension et ayant besoin d’un programme plus structuré que celui offert dans les écoles traditionnelles.

À propos de la Fondation
Fondée en 2012, la Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada pour les enfants verse des subventions aux écoles, aux organismes de bienfaisance et aux organisations du Canada afin de faire une différence dans la vie d’enfants de nos communautés.

À propos des timbres
L’émission de 2019 de la Fondation communautaire de Postes Canada est l’œuvre de Chad Roberts, de Chad Roberts Design Ltd, et les illustrations ont été réalisées par Joanna Todd. Ces deux timbres aux couleurs vives, ornés de friandises glacées se promenant main dans la main, évoquent la nostalgie et rappellent que grandir devrait créer de doux souvenirs. Les vignettes sont offertes dans les comptoirs postaux du Canada et en ligne à www.postescanada.ca/achat.

Holiday Wreaths (US 2019)

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Announced September 23rd. Updates will appear in reverse chronological order (that is, most-recent first) below the line after the press release.

[press release]
Holiday Wreaths Adorn Forever Stamps
New offerings will be among several holiday-themed stamps this year

WASHINGTION — The U.S. Postal Service announced today that this year’s contemporary holiday stamps will highlight wreaths to welcome the season. The Holiday Wreaths Forever stamps will be issued later this fall, providing plenty of time for mailing greeting cards. Details will be announced soon. These stamps will be among several holiday-themed stamps that will be available this year.

Displayed on a door, in a window or over a mantel, wreaths are symbols of joy and celebration, inviting the spirit of the season into the home.

Inspired by the holiday decorating traditions of early America, the four wreaths featured on these stamps are classic yet contemporary. Their designs create feelings of warmth and welcome. Wreaths are often made from materials easily found during the winter months, including pinecones, dried flowers and berries.

Here’s more information about each wreath:

  • (top left) The ribbon leaf wreath is inspired by French floral art. Aspidistra leaves, folded and manipulated to resemble ribbons, create a long-lasting wreath.
  • (top right) Gilded pinecones and magnolia pods grace the wreath trimmed with cranberry red ribbon.
  • (lower left) Red and gold ribbon adorns the wreath made from gilded dried hydrangea, eucalyptus and nandina foliage, red berries, and small ornaments.
  • (lower right) The woodland bush ivy and red winterberry wreath presents a classic red and green palette.

Add these elegant stamps to your cards and letters to share holiday greetings with family and friends.

Antonio Alcalá served as the art director for these stamps and designed them with floral artist Laura Dowling. Dowling designed the wreaths for the stamps, which were photographed by Kevin Allen.

USPS will issue the Holidays Wreaths in booklets of 20. These Forever stamps 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, or at Post Office locations nationwide.

Updated October 11th :
This issue has been assigned the following Scott catalogue numbers:
5424 (55¢) Christmas Wreaths – Aspidistra Leaf Wreath
5425 (55¢) Christmas Wreaths – Wreath Made of Gilded Pine Cones and Magnolia Pods
5426 (55¢) Christmas Wreaths – Wreath Made of Gilded Hydrangea, Eucalyptus, Nandina and Ribbon
5427 (55¢) Christmas Wreaths – Wreath Made of Woodland Bush Ivy and Red Winterberry
a. Block of 4, #5424-5427
b. Convertible booklet pane of 20, 5 each #5424-5427

Updated October 11th from the Postal Bulletin:

On October 25, 2019, in Freeport, ME, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Holiday Wreaths stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) booklet of 20 stamps (Item 682400). The stamps will go on sale nationwide October 25, 2019, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps with floral artist Laura Dowling. The wreaths were made by Dowling and photographed by Kevin Allen.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 682400, Holiday Wreaths (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) PSA Double-sided Booklet of 20 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services will not make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices.

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 – Holiday Wreaths 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 February 25, 2020.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Holiday Wreaths Stamps
Item Number: 682400
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20, (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: October 25, 2019 Freeport, ME 04032
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Laura Dowling, Alexandria, VA
Typographer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Photographer: Kevin Allen
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 350,000,000
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block Tagged
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.542 x 21.336 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.098 x 24.892 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 5.52 x 1.96 in./140.208 x 49.784 mm
Colors: Pantone 186, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Plate Size: 960 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings: Header. “Holiday Wreaths: 20 First-Class™ Forever® Stamps” • USPS logo • ©2019 USPS in peel strip area
• Barcode • Promotional text in peel strip area • Plate number in peel strip area

Here are the first-day cancels for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.97″ x 1.22″ The B&W Pictorial measures 2.67″ x 1.38″

Updated October 7th: Date and first-day ceremony location.
[press release]
Holiday Wreaths Featured on Postage Stamps

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service ushers in the holiday season with four new stamps in a booklet of 20 featuring festive wreaths. Displayed on a door, in a window, or over a mantel, wreaths are symbols of joy and celebration, inviting the spirit of the season to enter the home.

The first-day-of-issue event for the Holiday Wreaths Forever stamps is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #HolidayStamps.

WHO: Megan J. Brennan, Postmaster General and CEO, U.S. Postal Service

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 25, 2019 at 11 a.m. ET

WHERE:
L.L. Bean Flagship Store
95 Main Street
Freeport, ME 04032

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to rsvp at: usps.com/holidaystamps

Background: Inspired by the holiday decorating traditions of early America, the four wreaths featured on these stamps are classic yet contemporary. Their designs create feelings of warmth and welcome. Wreaths are often made from materials easily found during the winter months.

The ribbon leaf wreath is inspired by French floral art. Aspidistra leaves, folded and manipulated to resemble ribbons, create a long-lasting wreath.

Gilded pinecones and magnolia pods grace the wreath trimmed with cranberry red ribbon.

Red and gold ribbon adorns the wreath made from gilded dried hydrangea, eucalyptus and nandina foliage, red berries, and small ornaments.

The woodland bush ivy and red winterberry wreath presents a classic red and green palette.

Add these elegant stamps to your cards and letters to share holiday greetings with family and friends.

Antonio Alcalá served as the art director of the project and designed the stamps with floral artist Laura Dowling. Dowling designed the wreaths for the stamps, which were photographed by Kevin Allen.

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, or at Post Office locations nationwide.

Updated September 26th: Better-quality image is above and here: