This stamp will be issued April 9th. From Israel Post:
“The letter card, cover and stamp – all of which are special and unique to Memorial Day – constitute the basis of a sensitive, original and extraordinary tradition that came into being following the War of Independence.”
This stamp will be issued April 9, 2018. From Israel Post:
“Today, as it celebrates 70 years of independence, Israel is a developed country with a strong economy and high quality of life, the life expectancy of its residents is among the highest in the world and its political standing is stronger than ever. The State of Israel looks forward with a sense of hope and security and with faith in its ability to continue to strengthen the momentum of its achievements for an even better future.”
David Kols, the president of Regency-Superior Auctions, died Tuesday, March 13, 2018, after a long battle with colon cancer. He was 67.
His stamp auction firm was a major player in the market, with offices in both Saint Louis and Southern California. Kols said the company’s 125 or so auctions over nearly 25 years had sold almost $150 million worth of collectibles.
But Regency-Superior fell on hard times and closed last year. A major creditor seized Regency-Superior Auctions’ assets, including lots that had been consigned to it for sale. Many of the consignors still have not been paid or had their stamps and covers returned to them. Among the consignors was the American Philatelic Society.
Kols wrote in Linn’s Stamp News (May 22, 2017) the firm failed because “the stamp market is in the doldrums,” an assertion denied by APS executive director Scott English in an interview with The Virtual Stamp Club. http://virtualstampclub.com/radiostuff/170616.html
Before that, Regency-Superior had been the official auctioneer at APS StampShow. Kols was also a co-founder and strong supporter of Saint Louis Stamp Expo, a World Series of Philately show. He had been its executive director until last year.
You can find his obituary here.
Steve Zwillinger resigned March 2nd as president of the American Philatelic Research Library, according to Linn’s Stamp News. The APRL’s board of trustees will hold a telephone conference meeting on March 12th to elect a new president. The bylaws require that a replacement be chosen from among the current board members.
“I resigned due to pressing family issues that require my attention,” Zwillinger told The Virtual Stamp Club in e-mail. “The Library needs a President who can devote the time and attention that the position requires.”
Zwillinger, who works for the U.S. Department of Education, was elected to the board of trustees last spring, and then chosen as president by a unanimous vote of the board in August, just seven months ago. He previously served as secretary and director-at-large on the American Philatelic Society board of directors.
Update:
In a March 12th phone conference, the APRL board chose Ken Grant, a trustee and former APRL president, to replace Zwillinger, as reported by Foster Miller below. This photo of Grant, a retired college English professor, was taken in 2005.
Updated March 27th:
The April 2018 issue of American Philatelist reports that Zwillinger has been suspended because he has been “charged with a crime, pending outcome of a criminal trial.”
Updated May 29th:
The five felony charges against Zwillinger from February — one count of sexual abuse of a minor; two counts of rape in the second degree; and two counts of sexual offense in the third degree — have been dropped, but two more felony charges were filed on April 20th: assault in the second degree, and sexual assault in the fourth degree.
A local attorney talks about “fourth degree sexual offense” here. (Keep in mind this is unlikely to be an attorney involved in this case and with direct knowledge of the Zwillinger case.)
Updated August 12th:
Following his guilty plea to a reduced charge, a source tells The Virtual Stamp Club that Zwillinger was expelled from the American Philatelic Society.
According to Foster E. Miller III in The Stamp Collecting Forum on July 20, “as the result of [a] plea bargain, on July 18, defendant Zwillinger pled guilty to one count of ‘a sexual offense in the third degree.’ Sentencing is scheduled for October 9.” Click here for an explanation of what that is, as defined on USLegal.com, which says that someone convicted of a sexual offense in the third degree faces up to 10 years in prison.
The APS Bylaws, Section 3.11.5, give the Board of Vice Presidents the discretion to put on probation, suspend or expel any member convicted of a felony. Zwillinger has the right to appeal to the Appeals Tribunal, which consists of all members of the Board other than the three vice presidents, plus the executive director.
Zwillinger, 63, is married with 7 or 8 children. He works or worked for the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, and lives in Silver Spring, Md.
Updated October 21st:
According to reports in The Stamp Collecting FOrum, Zwillinger was sentenced to an 18-month suspended sentence, except for two days. Since he has already served two days in jail at the time of his arrest, there is no additional jail time.
[ATA press release]
Jerome D. Husak, visionary founder of the American Topical Association (ATA), the second largest philatelic organization in the U.S., died on February 22. He was 86.
He is shown at right at the World Columbian Stamp Expo in 1992.
Jerry was a teenager in Milwaukee in 1949 when he envisioned a society for topical collectors. He later wrote, “There must be others like myself. Why don’t we get together and share our information through a united body of topical collectors?” Thus, the ATA was born. “Who knows,” Jerry thought, “perhaps as many as 200 topical collectors might come together.” Within five months of its founding, the ATA had 408 members. In its 68 years, it has had close to 60,000 members from more than 100 countries. It is the largest topical/thematic association in the world.
In his history of the ATA, Jerry wrote “The early days were not easy. Many people had to be convinced that topicals deserve a place in philately.” When the ATA affiliated with the American Philatelic Society in 1987, it became its largest affiliate. The Thematic Award at APS StampShow is named for Jerry.
Jerry was ATA member #1 and the first recipient of the ATA’s Distinguished Topical Philatelist award.
He worked full time for the ATA, as editor of its journal, Topical Time, until 1977, and as executive secretary until 1984. When Jerry retired from the association’s Board of Directors in 2008, he was awarded the honorary title of director emeritus. In 2012 the ATA Board designated May 25 as an “annual National Topical Stamp Collecting Day, promoting topical stamp collecting as a vital dimension of the future of philately and honoring topical philately visionary and ATA founder Jerry Husak on his birthday.”
Jerry died in Sun City West, Arizona, where he lived since moving there from Milwaukee in 1984. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Sally, who was a tremendous support in his ATA endeavors.
Contributions in memory of Jerry Husak may be made to the ATA [link to donations page].
[press release]
Australia Post features sweet nostalgia on new stamps
Australia Post is paying tribute to one of the first locally manufactured foods in Australia, jam, in its latest stamp issue.
The new stamps will feature the artwork of Australian paper jam labels from the late-19th century until the mid-20th century, and be available in Post Offices across the country and online from 6 March 2018.
Australia Post Philatelic Manager, Michael Zsolt said: “The four colourful jam labels shown in this stamp issue represent some of the key stages, locations and players in the history of Australian jam manufacturing. The vibrant designs have a nostalgic feel that will appeal to many, especially as vintage jam labels are a highly collectable form of ephemera.”
At the beginning of the 20th century, Australia’s primary production industries expanded at a great rate, leading Australia to become a major exporter of food, including fresh fruit, tinned fruit and tinned jam.
The four domestic base-rate ($1) stamps, designed by Jo Muré of the Australia Post Design Studio, present four bright and cheerful paper labels from the follwing brands:
Peacock’s which is considered the first factory-scale site for commercial jam manufacturing in Australia. George Peacock (1824-1900) set up his factory in 1861, in Hobart, Tasmania, before expanding his business into Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and New Zealand. Peacock is also credited as the first commercial jam manufacturer to use tins instead of jars. His factory is where Henry Jones, the creator of the IXL brand, began work at age 12, pasting labels onto tins.
Kingurli which was one of many brands produced by George McEwin, a gardener and orchardist from Houghton, South Australia. McEwin founded a jam factory with this son, in 1862, to make use of excess fruit. At its peak, the factory employed more than 100 people. Other McEwin brands included Glen Ewin and Viking. The label presented shows jam made from Prince Englebert plums.
Melray was a grocery chain founded in 1932, in Prahran, Melbourne, and one of several grocers, buyers groups and wholesale co-operatives that sold jam under their own brand names. Melray had branches across Australia and its jam labels often included special customer reward tokens for redemption in-store.
established by W H Johnson’s Jams Pty Ltd of Melbourne in the 1930s, and was a well-advertised brand of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. Alva Jams was bought out during the 1970s – a period of industry-wide decline.The products available with this stamp issue are a minisheet, first day cover, stamp pack, set of maxicards, booklet of 10 x $1 self-adhesive stamps, chequebook of 20 x 10 x $1 self-adhesive stamps and a booklet collection. Visit auspostcollectables.com.au for more information.
This issue was not in the initial 2018 announcement. U.S. airmail service was established May 15, 1918, with the first three stamps issued (Sc. C1, C2 and C3, plus of course the infamous C3a invert) on May 13, 1918. For more on the service, see Wikipedia.
The blue stamp was issued May 1. The Scott Catalogue number is 5281.
The red, or “carmine,” stamp will be issued August 11. Its Scott Catalogue number is 5282.
The latest updates are at the end of this page. Most recent: July 5, 2018.Click here to go to the Airmail II information.
Updated March 27th:
[press release]
United States Postal Service to Celebrate 100th Anniversary
of U.S. Airmail Service
First of Two United States Air Mail Forever Stamps to be Dedicated May 1
WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service will honor the beginning of airmail service by dedicating two United States Air Mail Forever stamps this year.
The first, depicted on the right in blue, commemorates the pioneering spirit of the brave pilots who first flew the mail in the early years of aviation. The first-day-of-issue ceremony will take place May 1, 2018 at 11 a.m. at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, DC. The event is free and open to the public. Followers of the U.S. Postal Service’s Facebook page can view the ceremony live at facebook.com/USPS. News about the stamps can be shared with the hashtags #AirMailStamps and #USAirMail.
On May 15, 1918, in the midst of World War I, a small group of Army pilots delivered mail along a route that linked Washington, Philadelphia, and New York—initiating the world’s first regularly scheduled airmail service.
The United States Post Office Department, the predecessor to the U.S. Postal Service, took charge of the U.S. Air Mail Service later that summer, operating it from Aug. 12, 1918, through Sept. 1, 1927. Airmail delivery, daily except on Sundays, became part of the fabric 
of the American economy and spurred growth of the nation’s aviation industry.
The second stamp, red and pictured left, will commemorate this milestone with its first-day-of-issue to take place later this summer.
Both stamps, printed in the intaglio print method— a design transferred to paper from an engraved plate — depict the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN-4H biplane. The biplane was also featured on the stamps originally issued in 1918 to commemorate the beginning of regularly scheduled airmail service. The stamp designs evoke that earlier period.
Background
For airmail service to succeed in the early days of flight, the Post Office had to develop profitable routes, such as between New York and Chicago, and to establish the infrastructure for safely making night flights. It set up lighted airfields and erected hundreds of airmail guide beacons between New York and San Francisco so that by 1924 regularly scheduled, transcontinental flying was possible, day and night.
Airmail delivery, daily except on Sundays, became part of the fabric of the American economy and spurred the growth of the nation’s aviation industry.
The United States Air Mail stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp. This Forever stamp will always be equal in value to the current First Class Mail one ounce price. Stamp design
On the 100th anniversary of the beginning of regular airmail service, this stamp celebrates the courage of the pioneering airmail carriers and the foresight of those who fostered the new service and made it a success. The stamp, printed in intaglio, features a drawing of the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN4H biplane. This type of biplane was also featured on the 24-cent stamp that was issued in 1918 to commemorate the beginning of regularly scheduled airmail service. The words “UNITED STATES” and “AIR MAIL” are respectively at the top and bottom of the stamp. “EST” is an abbreviation for “established.” The stamp designer and typographer was Dan Gretta; Greg Breeding was the art director.
Updated March 29th:
On May 1, 2018, in Washington, DC, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the United States Air Mail stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 477700). The stamp will go on sale nationwide May 1, 2018.
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the beginning of regular airmail service, the Postal Service™ will issue two stamps in 2018. The first stamp, issued May 1, commemorates the pioneering spirit of the brave Army pilots who initiated the world’s first regularly scheduled airmail service. The stamp, rendered in blue and printed in intaglio, features a drawing of the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN-4H biplane. An identical stamp, printed in red, will commemorate the beginning of airmail delivery through the U.S. Post Office Department, which began in August 1918. The red stamp will be issued later this summer. Dan Gretta designed the stamps and was the typographer. Greg Breeding was the art director.
Availability to Post Offices: Item 477700, United States Air Mail (Forever priced at the First-Class Mail rate) Commemorative Pane 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 on 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 – United States Air Mail 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 September 1, 2018.
[See below for philatelic products —VSC]
Technical Specifications:
Issue United States Air Mail Stamp
Item Number: 477700
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: May 1, 2018, Washington, DC 20066
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Dan Gretta, Philadelphia, PA
Typographer: Dan Gretta, Philadelphia PA
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Intaglio
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Stevens Vari-size Security Press
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 7,500,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Pantone 280C
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 0.84 in/36.07 x 21.34 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 0.98 in/39.62 x 24.89 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.25 x 7.25 in/184.15 x 184.15 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 14.50 x 21.75 in/368.30 x 552.45 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by one (1) single digit
Marginal Markings:
Front: HEADER: UNITED STATES AIR MAIL • ESTABLISHED 1818 • Plate numbers in two corners of pane
Back: ©2018 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (477700) • Plate Position Diagram • Promotional Text
Updated April 24th:
The National Postal Museum says it will host the first day ceremony for this issue at 11 a.m. on May 1 in the Museum Atrium. The NPM says the site is wheelchair accessible, and no reservation is required.
Updated April 25th:
[media advisory]
United States Postal Service to Celebrate 100th Anniversary
of U.S. Air Mail Service
Dedicating United States Air Mail Forever Stamp
What: First-day-of-issue dedication ceremony for the United States Air Mail Forever stamp. The event is free and open to the public. Please share the news using the hashtags #AirMailStamps and#USAirMail.
Who:
When: Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at 11 a.m.
Where: National Postal Museum
2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E.
Washington, DC 20002
Followers of the U.S. Postal Service’s Facebook page can view the ceremony live at facebook.com/USPS.
Background: On May 15, 1918, in the midst of World War I, a small group of Army pilots delivered mail along a route that linked Washington, DC; Philadelphia; and New York City 
— initiating the world’s first regularly scheduled airmail service. The U.S. Post Office Department took charge of U.S. Air Mail service later that summer, operating it from Aug. 12, 1918, through Sept. 1, 1927.
On the 100th anniversary of the beginning of airmail service, this stamp celebrates the courage of the pioneering airmail carriers and the foresight of those who fostered the new service and made it a success.
Airmail delivery, daily except Sundays, became part of the fabric of the American economy and spurred the growth of the nation’s aviation industry.
A second stamp, featured in red, will be released later this summer in commemoration of the Post Office Department’s U.S. Air Mail service. More details will be forthcoming.
Both stamps, printed in intaglio — a design engraved into the stamp paper — feature a drawing of the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN-4H biplane. The biplane was also featured on the stamps originally issued in 1918 to commemorate the beginning of regularly scheduled airmail service. The stamp design evokes that earlier period.
Updated April 28th:
In response to a request from The Virtual Stamp Club, here are the philatelic products for this issue:
The second stamp will be issued Saturday, August 11 in College Park, MD (suburban Washington and the home of the main campus of the University of Maryland).The event will be held at the College Park Aviation Museum, located at what it says is the world’s oldest airport in continuous operation. 
The information is buried in the press release issued after the first stamp was issued. Yes, the first-day is during APS StampShow in Columbus, Ohio.
[press release]
United States Postal Service Celebrates 100th Anniversary of United States Air Mail Service
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the 100th anniversary of the beginning of regular airmail service with a Forever stamp. This stamp celebrates the courage of the pioneering airmail carriers and the foresight of those who fostered the new service and made it a success.
The first-day-of-issue ceremony for the blue United States Air Mail Forever stamp, took place at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. Followers of the U.S. Postal Service’s Facebook page can view a video of the ceremony at facebook.com/USPS. News about the stamps can be shared with the hashtags #AirMailStamps and #USAirMail.
“The stamp we’re here to celebrate is a beautiful reminder of the imprint of United States Air Mail on today’s world,” said U.S. Postal Service Vice President of Supply Management Susan Brownell who dedicated the stamps.
Brownell spoke of how this groundbreaking service is credited with establishing the foundation for America’s modern-day aviation industry. “The Wright brothers opened this country’s eyes to what could be possible,” she added. “Fifteen years later, with the first airmail flights, the Post Office helped turn that possibility into reality.”
Joining Brownell to unveil the stamps were Dr. Bill Harris, Deputy Director, Air Force History and Museums Policies and Programs; Elliot Gruber, Director, Smithsonian National Postal Museum; and Nancy Pope, Head Curator, Smithsonian National Postal Museum. (Photo courtesy USPS.)
Harris spoke of the history of aviation, noting the significant contributions of the early pilots. “Challenges would be great,” he said. “But this didn’t dampen the spirits of the pilots who innovated and experimented daily with tactics and landing procedures. After all, what cargo could be more precious than letters to loved ones!”
A second stamp, red and pictured left, will be issued in College Park, MD on Aug.11, 2018. The stamp will commemorate United States Air Mail as an official function of the Post Office Department.
Both stamps, printed in the intaglio print method — a design transferred to paper from an engraved plate — depict the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN-4H biplane. The biplane was also featured on the 24-cent stamps originally issued in 1918 to commemorate the beginning of regularly scheduled airmail service.
The stamp design evokes that earlier period. The stamp designer and typographer was Dan Gretta; Greg Breeding was the art director.
Background
On May 15, 1918, in the midst of World War I, a small group of Army pilots delivered mail along a route that linked Washington, Philadelphia, and New York City — initiating the world’s first regularly scheduled airmail service. The blue stamp, 
released May 1, 2018, commemorated the pioneering spirit of the brave pilots who first flew the mail in the early years of aviation.
The United States Post Office Department, the predecessor to the U.S. Postal Service, took charge of U.S. Air Mail service later that summer, operating it from Aug. 12, 1918, through Sept. 1, 1927. Airmail delivery, daily except Sundays, became part of the fabric of the American economy and spurred the growth of the nation’s aviation industry. The red stamp commemorated this milestone.
Both stamps, printed in the intaglio print method — a design transferred to paper from an engraved plate — depict the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN-4H biplane. The biplane was also featured on the stamps originally issued in 1918 to commemorate the beginning of regularly scheduled airmail service. The stamp design evokes that earlier period.
For airmail service to succeed in the early days of flight, the Post Office had to develop profitable routes, such as between New York and Chicago, and establish 
the infrastructure for safely making night flights. It set up lighted airfields and erected hundreds of airmail guide beacons between New York and San Francisco so that by 1924 regularly scheduled, transcontinental flying was possible, day and night.
Airmail delivery, daily except Sundays, became part of the fabric of the American economy and spurred the growth of the nation’s aviation industry.
The United States Air Mail stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp that will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price.
Updated July 4, 2018:
On August 11, 2018, in College Park, MD, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the United States Air Mail (red) stamp (Forever priced at the First-Class Mail rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 477900). The stamp will go on sale nation- wide August 11, 2018.
The United States Air Mail (red) stamp will be the second stamp issued in 2018 by the Postal Service to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of regular air- mail service. The first stamp, United States Air Mail (blue), issued in May, paid tribute to the pioneering spirit of the brave Army pilots who initiated the airmail service on May 15, 1918. This second stamp, identical to the first except that it is rendered in red, commemorates the beginning of airmail delivery through the U.S. Post Office Department on August 12, 1918. Both stamps are printed in intaglio and feature a drawing of the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN-4H biplane. The stamp design evokes that earlier period. The stamp designer and typographer was Dan Gretta, while Greg Breeding served as the art director.
Availability to Post Offices: Item 477900, United States Air Mail (Red) (Forever priced at the First- Class Mail rate) Commemorative Pane 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.
Special Dedication Postmarks:
Only the following pictorial postmark is permitted for the United States Air Mail (red) stamp. The word “Station” or the abbreviation “STA” is required somewhere in the design, because it will be a temporary station.
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 – United States Air Mail (Red) 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 post marked by December 11, 2018.
Technical Specifications:
Issue: United States Air Mail (Red) Stamp
Item Number: 477900
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: August 11, 2018, College Park, MD 20740
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Dan Gretta, Alameda, CA
Typographer: Dan Gretta, Alameda, CA
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Intaglio
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Stevens Vari-Size Security Press
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 20,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Pantone 7623 Red
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x .84 in./36.07 x 21.34 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x .98 in./39.62 x 24.89 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.25 x 7.25 in./184.15 x 184.15 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 14.5 x 21.75 in./368.3 x 552.45 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by one (1) digit
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: United States Air Mail • Established 1818 • Plate number in two corners
Back: ©2018 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (477900) • Plate Position Diagram • Promotional Text
Updated July 19th: Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: 
It measures 2.96″x1.45″.
It measures 2.95″x1.45″.
The special cancellations for post offices other than the first-day city measures 2.95″ x 1.45″.
The Scott catalogue number for this stamp is 5280.
From the USPS: 
Peace Rose celebrates one of the most popular roses of all time. The peace rose revolutionized hybrid tea roses with its unique coloring, hardiness, and disease resistance.
This stamp will be issued April 21 in Shreveport, Louisiana. The American Rose Society has its headquarters and its Gardens of the American Rose Center in that city. A first-day ceremony for the stamp is not yet on its website calendars.
Updated March 16th from the Postal Bulletin:
On April 21, 2018, in Shreveport, LA, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Peace Rose stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive double-sided booklet of 20 stamps (Item 681800). The stamp will go on sale nationwide April 21, 2018.
The new Peace Rose stamp celebrates one of the most popular roses of all time. The stamp art features a detail from a photograph of the Peace Rose blossom and its creamy yellow petals, with a touch of pink on the edges. The rose revolutionized hybrid tea roses with its unique coloring, hardiness, and disease resistance. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp with an existing photograph taken by Richard C. Baer.
Availability to Post Offices: Item 681800, Peace Rose (Forever priced at the First-Class Mail rate) 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, on The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop, or by phone at 800-782-6724. 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 – Peace Rose 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 August 21, 2018.
Philatelic products for this stamp issue are as follows:
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Peace Rose Stamp
Item Number: 681800
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: April 21, 2018 Shreveport, LA 71102
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Existing Photo: Richard C. Baer
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville , NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 400,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.73 x 0.84 in./18.54 x 21.34 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.87 x 0.98 in./22.10 x 24.89 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 5.52 x 1.96 in./140.21 x 49.78 mm
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Plate Size: 1040 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings: Header: “Peace Rose” Twenty First-Class Forever Stamps • Plate number in peel strip area • © 2017 USPS in peel strip area • Barcode • Promotional Information
The uspsblog.com has a story about the connection between two of the women recently included in the Black Heritage stamp series, Shirley Chisholm and Lena Horne.
From Details magazine:
CNIB, 100th ANNIVERSARY Commemorative envelope
Issue date: March 21, 2018
It has been a century of change for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind in helping Canadians who are blind or partially sighted live full, independent lives. This commemorative envelope celebrates that achievement with photos from the organization’s past and present, including a short braille message embossed on the front of the envelope to mark the CNIB’s foundation in 1918.
