Stamp Announcement 17-36: Celebrating African American History and Culture Stamp

Stamp Announcement 17-36: Celebrating African American History and Culture Stamp

On September 24, 2017, in Washington, DC, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Celebrating African American History and Culture stamp (Forever® priced at 49 cents) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 474200). The stamp will go on sale nationwide September 24, 2017.

This issuance recognizes the richness of the black experience by celebrating the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Occupying a 5-acre site on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the museum is the 19th Smithsonian museum and the only national museum devoted exclusively to African American life, art, history, and culture. The stamp art is based on a photograph of the museum by Alan Karchmer showing a view of the northwest corner of the building. Text in the upper left corner of the stamp reads “National Museum of African American History and Culture.” Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 474200, Celebrating African American History and Culture (Forever priced at 49 cents) Commemorative PSA Pane of 20 Stamps

Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices™ of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales. Distribution quantities for the automatic push distribution will be available by logging on to SFS Web at sfsweb.usps.gov. Post Offices may begin ordering stamps on the first-day-of-issue through SFS Web; offices must also check the amount they will receive on their automatic push distribution.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

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 usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-782-6724. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Celebrating African American History and
Culture Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

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. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by November 24, 2017.

How to Order First-Day Covers

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, online at usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free issue of USA Philatelic at usps.com/philatelic, by calling 800-782-6724, or by writing to:

U.S. Postal Service
USA Philatelic Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products

Philatelic products for this stamp issue are as follows:

n 474206, Press Sheet with Die-cut, $88.20.

n 474210*, Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $11.95.

n 474216*, First-Day Cover, $0.93.

n 474221*, Digital Color Postmark, $1.64.

n 474224*, Framed Art, $29.95.

n 474230*, Ceremony Program, $6.95.

n 474233*, Panel, $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.

 

Issue:

Celebrating African American History and Culture Stamp

Item Number:

474200

Denomination & Type of Issue:

First-Class Mail® Forever

Format:

Pane of 20 (1 design)

Series:

N/A

Issue Date & City:

September 24, 2017, Washington, DC 20066

Designer:

Antonio Alcalà, Alexandria, VA

Art Director:

Antonio Alcalà, Alexandria, VA

Typographer:

Antonio Alcalà, Alexandria, VA

Existing Photo:

Alan Karchmer

Modeler:

Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn

Manufacturing Process:

Offset, Microprint

Printer:

Banknote Corporation of America

Printed at:

Browns Summit, NC

Press Type:

Alprinta 74

Stamps per Pane:

20

Print Quantity:

15,000,000 stamps

Paper Type:

Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block Tag

Adhesive Type:

Pressure-sensitive

Processed at:

Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit NC

Colors:

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black

Stamp Orientation:

Horizontal

Image Area (w x h):

1.42 x 1.085 in/36.07 x 27.56 mm

Overall Size (w x h):

1.56 x 1.225 in/39.62 x 31.12 mm

Full Pane Size (w x h):

7.24 x 7.50 in/183.90 x 190.5 mm

Press Sheets Size (w x h):

21.72 x 22.50 in/551.69 x 571.5 mm

Plate Size:

180 stamps per revolution

Plate Numbers:

“B” followed by four (4) single digits

Marginal Markings:

Front:

Header: Celebrating African American History and Culture • Plate numbers in two corners of pane

Back:

© 2016 USPS • USPS logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (474200) in upper right and lower left corners of pane • Promotional text