On October 1, 2009, in Monterey, California, the Postal Service™ will issue 44-cent Nature of America: Kelp Forest commemorative stamps in ten designs in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 10 (Item 464000) and a $8.95 Premium Stamped Postal Card Booklet of 10 (Item 896900). Designed by Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, Maryland, the stamps go on sale nationwide October 1, 2009.
This 2009 Nature of America issuance features a kelp forest off the central California coast. This is the 11th stamp pane in an educational series focusing on the beauty and complexity of major plants and animal communities in the United States. To illustrate the biodiversity of a kelp forest, artist John D. Dawson, Hilo, Hawaii, depicted more than 27 different species in his colorful acrylic painting.
Previous issuances in the Nature of America series were Sonoran Desert (1999), Pacific Coast Rain Forest (2000), Great Plains Prairie (2001), Longleaf Pine Forest (2002), Arctic Tundra (2003), Pacific Coral Reef (2004), Northeast Deciduous Forest (2005), Southern Florida Wetlands (2006), Alpine Tundra (2007), and Great Lakes Dunes (2008).
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:
Nature of America: Kelp Forest Stamp
Postmaster
565 Hartnell Street
Monterey, CA 93940-9998
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 December 2, 2009.
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
There are six philatelic products available for this stamp issue. The Kelp Forest Oversized Stamped Cards (Item No. 464066/896900, $8.95) is a set of 10 cards featuring the stamp artwork of Kelp Forest, the 11th issuance in the Nature of America series. Artist John D. Dawson depicted more than 27 different species in the colorful acrylic painting. Each card is prestamped and ready to mail. The other five products available are:
n 464062*, First Day Cover Full Sheet, $6.90.
n 464064*, Cancelled Full Sheet, $6.90.
n 464084*, Uncut Press Sheet, $35.20.
n 464091*, Ceremony Program w/ 10 stamps, $6.95.
n 464093*, First Day Cover Keepsake Full Pane/Cancelled Sheet, $11.30.
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.
Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) will receive approximately 20 to 25 percent of their standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA sheet stamp. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size of 2,000 panes (20,000 stamps).
SDOs will make a subsequent automatic distribution to Post Offices of 20 percent of their standard automatic distribution quantity using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distribute this commemorative sheet to Post Offices before September 24, 2009.
The $4.40 Nature of America: Kelp Forest commemorative sheet may not be split, and the stamps may not be sold individually.
Post Offices requiring additional commemorative sheets must requisition them from their designated SDO using PS Form 17. SDOs requiring additional commemorative sheets must order them from the appropriate accountable paper depository (APD) using PS Form 17.
Issue:
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Kelp Forest
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Item Number:
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464000
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Denomination &
Type of Issue:
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44-cent Commemorative
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|
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Format:
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Pane of 10 (10 designs)
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Series:
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Nature of America
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Issue Date & City:
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October 1, 2009,
Monterey, CA 93940
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Designer:
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Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
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Art Director:
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Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
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Typographer:
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Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
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Artist:
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John D. Dawson, Hilo, HI
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Engraver:
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Keating Gravure
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Modeler:
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Avery Dennison, SPD
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Manufacturing Process:
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Gravure
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Printer:
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Avery Dennison (AVR)
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Printed at:
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AVR, Clinton, SC
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Press Type:
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Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)
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Stamps per Pane:
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10
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Print Quantity:
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25 million stamps
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Paper Type:
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Nonphosphored, Type III
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Adhesive Type:
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Pressure-sensitive
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Processed at:
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AVR, Clinton, SC
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Colors:
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Cyan, Yellow, Magenta, Black, PMS
553 (Dark Green), PMS 5635
(Light Green/Gray)
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Stamp Orientation:
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Horizontal and Vertical
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Overall Size (w x h):
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1.225 x 1.56 in./31.11 x 39.62 mm
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Full Pane Size (w x h):
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9.125 x 6.75 in./231.77 x 171.45 mm
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Plate Size:
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80 stamps per revolution
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Plate Numbers:
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N/A
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Marginal Markings:
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|
Front:
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Header: “KELP FOREST 11TH IN A
SERIES” • “NATURE OF
AMERICA” at bottom of pane
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Back:
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© 2008 USPS • Barcode “464000”
• Header: “KELP FOREST”
• Map and location of animals on
front of pane • Paragraphs
describing a kelp forest:
“Hundreds of … when otters are
absent” • “This series of stamps
features the beauty and
complexity of plant and animal
communities in the United
States” • “NATURE OF
AMERICA” at bottom
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For fulfilling supplemental orders from SDOs, the San Francisco, Memphis, New York, and Chicago APDs will receive additional commemorative sheets.
All Post Offices must acquire and maintain a supply of each new commemorative stamp as long as customer demand exists, until inventory is depleted, or until the stamp is officially withdrawn from sale. If supplies run low, Post Offices must reorder additional quantities using their normal ordering procedures.
Issue:
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Nature of America: Kelp Forest
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Item Number:
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896900
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Denomination &
Type of Issue:
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44-cent Oversize Premium Stamped
Postal Cards
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Format:
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$8.95 Stamped Postal Card Booklet
of 10 (10 designs)
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Series:
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Nature of America
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Issue Date & City:
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October 1, 2009,
Monterey, CA 93940
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Designer:
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Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
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Art Director:
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Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
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Typographer:
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Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
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Artist:
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John D. Dawson, Hilo, HI
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Modeler:
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Donald Woo
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Manufacturing Process:
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Offset
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Printer:
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Sennett Security Products/
Banknote Corporation of
America, Inc. (SSP/BCA)
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Printed at:
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Browns Summit, NC
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Press Type:
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Roland, 300
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Print Quantity:
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15,060 sets of cards
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Paper Type:
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Phosphor Tagged Block
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Stamp Orientation:
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Horizontal
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Card Size (w x h):
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10.00 x 7.00 in./254.00 x 177.80 mm
(yields two 5" x 7" cards)
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Plate Size:
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12 cards per revolution
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Plate Numbers:
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N/A
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Marginal Markings:
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N/A
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Front:
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Header: “KELP FOREST”
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Back:
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© 2009 USPS • Header: “NATURE
OF AMERICA” • Stamp image
• Descriptive text of birds,
mammals, fish, crustaceans, and
mollusks found in a kelp forest
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— Stamp Services,
Government Relations and Public Policy, 8-27-09
