A high-resolution image of the stamp is available for media use only by emailing darlene.casey@usps.gov.

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Postal Service introduced the Global Forever First-Class Mail International stamp. Priced at $1.10 each and offered in a pane of 20, the Global stamp offers a single price for any First-Class Mail International 1-ounce letter to any country in the world. The Global stamp also may be used to mail a 2-ounce letter to Canada.

Customers may purchase the stamps at usps.com/stamps, by phone at 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724) and at Post Offices nationwide.

The stamp showcases the beauty of planet Earth with an artistic rendering — a composite of images created from satellite and 3D computer technology data. In this image, the Atlantic Ocean is flanked by North and South America, Africa and parts of Europe. Art director William J. Gicker selected this depiction of Earth by Italian artist Leonello Calvetti. Greg Breeding designed the stamp.

Customers may view the Global Forever stamp , as well as many of this year’s other stamps on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, on Twitter @USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/2013-preview. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service’s site for information about upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.

Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks
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 at usps.com/stamps,, 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:

Global Forever Stamp
Postmaster
421 Eighth Ave., Rm. 2029B
New York, NY  10199-9998

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 March 28, 2013.

Ordering First-Day Covers
The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items post-marked 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 usps.com/stamps, 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

Philatelic Products
There are seven philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

578806, Press Sheet with die cuts, $88. (print quantity of 2,500).
578808, Press Sheet without die cuts, $88. (print quantity of 2,500).
578810, Keepsake (Pane & Digital Color Postmark Set), $24.95.
578816, First-Day Cover, $1.54.
578821, Digital Color Postmark, $2.25.
578831, Stamp Deck Card, $0.95.
578832, Stamp Deck Card w/Digital Color Post-mark, $2.60.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to http://about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service was ranked number one in overall service performance, out of the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world, Oxford Strategic Consulting. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

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