© 2009 USPS
On May 27, 2010, in Washington, DC, the Postal Service™ will issue a 44-cent, Kate Smith commemorative stamp in one design in a pressure-sensitive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 464800). The stamp, designed by Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, Maryland, goes on sale nationwide May 27, 2010.
With this 2010 stamp, the U.S. Postal Service® honors Kate Smith, the celebrated singer and entertainer whose signature song, “God Bless America” (composed by Irving Berlin), has been called America’s unofficial national anthem. The stamp art duplicates artwork created for the cover of a CD titled “Kate Smith: The Songbird of the South.” The artwork was based on a photograph of Smith taken in the 1960s.
Issue:
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Kate Smith
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Item Number:
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464800
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Denomination & Type of Issue:
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44-cent Commemorative
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Format:
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Pane of 20 (1 design)
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Issue Date & City:
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May 27, 2010, Washington, DC 20066
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Series:
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N/A
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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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Existing Design:
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Mark Ranshaw
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Engraver:
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Trident
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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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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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20
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Print Quantity:
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40 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, Magenta, Yellow, Black
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Stamp Orientation:
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Vertical
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Image Area (w x h):
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0.84 x 1.42 in./21.34 x 36.07 mm
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Overall Size (w x h):
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0.99 x 1.56 in./25.15 x 39.62 mm
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Full Pane Size (w x h):
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5.85 x 7.25 in./148.59 x 184.15 mm
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Plate Size:
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160 stamps per revolution
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Plate Numbers:
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“V” followed by four (4) single digits
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Marginal Markings
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Front:
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Plate numbers in four corners of pane
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Back:
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© 2009 USPS • USPS logo
• Barcode “464800” in two corners
of pane • Price • Plate position diagram • “Kate Smith™ licensed by CMG Worldwide, Indianapolis, IN” at bottom of pane • Short paragraph about Kate Smith on back of stamp
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Customers have 60 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ facility, 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:
Kate Smith Stamp
Special Cancellations
PO Box 92282
Washington, DC 20090-2282
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 July 27, 2010.
Only the following pictorial postmark is permitted for the Kate Smith stamp. The word “Station” or the abbreviation “STA” is required somewhere in the design, because it will be a temporary station.
To finalize the Kate Smith stamp pictorial postmark art, insert the date, city, state, and ZIP™ Code of the physical location of your event adjacent to the stamp image. Overall dimensions of the pictorial postmark must not exceed 4 inches horizontally by 2 inches vertically. Collectors prefer the dimensions 3 1/2 inches by 1.
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 four philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
n 464861*, First Day Cover, $0.82.
n 464865*, Digital Color Postmark, $1.50.
n 464891*, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
n 464899*, Digital Color Postmark w/Full Pane Keepsake, $10.95.
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.
Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) and stamp distribution centers (SDCs) will receive approximately 25 percent of their standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA sheet stamp. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size of 40,000 stamps.
SDOs/SDCs will make a subsequent automatic distribution to Post Offices of 25 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 May 13, 2010.
Post Offices requiring additional quantities of Item 464800 must requisition them from their designated SDO/SDC using PS Form 17. SDOs requiring additional commemorative sheets must order them from the appropriate stamp distribution center (SDC) using PS Form 17. For fulfilling supplemental orders from SDOs, the Kansas City, Dulles, Atlanta, and Binghamton SDCs 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.
— Stamp Services,
Government Relations and Public Policy, 4-8-10
