Mammals (Netherlands 2019)

Posted on by

[press release]
Spotting wolves on stamps

The Hague, 2 January 2019. The wolf has returned to the Netherlands! Not only in the border region with Germany, but now also on new stamps about mammals in our country. They will be published today by PostNL, as the first issue of the second volume from the series ‘Experiencing nature’.

Portrayed mammals
In the Netherlands more than 100 mammal species live in the wild. Ten mammal species play a main role on the stamps: wild cat, Geoffroy’s bat, wolf, grey seal, stoat, polecat, European otter, fox, badger and rabbit. Each of the 10 portrayed mammals has its own stamp on the sheet, with images of the animals in their natural environment.

Sensory and associative
The stamps have been designed by graphic designer Frank Janse from Gouda. The sensory and associative aspects of the experience of nature are highlighted in his concept. Janse: ‘Mammals are the most pettable, recognisable and intelligent animals we know. However, they also have nails, teeth and spines. I wanted to show this contrast, because these animals also have a dark side. Whether they are a predator or a prey animal. For example, think of the fear the wolf causes. and how people are terrified by flying bats. This is because we cannot predict their behaviour.’

Beauty of nature
With the new stamps PostNL pays tribute to the diversity of nature in our country. “It’s much greater than we sometimes realise at first,” according to Stephan van den Eijnden, PostNL’s commercial director for Mail. ‘This is also evident on the new stamp sheet, with beautiful photos of the 10 mammals. What I also particular like are the almost transparent images of 7 other mammals on the sheet. Try to find them, you will see them quickly.’

Buiten-Beeld
Later this year PostNL will publish another 3 stamp sheets for the series ‘Experiencing nature’, with a main role for exotic plants (25 Februari), butterflies (11 June) and trees and leaves (16 September). All photos on the stamps come from Buiten-Beeld, the Dutch image database for nature photography. In shops an individual stamp sheet ‘Experiencing nature’ costs € 8.70. The price for the full series is € 34.80, including a storage folder.

Canada Post Rates Go Up January 14, 2019

Posted on by

[press release]
Price of a domestic stamp rises to 90 cents from 85 cents on January 14 in the first postage rate increase since 2014

OTTAWA, Jan. 4, 2019 /CNW/ – Postage rates rise on January 14, with the price for stamps purchased in a booklet, coil or pane for domestic LettermailTM items weighing 30 grams or less increasing to $0.90, up from $0.85. The price of a single domestic stamp will increase to $1.05, up from $1.00.

While usage varies, Canada Post estimates the impact of the price increases to be less than a dollar a year for the average Canadian household and about $14 a year for the typical small business. Prices will also increase for mail to the U.S. and international destinations, and for domestic Registered MailTM.

The increases are the first for letter mail since March 31, 2014. Canadians can avoid the increases by purchasing PermanentTM stamps at the current rate before the new rates take effect. Under the federal regulatory process, Canada Post publicly proposed the increases in the Canada Gazette Part I in June of 2018.

Moon Landing (U.S. 2019)

Posted on by

This issue was finally announced by the USPS on March 20th. No date of issue was given. The first landing on the moon occurred on July 20, 1969.

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Unveils
1969: First Moon Landing Forever Stamps WASHINGTON — In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing on July 20, 1969, the U.S. Postal Service is pleased to reveal two stamp designs commemorating that historic milestone. Additional details are coming about the date, time and location for the first-day-of issue ceremony.

One stamp features a photograph of Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin in his spacesuit on the surface of the moon. The image was taken by astronaut Neil Armstrong. The other stamp, a photograph of the moon taken in 2010 by Gregory H. Revera of Huntsville, AL, shows the landing site of the lunar module in the Sea of Tranquility. The site is indicated on the stamp by a dot. The selvage includes an image of the lunar module.

Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp art.

Further updates will appear below.

Updated March 29th:
These stamps will be issued Friday, July 19th in Cape Canaveral, FL.

Updated June 1st:

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Issuing 1969: First Moon Landing Forever Stamps

What: The U.S. Postal Service is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and man’s first steps on the Moon with two Forever stamps.

The stamp dedication ceremony is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #MoonLandingStamps or #AstronautStamps.

Who: Thomas J. Marshall, General Counsel and Executive Vice President, United States Postal Service and Dedicating Official

Steven W. Monteith, Vice President, Marketing, United States Postal Service

Col. Robert D. Cabana, Director, John F. Kennedy Space Center, NASA

Russell L. (Rusty) Schweickart, former NASA astronaut and scientist, NASA

When: Friday, July 19, 2019, at 11 a.m. EDT

Where: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Space Commerce Way
Merritt Island, FL

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are required to RSVP at usps.com/moonlanding.

Background:
On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin achieved something that had long been confined to the realm of science fiction when they landed a spidery spacecraft named Eagle on the Moon. A worldwide audience watched and listened when Armstrong stepped onto the Moon’s surface and famously said, “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.”

On the 50th anniversary of this first Moon landing, two stamp designs commemorate that historic milestone. One stamp features Armstrong’s iconic photograph of Aldrin in his spacesuit on the surface of the Moon. The other stamp, a photograph of the moon taken in 2010 by Gregory H. Revera from his home in Madison, AL, shows the landing site of the lunar module, Eagle, in the Sea of Tranquility. The site is indicated on the stamp by a dot. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps.

The 1969: First Moon Landing stamps are being issued as Forever stamps. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

From the June 6th Postal Bulletin:

On July 19, 2019, in Cape Canaveral, FL, the United States Postal Service® will issue the 1969: First Moon Landing stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in two designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 24 stamps (Item 479100). The stamps will go on sale nationwide July 19, 2019, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The 1969: First Moon Landing pane of 24 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

On the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing on July 20, 1969, the Postal Service™ is pleased to issue two stamps commemorating that milestone in history. One stamp features a photograph of Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin in his spacesuit on the surface of the moon taken by astronaut Neil Armstrong. The other stamp, a photograph of the moon taken in 2010 by Gregory H. Revera from his home in Madison, AL, shows the landing site of the lunar module in the Sea of Tranquility. The site is indicated on the stamp by a dot. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp art.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 479100, 1969: First Moon Landing (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Commemorative Pane of 24 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

Special Dedication Postmarks must use this design:

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 – 1969: First Moon Landing 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 November 19, 2019.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: 1969: First Moon Landing Stamps
Item Number: 479100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 24 (2 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: July 19, 2019, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Typographer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Existing Photo: NASA photo taken by Neil Armstrong
Existing Photo: Gregory H. Revera
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 24
Print Quantity: 60,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Overall
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in./21.336 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in./24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.6 x 8.5 in./193.04 x 215.9 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 22.8 x 25.5 in./579.12 x 647.7 mm
Plate Size: 216 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: 1969: First Moon Landing
• Plate number in bottom two corners of pane
Back: ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (479100) • Plate position diagram • Promotional text

Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.97″x1.45″ The B&W pictorial measures 2.98″x1.36″ The special postmark for use by local post offices measures 2.64″x0.88″

Updated June 22nd:

Canada is issuing its own Moon Landing anniversary stamps on June 27th, commemorating Canada’s contribution to the effort. The designs will not be released until the first-day. What we know is here.

Transcontinental Railroad (U.S. 2019)

Posted on by

Updated January 29th:

“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.”

No date or first-day city were given. Further updates will appear below, in order announced.

The Scott catalogue numbers for this issue are
5378 Jupiter Locomotive
5379 Golden Spike
5380 No. 119 Locomotive
a. Horiz. strip of 3, #5378-5380

Updated January 30th:
These stamps will be issued May 10th in Promontory Summit, Utah.

Updated March 11th:

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Celebrates 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad

What: Marking the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, the U.S. Postal Service will commemorate this 19th century marvel with a magnificent set of Forever stamps.

The first-day-of-issue event for the Transcontinental Railroad Forever stamp is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #RailroadStamps.

Who: Michael Mirides, District Manager Salt Lake City District, U.S. Postal Service

When: Friday, May 10, 2019 at 3:30 p.m. MT

Where: Golden Spike National Historic Site
6200 North 22300th Street West
Promontory Summit, UT 84037

Event parking is available through the Spike 150 Foundation website.

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

Background: Building the transcontinental railroad during the 1860s was one of the great achievements of the era. The completion was marked by the “Golden Spike Ceremony,” held on May 10, 1869, when rail lines built by the Central Pacific from the west and the Union Pacific from the east were joined at Promontory Summit in Utah.

A large immigrant labor force — including a majority of Chinese and Irish laborers — carried out most of the backbreaking and often dangerous work that made the achievement possible. The workforce, totaling more than 20,000 at its peak, also included immigrants from many nations — Germany, Italy, Russia, Czechoslovakia, Poland and others — as well as African-Americans and former Civil War soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies. Many crews of Mormon workers helped make the final push across Utah.

Reminiscent of traditional 19th century oil painting techniques, the three distinct designs of the Transcontinental Railroad Forever stamps evoke the spirit of the era. Two separate stamps feature the Jupiter and the No. 119 locomotives that powered the trains carrying the officers and guests of the two train companies to the “Golden Spike Ceremony.” Centered between them, a third stamp portrays the famous golden spike that was a prominent part of the ceremony.

Also, the Golden Spike National Historic Site (National Park Service) has a webpage with information about the 150th anniversary celebration (although it doesn’t mention the stamps). It also has links to other sesquicentennial celebration pages. —VSC

Updated March 29th, from the Postal Bulletin:

On May 10, 2019, in Promontory Summit, UT, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Transcontinental Railroad stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in three designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 18 stamps (Item 570400). The stamps will go on sale nationwide May 10, 2019, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Transcontinental Railroad pane of 18 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

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 much as 6 months to about 1 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,” which was 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. Each of the stamps and the header feature gold-foiled highlights that produce a glimmering effect. 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.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 570400, Transcontinental Railroad (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Commemorative Pane of 18 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 – Transcontinental Railroad 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 September 10, 2019.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Transcontinental Railroad Stamps
Item Number: 570400
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 18 (3 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: May 10, 2019, Promontory Summit, UT 84307
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Typographer: Kevin Cantrell, Salt Lake City, UT
Artist: Michael J. Deas, New Orleans, LA
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 18
Print Quantity: 50,400,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tagged
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Other: Gold Foil
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal and Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.7828 x 1.1592 in./45.283 x 29.444 mm
0.8395 x 1.1592 in./21.323 x 29.444 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.9228 x 1.2992 in./48.839 x 33 mm
0.9795 x 1.2992 in./24.879 x 33 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.82 x 10.32 in./147.828 x 262.128 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 11.64 x 20.64 in./295.656 x 524.256 mm
Plate Size: 72 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Transcontinental Railroad: 150th Anniversary • Plate number in bottom two corners of pane
Back: ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (570400) • Plate position diagram • Promotional text

Updated April 13th:
Here are the first-day cancels for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 3.00″ x 0.86″ The B&W pictorial measures 3.00″ x 1.5″

Updated May 6th:
Note that the stamps are nearly five inches wide when displayed as three se-tenant!

Australia’s 2019 Stamp Program

Posted on by

As announced by Australia Post:

Date
8 January
17 January
22 January
5 February
12 February
26 February
5 March
11 March
16 April
30 April
7 May
14 May		 Jurisdiction
Christmas IslandNorfolk Island		 Subject (# of stamps)
Year of the Pig (2)
Australian Legends 2019 (5)
Pitcairn Settlement (2)
Moments to Treasure (8)
Robin Boyd (1)
Welcome Stranger (1)
Aussie Animals (4)
Sustainable Fishing (3)
Anzac Day (2)
Indigenous Languages (1)
Flightless Birds (3)
Native Bees (4)

Britain Previews 2019 Issues

Posted on by

Updated February 12th:

  • February – Leonardo da Vinci
  • April- Birds of Prey
  • May – British Engineering
  • May – Queen Victoria Bicentenary
  • June- D-Day
  • July – Curious Customs
  • Aug – Forests
  • Sept -Royal Navy Ships
  • Nov – Christmas

[earlier press release]
FROM BIRDS OF PREY TO D-DAY:
ROYAL MAIL’S 2019 SPECIAL STAMP CALENDAR REVEALED

  • Royal Mail’s Special Stamp programme commemorates anniversaries and celebrates events and popular culture relevant to UK heritage and life
  • The 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing will be marked with a set of 11 Special Stamps
  • 2019 marks the bicentenaries of the birth of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The anniversaries will be celebrated with a set of ten stamps launched in May. Six of the stamps depict Queen Victoria at various stages in her life from age 11 to her later years. Four of the stamps commemorate her husband Prince Albert
  • Birds of Prey feature birds that all breed in the UK and are captured in characteristic poses of flight or in close up to show their features
  • British Engineering is a celebration of UK excellence in the field over the past 50 years

Royal Mail has announced a preview of its 2019 Special Stamp programme.

Showcasing the “Best of British” the programme features a range of subjects: from a celebration of the UK’s Birds of Prey to the 75thanniversary of the D-Day landings.

2019 marks the bicentenaries of the birth of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She is the second longest reigning monarch in British history. Six stamps will chart her life in period paintings, from childhood and marriage to Prince Albert, to marking her long reign.

The accompanying stamps in the mini-sheet will pay tribute to her husband, Prince Albert.

The 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings will be marked by a set of 11 Special Stamps. The stamp issue will be a timely commemoration of all those who participated and will use images from the day itself.

The images in the Birds of Prey stamp issue have all been photographed especially for Royal Mail by photographer, Tim Flach. The birds featured all breed in the UK and are captured in characteristic poses of flight or in close up to show their features.

Species include: the Red Kite; the Sparrowhawk; the Merlin; the Golden Eagle and the Kestrel.

The British Engineering stamp issue is a celebration of UK excellence in engineering over the past 50 years and conveys the wide range of engineering disciplines where the UK continues to make its mark.

Other stamp issues to be released during 2019 include: Curious Customs; Forests; and Royal Navy Ships.

Kellner Replaces Miller for APS Content

Posted on by

Less than four months after American Philatelic Society executive director named Martin Miller as part of his “senior leadership team,” responsible for all “content” (editorial matters) at the USA’s largest stamp collecting organization, Miller has decided to leave, and a replacement has been named. The APS press release, with a correction to the number of years Kellner has been an APS member: It will be 47 years on January 1, 2019:

APS Welcomes New Leadership in Content Management

Today the American Philatelic Society named Mark A. Kellner as Chief Content Officer replacing Martin Miller. Miller, who joined the APS staff in October 2017, will be taking a new position closer to his home in South Carolina.

Kellner, who recently became a Life Member of the APS, first joined the Society in 1972 and his collecting interests include United States, Great Britain, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man and Israel. After attending Boston University’s College of Communications, Kellner began a journalism career including philatelic and non-philatelic newspapers.

Mark was an enterprise reporter for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, and a 24-year contributor and columnist to The Washington Times. He also wrote a tech column on handheld computing for the Los Angeles Times, and earlier was a reporter at the Times Leader in Wilkes- Barre, Pennsylvania.

“Mark’s career as a journalist, editor, and author remind us how diverse and talented the APS membership can be,” said APS Executive Director Scott English. “With the experience that Mark brings to the team, we will be able to bring exciting content to the APS membership both in print and online.”

Kellner’s career included serving as Editor-in-Chief for PC Portables, News and Industry Editor for MISWeek, editor of the Adventist News Network, and News Editor for Adventist Review and Adventist World magazines. He has also authored three books, including WordPerfect 3.5 for Macs for Dummies® and God on the Internet.

“It’s the privilege of a lifetime to serve the American Philatelic Society and its members,” Mark said. “I look forward to developing and enhancing content for the website and keeping The American Philatelist and Philatelic Literature Review at the top of the field.”

Kellner will join the APS staff on January 7, 2019.

About Mark
A Life Member of the American Philatelic Society who first joined nearly 47 years ago, Mark A. Kellner has collected stamps for many years. His interests include stamps from the United States, Great Britain, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man and Israel.

Mark began his journalism career by contributing a stamp column to the Queens Tribune in New York City, owned by another collector, Gary Ackerman, who later served 15 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. He also wrote for Linn’s Stamp News and spent several years as Stamp Collector’s Washington, D.C., correspondent. During that time, he was the first to report plans by then-Postmaster General Anthony M. Frank to release a commemorative honoring Elvis Presley, which was released in January 1993.

Along with his philatelic writing, Mark’s been a newspaper reporter and columnist in New York City; Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City, Utah. His most notable connections were with The Washington Times, where he was a contributor for 24 years, and the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, where he was an enterprise reporter.

Mark also served as Editor-in-Chief of PC Portables magazine, as well as News and Industry Editor for MISWeek, and as a staff writer for Federal Computer Week, Government Computer News, and Unix Today. He’s the author of WordPerfect 3.5 for Macs for Dummies® and God on the Internet.

For 11 years, Mark served at the world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, first as editor of the movement’s Adventist News Network news service and then as News Editor for Adventist Review and Adventist World magazines.

The Kellners currently reside in Salt Lake City, along with Jacques Kellner, Mark’s father, who introduced Mark to stamp collecting, a lifelong pursuit for both men.

“We do expect to move,” the New York City native tells The Virtual Stamp Club. His immediate predecessor, Martin Miller, spent one week a month working from home in South Carolina. Miller’s predecessor, Jay Bigalke, spent three weeks a month working from home and one in Bellefonte. Executive director Scott English has expressed a preference for someone working in-house full-time.

Uncle Sam Hat Coil (U.S. 2019)

Posted on by

This version was announced by the USPS on December 19, and will be issued January 27th without a ceremony, but with a Kansas City postmark. A sheet version of this design was issued February 18, 2017.

Says the USPS, “The stamp features eight graphic top hats in Uncle Sam’s signature style, with red and white vertical stripes 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.”

The latest information on this issue will appear below the large illustration. The Scott catalogue number is 5341.

December 19th: The stamp will be issued in coils of 100.

December 21st: On January 27, 2019, in Kansas City, MO, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the Uncle Sam’s Hat (Non-denominated additional ounce rate) stamp in one design (with new format), in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) coil of 100 stamps (Item 746900). The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 27, 2019, and must not be sold or cancelled before the first-day-of-issue.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 746900 Uncle Sam’s Hat Non-denominated Additional Ounce Rate, PSA Coil of 100 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. Each cover must have sufficient postage to meet First-Class Mail requirements. 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 – Uncle Sam’s Hat Stamp
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 May 27, 2019.

Updated January 9th:

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Uncle Sam’s Hat Stamp
Item Number: 746900
Denomination & Type of Issue: Non-denominated Additional Ounce Rate
Format: Coil of 100 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 27, 2019, Kansas City, MO 64108
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Typographer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Coil: 100
Print Quantity: 100,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Overall
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: Pantone 7687, Pantone 7621, Cool Gray 7, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
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
Plate Size: 744 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by seven (7) single digits
Coil Number Frequency: Plate number every 31st stamp

The only first-day cancellation for this issue is the “FIRST DAY OF ISSUE” four-bar.

Joshua Tree Priority Mail Envelope (U.S. 2019)

Posted on by

This issue was not initially announced by the USPS, but was confirmed December 20th in response to a query from The Virtual Stamp Club. The illustration below is a mock-up.

The most recent information will appear after the large illustration and the introductory description from the USPS. The Scott catalogue number is U698. Celebrating the desolate beauty of the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) and its distinct desert environment, this Priority Mail stamp depicts a common scene throughout much of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Using the bold colors of the sun’s reflection off the trees, rocks, and other shrubby vegetation, artist Dan Cosgrove illuminates the desert scene in warm, golden hues. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp.

Updated January 17th:

Only the pictorial postmark will be available. The DCP reportedly does not work well on the envelope stock: The B&W Pictorial measures 2.98″x1.21″.

Here are the product numbers:

  • 232900 $7.35 Prepaid PM Envelope (1), $7.35
  • 232905 Prepaid PM Envelope Pack of 5, $36.75
  • 232910 Prepaid PM Envelope Pack of 10, $73.50
  • 232925 Prepaid PM Envelope Pack of 25, $183.75
  • 232916 Prepaid PM Envelope FDC, $7.79

Canada Post’s 2019 Stamp Program Preview

Posted on by

press release

Canadians in Flight, Vancouver’s Asahi baseball team and Canada’s first Black letter carrier are among highlights of the 2019 stamp program

Covered bridges,endangered turtles and sweet desserts also celebrated 

OTTAWA – Aviation trailblazers, Japanese-Canadian athletes who triumphed on the ball diamond but were interned during the Second World War, and the 150th anniversary of the Red River Resistance are all on next year’s stamps.

Canada Post will issue these new stamps in 2019:

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II appears on a new definitive stamp.

Black History Month delivers the story of Albert Jackson, Canada’s first Black letter carrier.

Just in time for spring weddings, gorgeous gardenias will grace our annual flower stamps.

Next up to bat will be the poignant story of Vancouver’s Asahi baseball team – athletes whose on-field victories did not shield them from off-the-field racismor from internment during wartime.

Celebrating the heights of courage and ingenuity, our Canadians in Flight issue will honour Canadians and aircraft that made their mark on aviation,including First World War ace William George Barker, VC, and the pioneering Lazair ultralight plane.

Our Sweet Canada issue serves up a tantalizing taste of Canada’s regional desserts.

Stamps featuring two endangered turtles, native to Canada, will arrive on World Turtle Day; four native bears will also appear on stamps.

Five stamps featuring vintage covered bridges will carry us back in time.

We will mark the1 50th anniversaries of the Red River Resistance and the joining of the Métis Nation to the Canadian federation.

Back for a repeat performance are the following issues:

From Far and Wide continues its road trip through some of Canada’s most picturesque spots, including Tombstone Territorial Park (Yukon), Mahone Bay (Nova Scotia), the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve (Quebec) and Iceberg Alley, near Ferryland (Newfoundland and Labrador).

Lunar New Year celebrates people born in the Year of the Pig.

A new Canada Post Community Foundation stamp will give Canadians a way to help youth.

You can dress up your mail for the holidays with our Shiny and Bright stamps or send a more traditional message with stamps depicting the Nativity story. In addition, commemorative envelopes will mark the 150th anniversaries of the Fusiliers Mont-Royal, the Fusiliers du St-Laurent and The Princess Louise Fusiliers.

Many stamp topics chosen by the Stamp Advisory Committee are the result of suggestions from the public or organizations to honour a significant person, milestone or event. We welcome ideas for the 2020 program and beyond.