On April 9, 2009, in Chicago, Illinois, the Postal Service™ will issue a 61-cent, Richard Wright commemorative stamp in one design in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 113000). Designed by Carl T. Herrman of Carlsbad, California, the stamp goes on sale nationwide April 9, 2009.
With this 25th stamp in the Literary Arts series, the U.S. Postal Service® honors author Richard Wright (1909–1960). Best remembered for his controversial 1940 novel, Native Son, and 1945 autobiography, Black Boy, Wright drew on a wide range of literary traditions, including protest writing and detective fiction, to craft unflinching portrayals of racism in American society.
The stamp artwork by Kadir Nelson, San Diego, California, features a portrait of Richard Wright in front of snow-swept tenements on the South Side of Chicago, a scene that recalls the setting of Native Son. Nelson’s portrait of Wright was based on a circa 1945 photograph.
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 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:
Richard Wright Stamp
Retail Operations
U.S. Postal Service
433 W. Harrison Street, 4th Floor
Chicago, IL 60699-9998
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. All orders must be postmarked by June 10, 2009.
Issue:
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Richard Wright
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Item Number:
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113000
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Denomination &
Type of Issue:
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61-cent Commemorative
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Format:
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Pane of 20 (1 design)
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Series:
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Literary Arts
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Issue Date & City:
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April 9, 2009, Chicago, IL 60607
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Designer:
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Carl T. Herrman, Carlsbad, CA
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Art Director:
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Carl T. Herrman, Carlsbad, CA
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Typographer:
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Carl T. Herrman, Carlsbad, CA
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Artist:
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Kadir Nelson, San Diego, CA
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Engraver:
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N/A
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Modeler:
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Joseph Sheeran
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Manufacturing Process:
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Offset, Microprinting, “USPS”
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Printer:
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Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
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Printed at:
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Williamsville, NY
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Press Type:
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Mueller Martini, A 76
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Stamps per Pane:
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20
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Print Quantity:
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100 million stamps
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Paper Type:
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Nonphosphored, Type III, Block Tag
applied
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Adhesive Type:
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Pressure-sensitive
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Processed at:
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Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
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Colors:
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Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS
7546 (Gray),
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PMS 129 (Yellow)
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Stamp Orientation:
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Horizontal
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Image Area (w x h):
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1.42 x .84 in./36.07 x 21.34 mm
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Overall Size (w x h):
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1.56 x .98 in./39.62 x 24.89 mm
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Full Pane Size (w x h):
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7.24 x 5.95 in./183.90 x 151.13 mm
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Plate Size:
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240 stamps per revolution
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Plate Numbers:
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“P” followed by six (6) single digits
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Marginal Markings:
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Front:
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© 2008 USPS • Header: “Literary
Arts 25th in a series” • Plate
position diagram • Price: “$0.61
x 20 = $12.20” • Plate numbers in
four positions
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Back:
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USPS logo • Descriptive text on
back of each stamp • Barcode
(113000) in two positions
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Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first day of issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:
Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
U.S. Postal Service
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014
Richard Wright, author of Native Son and Black Boy, drew on a wide range of literary traditions to offer an unflinching look at racism in American society. The U.S. Postal Service remembers the power of expression with this addition to the cultural diary series. The Diary Page (Item 113076, $17.95) comes with a pane of 20 stamps.
There are two other philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
n 113061*, First Day Cover, $0.99.
n 113091*, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
Items with an asterisk (*) will use the 128 barcode from Stamp Fulfillment Services. All other philatelic products will continue to use barcode series A, with the exception of the Yearbook and the Guide Book.
Initially, stamp distribution offices (SDOs) will receive approximately 75 percent to 80 percent of their standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA sheet stamp. SDO distributions, which begin March 3, 2009, will complete April 22, 2009. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size (40,000 stamps).
SDOs will not make a subsequent automatic distribution to Post Offices. Post Offices requiring quantities of Item 113000 must order them from their designated SDO using a separate PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distribute stamps to Post Offices before April 2, 2009.
Post Offices requiring additional stamps must requisition Item 113000 from their designated SDO using PS Form 17. SDOs requiring additional stamps must order them from the appropriate accountable paper depository (APD) using PS Form 17.
For fulfilling supplemental orders from SDOs, Memphis, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco APDs will each receive additional stamps. The Kansas City Stamp Services Center will receive additional stamps for fulfilling supplemental orders from APDs.
— Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 3-12-09
