© 2013 USPS
On August 8, 2013, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the American Philatelic Society Stamp Show (no ceremony), the Postal Service™ will issue the Eid (Forever® priced at 46 cents) First-Class Mail® stamp in one design in a PSA pane of 20 stamps (Item 584000).
The stamp will go on sale nationwide August 8, 2013.
Featuring calligraphy from the 2011 Eid Stamp with a new green background, this issuance commemorates the two most important festivals — or eids — in the Islamic calendar: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. On these days, Muslims wish each other Eid Mubarak, the phrase shown in calligraphy on the stamp. Eid Mubarak translates literally as “blessed festival” and can be paraphrased “May your religious holiday be blessed.” Artist and calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya worked with art director Phil Jordan to create this design.
To learn more about the stories behind the stamps, visit www.beyondtheperf.com.
Stamp Distribution Offices (SDOs) and Stamp Distribution Centers (SDCs) will receive their normal automatic distribution quantity of Eid stamps. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size of 40,000 stamps.
SDOs/SDCs will NOT make any automatic distribution to Post Offices™. Post Offices requiring these items must requisition them from their designated SDO/SDC using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. Post Offices may preorder these stamps 30 days prior to first-day-of-issue through the eBuy2 SEAM Catalog. Post Offices participating in the SEAM Stamp Auto Replenishment Pilot (Seattle, Portland, Alaska, and Salt Lake City districts) will be automatically replenished based on their current inventory of Item 576700, Eid (2011) pane of 20. If pilot sites need Item 584000, Eid (2013) pane of 20 to meet special customer requests, they must place an order in eBuy2 and choose “expedited” as the shipping method. Post Offices should not sell the stamp prior to first-day-of-issue.
Sales Policy
All Post Offices should maintain a sufficient inventory level of this item until the stamp is officially withdrawn from sale.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:
Eid Stamp
Main Office Window Unit
PO Box 5066
Milwaukee, WI 53201-5066
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 up to a quantity of 50. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by October 8, 2013.
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 http://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
