How to Order the First Day of Issue Digital Color or Traditional Postmarks

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first day of issue postmarks by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™, by telephone at 800-STAMP-24, or at The Postal Store^® website at www.usps.com/shop.

Traditional Postmarks

Customers should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address them to themselves or others, or provide a self-addressed return envelope with sufficient postage large enough to accommodate the canceled item. Mail the request to the corresponding city of issuance. There is no charge for the first 50 postmarks. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. Customers should submit a check, money order, or credit card for payment. After applying the first day of issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes to the customer by U.S. Mail.

All postmark requests should go to the first day of issue city. The first day of issue city Post Office will then forward in bulk all postmark requests to Cancellation Services, Stamp Fulfillment Services, PO Box 449992, Kansas City, MO 64144-9992 by respective Post Offices.

Digital Color Postmarks

Only select stamp issues offer a digital color postmark. Customers may submit #6 or #10 envelopes constructed of paper rated as “laser safe.” The Postal Service recommends envelopes of 80-pound Accent Opaque, acid-free, 9/16" side seams with no glue on the flap. The maximum size of all digital color postmarks is 2" high x 4" long. Allow sufficient space on the envelope to accommodate the postmark. Do not use self-adhesive labels for addresses on the envelope. Two test envelopes must be included. There is a minimum of 10 envelopes at 50 cents per postmark required at the time of servicing. Customers should submit a check, money order, or credit card for payment.

The Postal Service reserves the right to not accept hand-painted and other cachet envelopes that are not compatible with our digital color postmark equipment. The Postal Service also reserves the right to substitute traditional black rubber postmarks if use of nonspecified envelopes results in poor image quality or damage to equipment.

Customers should affix the stamps to the envelopes and address them to themselves or others for return through the mail. Or, they may include an additional self-addressed return envelope, large enough to accommodate their canceled items, with sufficient postage affixed for return of their postmarked items. Mail the request for a first day of issue digital color postmark to the corresponding city of issuance. Post Offices will then forward all customer requests for digital color postmarks to Cancellation Services, Stamp Fulfillment Services, PO Box 449992, Kansas City, MO 64144-9992.

After applying the first day of issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes to the customer by U.S. Mail.

	Abstract Expressionists Stamp Postmaster 1200 William Street Buffalo, NY 14240-9998	May 12, 2010
Digital Color Pictorial		May 12, 2010
	Bill Mauldin Stamp 120 South Federal Place Santa Fe, NM 87501-9998	May 31, 2010
Black and White Pictorial		May 31, 2010
	Bill Mauldin Stamp 120 South Federal Place Santa Fe, NM 87501-9998	May 31, 2010
Digital Color Pictorial		May 31, 2010
	Flags of Our Nation Stamp Set 4 Postmaster 421 Eighth Ave., Rm 2029B New York, NY 10199-9998	June 16, 2010
Black and White Pictorial		June 16, 2010
	Flags of Our Nation Stamp Set 4 Postmaster 421 Eighth Ave., Rm 2029B New York, NY 10199-9998	June 16, 2010
Digital Color Pictorial
	Love: Pansies in a Basket Stamp Postmaster 300 W. Pershing Rd. Kansas City, MO 64108-9998	June 22, 2010
Black and White Pictorial
	Love: Pansies in a Basket Stamp Postmaster 300 W. Pershing Rd. Kansas City, MO 64108-9998	June 22, 2010
Digital Color Pictorial
	Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet Stamp Postmaster 7035 Laurel Canyon Blvd. Hollywood, CA 91605-9998	June 30, 2010
Black and White Pictorial
	Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet Stamp Postmaster 7035 Laurel Canyon Blvd. Hollywood, CA 91605-9998	June 30, 2010
Digital Color Pictorial
	Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet Stamp Postmaster 7035 Laurel Canyon Blvd. Hollywood, CA 91605-9998	June 30, 2010
Black and White Pictorial
	Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet Stamp Postmaster 7035 Laurel Canyon Blvd. Hollywood, CA 91605-9998	June 30, 2010
Digital Color Pictorial
	Katharine Hepburn Stamp Postmaster 36 Main Street Old Saybrook, CT 06475-9998	July 12, 2010
Black and White Pictorial
	Katharine Hepburn Stamp Postmaster 36 Main Street Old Saybrook, CT 06475-9998	July 12, 2010
Digital Color Pictorial
	Kate Smith Stamp Special Cancellations PO Box 92282 Washington, DC 20090-2282	July 27, 2010
Black and White Pictorial
	Kate Smith Stamp Special Cancellations PO Box 92282 Washington, DC 20090-2282	July 27, 2010
Digital Color Pictorial

— Stamp Services, Government Relations and Public Policy, 5-6-10

Displaying the U.S. Flag and the POW-MIA Flag

U.S. Flag at Half-Staff

How to Display

American Flag Displaying the U.S. flag at half-staff means lowering the flag to half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff.

Specific Dates

Display the U.S. flag at half-staff on the following days each year:

n May 15: Peace Officers Memorial Day (see note 1 below).

n Last Monday in May: Memorial Day Observed (see note 2 below).

n December 7: National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

Note 1: When May 15, which is the date for Peace Officers Memorial Day, falls on the third Saturday in May, which is the date for Armed Forces Day, display the U.S. flag in the full-staff position, not at half-staff.

Note 2: On the last Monday in May, when Memorial Day is observed, display the flag at half-staff from sunrise, or the hour at which you raise it, until noon, and then hoist it to the peak of the staff, until the time of closing or no later than sunset.

POW-MIA Flag

How to Display

In relation to the U.S. flag, display the POW-MIA flag (and any other flag) as follows: