© 2011 USPS
On July 20, 2012, in Cooperstown, New York, the Postal Service™ will issue Major League Baseball All-Stars commemorative stamps (Forever® priced at 45 cents) in four designs in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 469600).
The stamps will go on sale nationwide July 20, 2012.
With the issuance of the Major League Baseball All-Stars stamps, the U.S. Postal Service® recognizes the accomplishments of four baseball greats: Joe DiMaggio, Larry Doby, Willie Stargell, and Ted Williams. Each of these Hall of Famers was a perennial All-Star selection and each left an indelible impression on the game. Joe DiMaggio (1914–1999), nicknamed “the Yankee Clipper,” is best known for his incredible, unmatched 56-game hitting streak in 1941. Larry Doby (1923–2003), the first African American to play on an American League baseball team, joined the Cleveland Indians on July 5, 1947, and was a seven-time All-Star selection. Willie Stargell (1940–2001) twice led the National League in home runs and helped power the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates, a multicultural team known as “The Family,” to a World Championship. Regarded as one of the all-time greatest hitters in baseball, Ted Williams (1918–2002) of the Boston Red Sox, was the last Major Leaguer to bat over .400 for a single season in 1941. Illustrator Kadir Nelson worked with art director Phil Jordan to create the stamp art, which was based on historic photographs.
Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) and stamp distribution centers (SDCs) will receive their standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA pane 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 a quantity to cover approximately 45 days of sales. Distribution quantities for the automatic distribution will be posted, by finance number and unit ID, on the Asset Management SDC webpage at http://blue.usps.gov/purchase/assetmgnt/am_sdchome.htm. SDOs/SDCs must not distribute this commemorative sheet to Post Offices before July 6, 2012.
Post Offices requiring additional quantities of Item 469600 must requisition them from their designated SDO/SDC after the first day of issue using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return.
All Post Offices should maintain a sufficient inventory level of this item until the stamp is officially withdrawn from sale. If supplies run low, Post Offices must reorder additional quantities using their normal ordering procedures.
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:
Major League Baseball All-Stars Stamp
Postmaster
40 Main Street
Cooperstown, NY 13326-9998
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 September 20, 2012.
Only the following pictorial postmarks are permitted for the Major League Baseball All-Stars stamp. The word “Station” or the abbreviation “STA” is required somewhere in the design, because it will be a temporary station.
To finalize the Major League Baseball All-Stars 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 inch.
The Postal Service must make all special postmarks known to collectors through advance publicity in the Postal Bulletin. Therefore, all special dedication cancellations must be reported to Stamp Services 4 weeks before the events using PS Form 413, Pictorial Postmark Announcement/Report. To get a copy of the form, go to http://blue.usps.gov/formmgmt/forms/ps413.pdf.
The Postal Service 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, online at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:
U.S. Postal Service
Catalog Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014
There are ten philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
n 469663*, First-Day Cover Set of 4, $3.56.
n 469668*, Digital Color Postmark Set of 4, $6.40.
n 469669*, First-Day Cover Set of 8 (4 Cooperstown, 4 Indiv.), $7.12.
n 469672, Book, $24.95.
n 469679*, Digital Color Postmark Set of 8 (4 Cooperstown, 4 Indiv.), $12.80.
n 469684*, Uncut Press Sheet, $54.00. (Limited Quantity of 1,000)
n 469687*, Pack of 4 Catalogs (4 Cover Designs), $4.95.
n 469691*, Ceremony Program (Random Single), $6.95.
n 469697*, Panel, $9.95.
n 469699*, Cancellation Keepsake (DCP CT Set of 4 w/Pane), $15.95.
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.
Issue:
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Major League Baseball All-Stars
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Item Number:
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469600
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Denomination & Type of Issue:
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First-Class Mail® Forever Commemorative
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Format:
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Pane of 20 (4 designs)
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Series:
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N/A
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Issue Date & City:
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July 20, 2012, Cooperstown, NY 13326
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Designer:
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Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
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Art Director:
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Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
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Typographer:
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Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
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Artist:
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Kadir Nelson, Los Angeles, CA
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Engraver:
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Trident
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Modeler:
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Avery Dennison, Designed and Engineered Solutions
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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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20
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Print Quantity:
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80 million stamps
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Paper Type:
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Prephosphored, Type II
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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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569 (Green), Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, Black
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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 0.84 in./36.07 x 21.34 mm
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Overall Size (w x h):
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1.56 x 0.98 in./39.62 x 24.89 mm
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Full Pane Size (w x h):
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7.25 x 6.375 in./184.15 x 161.92 mm
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Plate Size:
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120 stamps per revolution
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Plate Numbers:
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“V” followed by five (5) single digits
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Marginal Markings:
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Front:
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Header: “MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-STARS” • Plate numbers in four corners
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Back:
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Header: “MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-STARS” • © 2011 USPS • USPS logo • Cooperstown Collection logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (469600) in upper right and lower left corners of pane • Promotional text • Short bio of all four individual players
• Proprietary notice
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