©2017 USPS
On May 23, 2018, in La Jolla, CA, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Sally Ride stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 477300). The stamp will go on sale nationwide May 23, 2018.
America’s first woman in space, Dr. Sally Ride (1951–2012), inspired the nation as a pioneering astronaut, brilliant physicist, and dedicated educator. The stamp art, sketched first in charcoal and then rendered in oil paint, features a colorful portrait of Ride in her light blue space suit with a dramatic depiction of a space shuttle lifting off in the background. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp with artwork by Paul Salmon.
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 in their automatic push distribution.
Only the following pictorial postmark is permitted for the Sally Ride stamp. The word “Station” or the abbreviation “STA” is required somewhere in the design, because it will be a temporary station.
To finalize the Sally Ride 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.
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 event using PS Form 413, Pictorial Postmark Announcement/Report. To get a copy of the form, go to blue.usps.gov/formmgmt/forms/ps413.pdf.
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. 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 – Sally Ride 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 September 23, 2018.
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 USA Philatelic publication and online at usps.com/shop. Customers may register to receive a free USA Philatelic publication online at usps.com/philatelic.
Philatelic products for this stamp issue are as follows:
n 477306, Press Sheet with Die-cut, $90.00.
n 477310*, Digital Color Keepsake, $11.95.
n 477316*, First-Day Cover, $0.94.
n 477321*, Digital Color Postmark, $1.65.
n 477330*, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
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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Sally Ride Stamp
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Item Number:
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477300
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Denomination &
Type of Issue:
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First-Class Mail Forever
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Format:
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Pane of 20 (1 design)
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Series:
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N/A
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Issue Date & City:
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May 23, 2018, La Jolla, CA 92037
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Art Director:
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Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
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Designer:
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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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Artist:
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Paul Salmon, Burke, VA
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Modeler:
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Joseph Sheeran
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Manufacturing Process:
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Offset, Microprint
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Printer:
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Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
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Printed at:
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Williamsville, NY
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Press Type:
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Muller A76
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Stamps per Pane:
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20
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Print Quantity:
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20,000,000 Stamps
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Paper Type:
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Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
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Adhesive Type:
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Pressure-sensitive
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Processed at:
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Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
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Colors:
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Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS 7687
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Stamp Orientation:
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Vertical
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Image Area (w x h):
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1.085 x 1.42 in/27.56 x 36.07 mm
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Overall Size (w x h):
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1.225 x 1.56 in/31.12 x 39.62 mm
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Full Pane Size (w x h):
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7.12 x 8.14 in/180.85 x 206.76 mm
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Press Sheet Size (w x h):
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21.36 x 25.295 in/542.54 x 642.49 mm
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Plate Size:
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180 stamps per revolution
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Plate Numbers:
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“P” followed by five (5) digits
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Marginal Markings:
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Front:
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Header: SALLY USA RIDE • Plate numbers in two corners
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Back:
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©2017 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (477300) • Plate Position Diagram • Promotional Text
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— Stamp Services, Marketing, 4-12-18
