U.S. 2015: Forever Hearts

Posted on November 21, 2014 by VSC

From the USPS January 21st:
Love: Forever Hearts Stamps
Great for Expressing Valentine’s Day Wishes

RICHMOND, VA — The Postal Service will dedicate this year’s Love stamps in Richmond, the capital of the state with the slogan, “Virginia is for Lovers.” The first-day-of-issuance ceremony for the limited edition Love: Forever Hearts stamps will be held Thursday, Jan. 22 at 11 a.m. at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The event is free and open to the public.

“Although the Greeks first associated the heart with feelings of love and romance, heart symbols can be traced back to pictograms from before the last Ice Age,” said U.S. Postal Service Capital Metro Area Vice President Kristin Seaver. “Today, the heart is everywhere. It can be found in religious art, pop culture, greeting cards and so much more, but the meaning remains the same — love — the universal language of the heart. Our Forever Hearts stamps reminds people of the power of everlasting love. In that spirit, we hope the stamp will help you send all of your cards and letters to those you care about with a special touch of love and cheer.

Moreover, there is nothing like the feeling of receiving a love letter in the mail or a valentine from that special someone. But remember, these stamps can be used year-round because love never goes out of season or style.”

Scheduled to join Seaver in the dedication will be Virginia Tourism Corporation President and CEO Rita McClenny; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Director Alex Nyerges; and Forever Hearts Art Director, Antonio Antonio Alcalá of Alexandria, VA.

Combining artistic vision with a symbol of undying affection, the 2015 Forever Hearts stamps depict the ancient association between eternal love and the heart. Lacy lettering in the shape of a heart spells out the word “Forever” on two stamps. One design features red lettering on a white background; the other is reversed, with white lettering on a field of red.

Artist Jessica Hische created the lettering that forms the heart, first drawing her design by hand and then finishing the stamp art digitally.

The Heart Design
A religious symbol, a motif in art, an expression of affection or support — today the heart is everywhere, not only at Valentine’s Day, but also year-round. It signifies romantic love as well as love of people, places, or ideas. In the 1970s, a campaign to increase tourism in New York famously substituted the heart symbol for the word “love” in its slogan, a trademarked logo that spawned imitations around the world. Scores of businesses and organizations use the heart as part of their logos. Heart designs are carved onto furniture, etched onto jewelry, sewn into quilt patterns, and fashioned into sculpture. In February, the heart is found on everything from cookies to cards to kids’ clothes.

The traditional colors of red and white would be appropriate for valentines, wedding invitations, baby announcements, anniversary cards, party invites or any occasion that calls for a classic, timeless stamp.

Jessica Hische created the stamp images under the guidance of Art director Antonio Alcalá. As Forever stamps, the Love: Forever Hearts stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Background on the Stamp Artist
Growing up in Hazleton, PA, Hische always knew she wanted to be an artist. Her first professional drawing project was a mural for a restaurant in her hometown. She went on to study graphic and interactive design at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia, graduating with a B.F.A. in 2006.

Hische began her career as a graphic designer in Philadelphia before moving to New York City to pursue her passion for illustration. A freelance designer since 2009, her clients have included Penguin Books, The New York Times, American Express, Oxford Committee for Famine Relief (OXFAM) America, and McSweeney’s. Hische also worked closely with director Wes Anderson to create the title design and credits for the film Moonrise Kingdom.

Using color and whimsy, Hische infuses a unique style into her typographical designs. “A friend of mine described it once as ‘equal parts design, typography, illustration, brown sugar, and heavy cream,’” she said. “I create letterform-focused artwork that always has a homemade warmth to it.”

Hische’s projects for the U.S. Postal Service also include Sealed With Love (2013), and Love Ribbons (2012). She lives in San Francisco.

Background on Stamp Designer
Antonio Alcalá served on the Postmaster General’s Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee from 2010 until 2011, when he left to become an art director for the U.S. Postal Service’s stamp development program.

After working as a book designer and freelance graphic designer, Alcalá opened Studio A in 1988. Since then his studio has won awards of excellence in design from local, national, and international design institutions including AIGA, Print, Communication Arts, and Graphics. His clients include: the National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, National Portrait Gallery, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, National Museum of Women in the Arts, National Geographic Society, Folger Shakespeare Library, the Phillips Collection, and Smithsonian Institution.

Alcalá is an adjunct faculty member of the Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington, DC, and founder of the design education program DesignWorkshops. He serves on the board of the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association and is a past president of the Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington. The AIGA DC Chapter selected Alcalá as its 2008 AIGA Fellow. His work is represented in the AIGA Design Archives and the Library of Congress Permanent Collection of Graphic Design.

Alcalá graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in history and from the Yale School of Art with an M.F.A. in graphic design.

Purchasing Stamps
Customers may purchase the stamps at usps.com/stamps, the Postal Store, at 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724) and at Post Offices nationwide or visit ebay.com/stamps to shop for a wide variety of postage stamps and collectibles.

Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks:
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others, and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Love: Forever Hearts Stamps
Postmaster
Richmond Post Office
1801 Brook Road
Richmond, VA 23232-9996

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. For more than 50, customers are charged 5 cents each. All orders must be postmarked by March 9, 2015.

There are nine philatelic products for this stamp issue:

588504 Pane of 20, $9.80
588524 Framed Art, $29.95
588506, Press Sheet with Die cut, $58.80 (print quantity 1,000)
588508, Press Sheet without Die cut, $58.80 (print quantity 1,000)
588510, Pane of 20 stamps and Digital Color Postmark Keepsake (set of 2), $13.95
588516, First-Day Cover (set of 2), $1.86
588521, Digital Color Postmark (set of 2), $3.28
588530, Ceremony Program, $6.95
588531, Stamp Deck Card, $0.95
588532, Stamp Deck Card with Digital Color Postmark, $1.99

First Day Postmarks (added January 20th; we’re having trouble getting good quality cancellation design images this year):Updated January 16th: Here it is a week before the first day ceremony, and I still can’t find anything about the stamps at the VMFA website. You’d think the museum would be more excited.

Updated December 23rd:
The first day of issue will be January 22nd in Richmond, Virginia, at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, as part of the theme, “Virginia is for lovers.” There is nothing yet on the Museum’s website calendar regarding the stamps.

Initial post:
First Day of Issue some time in January, in Philadelphia. (The name of the issue also changed in late November, from “Forever Love” to “Forever Hearts.” Whatever.)

Same design for each stamp, but one is red with white lettering, the other the reverse.

From the USPS on November 4, 2014:

Lacy lettering in the shape of a heart spells out the word “Forever” on two stamps. One design features red lettering on a white background; the other is reversed, with white lettering on a field of red.

Artist Jessica Hische (pronounced “HYSH”) created the lettering that forms the heart, first drawing her designs by hand and then finishing the stamp art digitally. The red and white color scheme works well with other colors and adds a timeless feel to the design, which resembles filigree (delicate/intricate ornament).

The traditional colors of red and white would be appropriate for valentines, wedding invitations, baby announcements, anniversary cards, party invites, or any occasion that calls for a classic, timeless stamp.

Artist: Jessica Hische of Hazleton, PA / Philadelphia / New York (also did Sealed with Love and Love Ribbons).

Lunar New Year: Ram

Posted on November 21, 2014 by VSC

Updated February 19th: A USPS photo from the first day ceremony:Left to Right: Linda Thomas, Distribution Supervisor, SFP&DC (National Anthem), Ken Lee, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Organization of Chinese Americans, Claudine Cheng, Past National President, Organization of Chinese Americans, Kam Mak, Stamp artist for the second Lunar New Year stamp series, The Honorable Edwin M. Lee, Mayor, City and County of San Francisco, Raj Sanghera, Postmaster, San Francisco, Eddie Au, President, Supervisory Board, Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Song Ning Ma, Presiding President, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association and Debbie Brady, Manager of Marketing, San Francisco District.

Updated January 23rd: Stamp artist Kam Mak will attend the first-day ceremony, which will be held at 11 a.m. at the Chinese Cultural Center in San Francisco. Katherine Tobin of CSAC will also attend, and the dedicating official is acting district manager Noemi Luna.

Lunar New Year
The first issue of the year will be Lunar New Year, the Ram. Again, a design by Kam Mak, of a candy tray or “tray of togetherness” (“chuen-hop”). The tray is filled with dried fruits, candies, and other treats to provide a sweet beginning to the New Year.

The cut-paper icon of a ram from the previous series by Clarence Lee, plus Chinese characters in the grass-style of calligraphy by the late Lau Bun. This is the eight of the 12-stamp series. ~~Issue date and city are not yet locked in, but it will be issued in January.~~ The Year of the Ram begins on February 19th. The first day city will be San Francisco, on February 7th. [updated December 23rd]

Digital Color Postmark (better version added January 22nd): This postmark measures 3.00″x1.51″. The B&W postmark is the standard four-bar cancel.

From the Postal Bulletin:

On February 7, 2015, in San Francisco, CA, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Lunar New Year: Year of the Ram First-Class Mail® stamp (Forever® priced at 49-cents) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 12 stamps (Item 588900).

The stamp will go on sale nationwide February 7, 2015.

The Year of the Ram stamp is the eighth of twelve stamps in the Celebrating Lunar New Year series. The Year of the Ram begins on February 19, 2015, and ends on February 7, 2016. The stamp art depicts a wooden candy tray known as a chuen-hop or Tray of Togetherness. The tray is filled with dried fruits, candies, and other treats to provide a sweet beginning to the new year. Artist Kam Mak created this original painting. Art director and stamp designer Ethel Kessler incorporated elements from the previous series of Lunar New Year stamps to create continuity between the series.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store® website at http://www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Lunar New Year: Year of the Ram Stamp
Attention: Station Manager
 Chinatown Station
867 Stockton Street
San Francisco, CA 94108-9998

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. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by April 8, 2015.

There are eleven philatelic products for this stamp issue.

588906, Press Sheet with Die cut, $70.56, (print quantity 500).
588908, Press Sheet without Die cut, $70.56 (print quantity 500).
588910 Digital Color Postmark Keepsake (2 SS, 1 DCP), $13.95.
588916 First-Day Cover, $0.93.
588918 First-Day Cover (Full Pane), $8.38.
588919 First-Day Cover Cancelled Full Pane, $8.38.
588921 Digital Color Postmark, $1.64.
588924 Framed Art, $39.95.
588930 Ceremony Program, $6.95.
588931 Stamp Deck Card, $0.95.
588932 Stamp Deck Card with Digital Color Postmark, $1.99.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Lunar New Year: Year of the Ram Stamp
Item Number: 588900
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Souvenir Sheet of 12 (1 design)
Series: Celebrating Lunar New Year
Issue Date & City: February 7, 2015, San Francisco, CA
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Artist: Kam Mak, Brooklyn, NY
Modeler: Donald Woo
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America/SSP
Printed at: Browns Summit, NC
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 12
Print Quantity: 17,600,400 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged, Overall
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive adhesive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit SC
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, PMS872 Gold
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): 7.24 x 5.92 in/183.90 x 150.36 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 24.05 x 21.87 in/611.00 x 555.50 mm
Plate Size: 144 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: N/A
Marginal Markings: Front: Header: “CELEBRATING LUNAR NEW YEAR”
Back: © 2014 USPS • USPS logo • Barcode (588900) at bottom of pane • Promotional text • Lunar New Year Bio

War of 1812: Battle of New Orleans

Posted on November 21, 2014 by VSC

Collector’s Set Update February 20th: I received my set yesterday, not quite the “available February 1st” advertised. I bought one because I needed the four sheets of War of 1812 stamps that were included (for my own FDCs), and because I wanted one of those FDC cards that has the Digital Color Postmark that’s available only in the set. I have to admit it’s a little disappointing: It’s 4″x6″, very thin cardstock, and there is nothing on it besides the four stamps and postmark. Still, no regrets at buying the set.

Scott catalogue number added February 2nd: 4952.

Collector’s Set Update January 20th: The USPS website shows the set (described below) as “discontinued.” The set IS still available; Headquarters is checking with “our IT people” to see why it can’t be ordered on the website. Update January 22nd: It’s back on the site. Apparently, this is a long-running glitch when an item is moved from “presale” to “onsale.”

First Day Postmarks (better versions added January 22nd):

This postmark measures 2.26″ x 0.96″.
This postmark measures 2.93″ x 1.29″.

First Day of Issue: Thursday, January 8, 2015, ~~in New Orleans~~. update December 4th: at the Chalmette Battlefield outside New Orleans in Chalmette, La. Will the postmark read “Chalmette” or “New Orleans?” We’ve asked.

[updated December 23rd] There will be a special War of 1812 product for collectors. See below. Also, there will be a special dedication at 1 pm at the Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage in Nashville on the same day. A postmark will be offered (below), but this will not be a first-day ceremony. There is nothing about the stamp yet on The Hermitage’s website, but it does promise free admission that day (and you can order tickets on the website). The stamp ceremony is in the auditorium of the Andrew Jackson Center.

Fourth and final stamp in the series, and of course it will be issued in New Orleans. That’s Andrew Jackson on horseback. This is an original painting by Greg Harlin, who also designed 2014’s Battle of Fort McHenry stamp. Below are the designs for the full sheet. Both the small vignette of Jackson on the reverse (by John Vanderlyn) and the “selvage” illustration on the front of the sheet (Oliver Pelton) are in the Library of Congress: The War of 1812 Limited Edition Collector’s Set This $59.95 product will include all four sheets of War of 1812 stamps (face value $39.20), a card with a special Digital Color Postmark that won’t be available otherwise, a book about the War and the stamps, and a certificate numbered and signed by series art director Greg Breeding. It’s a limited edition of 3,000. Preorders hopefully will begin January 1st, but this set probably won’t be available until February 1st – meaning not in time for sale at the first day ceremony. (However, experienced FDC servicers know they can obtain first-day cancels for months after the issue date.)

From the December 11th Postal Bulletin:

On January 8, 2015, in Chalmette, Louisiana, the U.S. Postal Service will issue The War of 1812: Battle of New Orleans (Forever First-Class Mail stamp priced at 49-cents), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 589100). The War of 1812: Battle of New Orleans $9.80 pane of 20 stamps may not be split, and the stamps may not be sold individually.

The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 8, 2015.

In 2015, the Postal Service concludes its commemoration of the War of 1812, a conflict with Great Britain that many Americans viewed as the nation’s “Second War of Independence.” The subject of this final stamp is Andrew Jackson’s triumphant victory over the British on January 8, 1815, at the Battle of New Orleans. Illustrated with mixed media by noted historical painter Greg Harlin, the stamp art depicts American troops and artillery repelling British forces from behind a mile-long defensive earthwork known as Jackson’s line. A portrait of Andrew Jackson in his military uniform, by artist John Vanderlyn (1775–1852), appears on the reverse of the stamp pane. A nineteenth century depiction of the battle by Oliver Pelton appears on the front of the pane above the selvage text. The stamp pane also includes verso text. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp and pane.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at http://www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

The War of 1812: Battle of New Orleans Stamp
Marketing Manager
701 Loyola Avenue #10003
New Orleans, LA 70113-9996

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. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by March 9, 2015.

There are ten philatelic products for this stamp issue:

589106 Press Sheet with Die cuts, $49.00 (print quantity 500).
589108 Press Sheet without Die cuts, $49.00 (print quantity 1,000).
589110 Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $11.95.
589116 First-Day Cover, $0.93.
589118 Full Pane, First-Day Cover, $12.30.
589119 Cancelled Full Pane, $12.30.
589121 Digital Color Postmark, $1.64.
589130 Ceremony Program, $6.95.
589131 Stamp Deck Card, $0.95.
589132 Stamp Deck Card with Digital Color Postmark, $1.99.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: The War of 1812: Battle of New Orleans Stamp
Item Number: 589100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever Commemorative
Format: Souvenir Sheet of 20 (1 design)
Series: War of 1812
Issue Date & City: January 8, 2015, Chalmette, LA 70043
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Typographer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Artist: Greg Harlin, Annapolis, MD
Engraver: WRE
Modeler: CCL Label, Inc.
Manufacturing Process: Gravure
Printer: CCL Label, Inc.
Printed at: Clinton, SC 29325
Press Type: Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 30 Million stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block, Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive adhesive
Processed at: CCL Label, Inc., Clinton, SC
Colors: Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, Cool Gray, Black
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 1.09 in./36.07 x 27.56 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 1.23 in./39.62 x 31.12 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 10.25 x 7.25 in./260.35 x 184.15 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 10.25 x 36.25 in./ 260.35 x 920.75 mm
Plate Size: 100 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: N/A
Marginal Markings:
Front: Side Header: The War of 1812: Battle of New Orleans • Descriptive Text
Back: © 2014 USPS • USPS logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (589100) on lower left corner • Promotional text

Christmas Magi First Day Ceremony

Posted on November 19, 2014 by VSC

[Our main article on the stamp is here.]

This even was held November 19, 2014, in St. John’s Church on LaFayette Square in Washington, D.c. Photos courtesy U.S. Postal Service and taken by Daniel Afzal of the USPS. Members of the St. John’s choir sing “We Three Kings.”

Louis J. Giuliano, a member of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors (left) and Rev. Dr. Luis Leon, Rector of Saint John’s Church, unveil the stamp design. Giuliano and Leon are joined by Nancy Mathis, President and CEO, First Take Communications of Washington, DC. She is an active member of the church.

Fraud Alert From APS: Use of Hotchner’s Name

Posted on November 18, 2014 by VSC

[Editor’s note: Although this message is addressed to APS members, it is an important warning for all stamp collectors.]

ALL MEMBERS PLEASE BEWARE: An individual or group has been reported to APS as using the name of past APS President, John Hotchner, in a scam requiring a substantial cash deposit (which is then stolen) as basis for help in selling a collection. Members should be on guard against any such offer. There is no circumstance in which a cash deposit for being bonded should be required to sell your collection. Mr. Hotchner is not associated with any commercial venture involved in buying or selling collections, and has no involvement of any sort with this scam.

PLEASE REPORT CALLS AND ANY INFORMATION: We are trying to gather as much information as we can in order to turn this over to the authorities. If you have been contacted by these people, please call the APS at 814-933-3812 or email Complaint Manager Wendy Masorti and provide any details you have. And if you have given money to these people, please be sure to contact us and provide details as we can use this information to build a case. Even if you previously contacted APS regarding this matter, please call or email AGAIN so that we can properly document your information. Several APS staff members have been receiving these calls and may not have collected all pertinent information that we are now documenting – so please call again as all calls are now being directed to our Complaint Manager, Wendy Masorti.

HELP GET THE WORD OUT: Everyone please help get the word out on this so that fellow collectors are not taken advantage of. Clubs please inform all your members.

Again, if you have any information please call the APS at 814-933-3812 or email Complaint Manager Wendy Masorti and provide any details you have

Royal Mail Vans Tout Xmas Stamps

Posted on November 14, 2014 by VSC

[press release[
‘STAMPS ON VANS’ – FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ROYAL MAIL SPECIAL STAMPS TO FEATURE ON ITS VANS IN TOWNS AND CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Royal Mail is, for the first time, to feature images of its Special Stamps on a number of its vehicles

The set of six Christmas Special Stamps will be the first to be publicised in this way from Monday 10 November

Around 1500 vans across the country will feature the images

The stamps will be displayed on vans in 26 towns and cities around the UK including Liverpool, Sheffield, London, Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff, Plymouth and Leicester
Royal Mail today announced the launch of a campaign that will see, for the first time ever, images of its Special Stamps featured on its delivery vans,

Beginning with the set of six Christmas stamps, which are now on sale, images of the stamps will appear on around 1,500 Royal Mail vans across 26 towns and cities across the UK.

This will be a rolling programme that will incorporate all of the upcoming Special Stamp issues in 2015. There will be a special emphasis on places across the country that have a strong association with the image on the stamp. The images are printed on adhesive vinyls and applied to the vans.

Andrew Hammond, Royal Mail said: “This is the first in what will be an on-going campaign to feature our Special Stamp Programme across the country using our familiar red postal vans, The size and reach of our fleet should help create high levels of public awareness.”

The Christmas stamps will appear in 26 towns and cities:

London
Birmingham
Glasgow
Leeds
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Bristol
Sheffield
Bradford
Cardiff
Manchester
Leicester
Stoke-on-Trent
Hull
Coventry
Nottingham
Belfast
Plymouth
Sunderland
Brighton
Derby
Wolverhampton
Southampton
Aberdeen
Bangor
Inverness

Royal Mail Postmark Celebrates Comet Landing

Posted on November 14, 2014 by VSC

[press release[
ROYAL MAIL POSTMARK TAKES OFF FOLLOWING ROSETTA MISSION SUCCESS

Royal Mail is issuing a postmark to highlight the historic moment the European Space Agency landed a spacecraft on a comet
The Philae lander touched down on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko yesterday following the Rosetta orbiter’s 10 year mission across the Solar System
Royal Mail’s postmark will be delivered on mail across the UK on Friday and Saturday. It will say: ‘Celebrating the first ever landing on a comet. Congratulations to the European Space Agency.’

Letters delivered across the UK will be reaching for the stars tomorrow (Friday 14th November), as Royal Mail celebrates the European Space Agency (ESA) landing a spacecraft on a comet, with a special postmark.

Yesterday (November 12) saw the the ESA make history as the Rosetta orbiter’s Philae lander touched down on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

It was the first time that a spacecraft has landed on a comet. The Rosetta orbiter began its ten year journey in 2004, chasing the comet across the Solar System. The mission aims to conduct unprecedented scientific analysis of the comet and its environment.

To mark the occasion, Royal Mail’s postmark will appear on millions of items of mail delivered to addresses nationwide on Friday and Saturday.

It will say ‘Celebrating the first ever landing on a comet. Congratulations to the European Space Agency.”

Andrew Hammond from Royal Mail, said: “We’re thrilled to be marking the European Space Agency’s fantastic achievement with one of our special postmarks.

“The Rosetta mission has captured the public’s imagination and excitement about space exploration, and we’re pleased to be recognising this historic moment in this unique way.

“Our postmark is set to take off and will appear on mail delivered by our postmen and women across the UK.”

Royal Mail’s postmark programme is used to celebrate historic moments, sporting events and highlight our support of charities. The postmark is also used to remind customers to post their mail in time for certain occasions, such as Mother’s Day or Christmas.

USPS Revenue Up, But Loss Is $5.5B

Posted on November 14, 2014 by VSC

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Reports Revenue Increase, $5.5 Billion Loss in Fiscal 2014

Shipping and Package Services Revenue Up 9.1 Percent
January 2014 Price Increase and Shipping and Packages Growth Drives Operating Revenue up $569 Million
Persistent Losses Reaffirm Need for Comprehensive Legislative Reform

WASHINGTON — Due to a cyber-security intrusion that the U.S. Postal Service announced on Nov. 10, management and external auditors are currently reviewing significant financial applications to confirm that the incident did not compromise the financial data needed to file the Postal Service’s fiscal 2014 Form 10-K. There is no indication at this time that the data was compromised, but out of an abundance of caution, the Postal Service will delay filing of the 10-K—which it had planned to do today—until review procedures are complete. The review, which has already begun, is expected to take several more weeks. View the Postal Service’s cyber intrusion statement for more information about the incident.

In the interest of transparency, however, the Postal Service presented unaudited financial results for fiscal 2014 at its open Board of Governors meeting today and will again present the unaudited financial results at a financial briefing call today at 11 a.m.

At the Board meeting, the Postal Service reported that operating revenue increased $569 million in fiscal year 2014 (Oct. 1, 2013 – Sept. 30, 2014). Excluding a one-time adjustment to revenue of $1.3 billion in 2013 resulting from a change in accounting estimate for Forever stamps, 2014 operating revenue would have increased by $1.9 billion. This revenue growth resulted from the January 2014 price increase and strong growth in the Shipping and Packages business. Offsetting this positive news, however, were legislative burdens and constraints that contributed to a $5.5 billion net loss in 2014. This eighth consecutive annual net loss underscores the need for comprehensive legislation to repair the Postal Service’s broken business model.

The net loss includes $5.7 billion for the prefunding requirement of the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefit Fund and an additional $1.2 billion in non-cash workers’ compensation expense, consisting of $485 million related to changes in interest rates and $697 million of other non-cash workers’ compensation expense. These items are outside of management’s control.

“We have grown our revenue for two years in a row, primarily through growth in our package business and price changes, and we are making strong progress in many core areas of our business — from operational performance, to data and technology use, to developing and marketing new products and services — all of which are helping to build a strong foundation for the future of the organization,” said Postmaster General and CEO Patrick R. Donahoe. “While we still have major issues to resolve with regard to our business model and legislative constraints, our message today is about momentum and progress.”

“In 2014 we set another record for productivity,” said Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President Joseph Corbett. “Even as we continued growing our package business, we reduced work hours, transportation expenses, and compensation and benefits expenses.

“The legally mandated $5.7 billion prefunding requirement for the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefit Fund contributed to our continuing losses,” said Corbett. “Due to lack of sufficient cash, we were forced to default on the $5.7 billion prepayment, underscoring the need for legislative change.”

The Postal Service’s key legislative requirements:

Require within the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program a set of specific health care plans that would fully integrate with Medicare and virtually eliminate the retiree health benefits unfunded liability and eliminate the need for multibillion dollar annual prefunding.
Adjust the Federal Employee Retirement System payment amount using Postal Service specific demographic and salary growth assumptions and refund any existing surplus.
Adjust required delivery frequency (six-day packages/five-day mail).
Streamline governance model and eliminate duplicative oversight.
Provide authority to expand products and services.
Require a defined contribution retirement system for future Postal Service employees.
Require arbitrators to consider the financial condition of the Postal Service.
Reform workers’ compensation programs.

Results of Operations Highlights of yearly results compared to the same period last year:
Operating revenue was $67.8 billion compared to $67.2 billion in 2013. Without the 2013 one-time adjustment as noted above, 2014 operating revenue increased by $1.9 billion over last year’s revenue. As a result of growth in our package business and the price increases implemented, this is the second consecutive year of revenue growth, reversing a four-year trend of revenue declines that began in 2008.

Total mail volume was 155.4 billion pieces compared to 158.2 billion pieces a year ago, a decrease of 2.8 billion pieces or 1.8 percent. Shipping and Package Services volume grew by 300 million pieces, an increase of 8.1 percent. First-Class Mail, our most profitable service line, and Standard Mail volume decreased by 2.2 billion and 495 million pieces, respectively.

Operating expenses were $73.2 billion in 2014 compared to $72.1 billion in 2013. A non-cash adjustment for interest rate changes associated with workers’ compensation caused $2.2 billion of the increase year over year. This was offset by a $737 million reduction in other workers’ compensation expense and a $708 million reduction in compensation and benefits expenses.

Expenses include the required $5.7 billion contribution to the retiree health care benefits fund that the Postal Service was unable to make by the due date of Sept. 30, 2014. Unless legislation reforms the retiree health care benefits program, the Postal Service will likely be forced to default on its prefunding obligations in 2015 and 2016.

The resulting net loss for the 2014 fiscal year was $5.5 billion compared to a net loss of $5.0 billion in 2013.

U.S. Names First Woman as Postmaster General

Posted on November 14, 2014 by VSC

[press release]
Postal Service Board of Governors Selects Megan Brennan as 74th Postmaster General and CEO of the United States Postal Service

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors today announced the appointment of Megan J. Brennan, the current chief operating officer of the Postal Service, as the 74th Postmaster General and CEO.

Speaking at a public meeting of the Board this morning, Mickey D. Barnett, chairman of the Postal Service Board of Governors, praised Brennan – who will become the first woman to be Postmaster General – as the ideal choice to replace the current Postmaster General, Patrick R. Donahoe, who will be retiring in early 2015.

“Megan has demonstrated outstanding vision, leadership and executive ability in her role as chief operating officer, and has been extraordinarily successful in managing the operations of the Postal Service,” said Barnett.” She is highly regarded throughout the Postal Service and among the broader community of our major customers and business partners – and rightly so.”

As chief operation officer, Brennan is responsible for the day-to-day activities of 491,000 career employees working in more than 31,000 facilities supported by a fleet of more than 200,000 vehicles. She is responsible for all Postal Service operations, including mail processing, transportation, delivery and retail operations.

“As the head of operations, Megan has led important initiatives to provide Sunday delivery services, improved tracking, and greater predictability and reliability,” said Barnett. “She has also been highly successful in rationalizing our mail processing, delivery and retail operations.”

Barnett also commended Brennan’s role in maintaining a high delivery performances in the face of a significant and continued reduction in workforce and resources. “Megan has managed some very large, complex organizational changes and the Postal Service never missed a beat in terms meeting customer expectations,” said Barnett. “She instills great confidence in the ability of the organization to succeed and achieve its business goals.”

“I am deeply honored and humbled to take on this role at such an exciting time for the organization,” said Brennan. “The Postal Service plays a vital role in America’s society and economy and I’m looking forward to strengthening that role and meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving marketplace in the years ahead.”

Megan J. Brennan was named Chief Operating Officer and executive vice president in December 2010. Reporting directly to the Postmaster General, Brennan has led the continuous improvement of the postal network operation as well as the allocations of people and resources.

Previously she was vice president of Eastern Area Operations. As the senior postal official she oversaw an area that encompassed Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Delaware, Kentucky, Central and South Jersey, Western New York and parts of Virginia and Indiana. A 28-year veteran of the Postal Service, Brennan served as vice president of Northeast Area Operations from May 2005 until being named vice president of Eastern Area Operations.

Brennan joined the Postal Service in 1986 as a letter carrier in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and began her management career as a delivery and collection supervisor. Brennan is a graduate of Immaculata College in Pennsylvania. She is a Sloan Fellow and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

US PMG Donahoe To Retire

Posted on November 14, 2014 by VSC

[press release]
Postmaster General Donahoe to Retire February 2015
Praised highly by Postal Governors for leading organization through financial crisis

WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service Board of Governors announced [November 14th] that Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Patrick R. Donahoe has decided to retire February 1, 2015, after 39 years with the Postal Service.

At a public meeting of the Board of Governors this morning, Mickey D. Barnett, Chairman of the Board, called Donahoe a visionary leader who worked tirelessly to move the organization forward during one of its most difficult periods.

“Pat was the calm in the financial storm. He ignored the naysayers and went forward with his team and built a comprehensive plan for the future of the organization, made tough decisions, and executed against those decisions,” said Barnett. “That’s a testament to the great team he built and his own personal leadership.”

Donahoe became Postmaster General during a severe financial crisis, the result of an inflexible business model that limited the organization’s ability to respond to declining First-Class Mail volumes. Donahoe created an integrated financial plan and took aggressive measures to control costs – including the rationalization of mail processing, delivery and Post Office operations. These changes have significantly lowered the cost base of the Postal Service.

Commenting on the fact that the Postal Service has roughly 220,000 fewer employees today than it did in 2004, Barnett noted that “no other organization has restructured itself so dramatically and on such a large scale, and continued functioning at such a high level. And it did so without relying upon employee lay-offs.”

“That’s the result of Pat taking responsible steps to ensure that changes don’t come at the expense of those who have made their career at the Postal Service,” said Barnett. “There were plenty who argued for layoffs and other dramatic steps and Pat was always the voice that argued for doing the right thing for the organization and the employees – and that’s a tremendous legacy.”

“Pat’s leadership and advocacy for the organization has been remarkable,” said Barnett. “He has been an excellent strategist for the organization and the mailing industry it serves.”

Donahoe served as a constant cheerleader for mail as a marketing channel and pushed for more integration between mail and digital communications in the mailing industry. Under his leadership, the Postal Service launched several new mailing products and enhancements including Every Door Direct Mail which has generated more than $1 billion in new revenue. Donahoe also guided the organization’s shipping and package strategies to capitalize on the rapid increase of e-commerce. In the last few years, the Postal Service has seen double digit growth each year in its package business.

Speaking this morning, Donahoe said he believes the organization is headed in the right direction, but still has a long way to go. “The organization has a lot of momentum right now, and we’re doing a lot to innovate and improve the way we serve the public and our customers,” stated Donahoe. “The nature of delivery is changing dramatically and the Postal Service will continue to be an important part of those changes.”

Appointed Postmaster General by the Postal Service Board of Governors in October, 2010, Mr. Donahoe began his 39-year USPS career as a clerk in Pittsburgh, PA while attending college at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to his appointment as the organization’s top officer, he served as Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Operating Officer.

“Working for a brand that touches every citizen of this great country every day has been a tremendous honor,” stated Donahoe. “It’s always difficult to walk away from something you love and have a lot of passion for, but knowing that the organization is moving forward with a strong plan and lot of momentum makes it easier.”

A native of Pittsburgh, Mr. Donahoe and his wife have two children and two grandchildren.”

[Donahoe will be succeeded by Megan Brennan, the first woman to hold the post. The press release is here.]