To obtain a high-resolution of the stamp image for media use only, please email sarah.a.ninivaggi@usps.gov.

MILWAUKEE, WI — The Postal Service reissued a 1-cent stamp featuring a distinctive bobcat design in a water-activated gum coil of 10,000 stamps at the American Philatelic Society Stamp Show today. Customers may purchase the Bobcat stamp at usps.com/stamps, at 800-STAMP-24 (800-782-6724) and at Post Offices nationwide.

The stamp art is a highly stylized, digital image of a bobcat with golden eyes, a pink nose and fur in shades of brown. Nancy Stahl of New York City illustrated the stamp under the guidance of Carl Herrmann of Carlsbad, CA, one of the stamp program’s five art directors.

“The Bobcat stamp is an ideal product for small-business mailers — and any customer, for that matter — to use whenever a price adjustment goes into effect,” said U.S. Postal Service Executive Director of Stamp Services and Corporate Licensing Susan McGowan in dedicating the stamp. “Customers won’t have to discard their old denominated stamps since the new Bobcat 1-cent stamps can be used when mailing statements, brochures and any other correspondence.”  

The Postal Service originally issued this bobcat design in 2012 as a 1-cent definitive stamp in coils of 3,000.  Definitive stamps, also known as mail use stamps, may vary in denomination, are issued in unlimited quantities, and may remain on sale for an indefinite period. Commemorative stamps are produced in limited quantities and depict the cultural and historical heritage of the United States (e.g., important people, events, places or special subjects of national appeal or significance). Commemorative stamps are usually issued at the 1-ounce single-piece First-Class Mail letter price, and are sold for a limited period of time. Today, commemorative stamps are Forever stamps, which are sold at the current price for mailing 1-ounce First-Class letters and are good for mailing letters anytime in the future, regardless of price changes.

Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are members of the feline family found across the United States. The medium-sized cats are proficient hunters, stalking their prey with patience and stealth. Much of the bobcat’s diet consists of rabbits and rodents, but they are not particular when it comes to choosing their next meal.

Bobcats are found in a wide range of environments, including mountains, forests and deserts. Their coats can range in color from beige to brown, with dark spots and stripes. Tufts of fur on the tips of their ears, and short bobbed tails help distinguish bobcats from other felines. Bobcats are mostly nocturnal and solitary, finding dens in caves or rocks. In the wild, bobcats can live more than 12 years.

The Bobcat and many of this year’s other stamps may be viewed on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, via Twitter @USPSstamps or at beyondtheperf.com/2013-preview.

First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase stamps at a local Post Office, The Postal Store at usps.com/stamps, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. Customers should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others, and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:

Bobcat 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. While the first 50 postmarks are free, there is a 5-cent charge per postmark beyond that. All orders must be postmarked by Oct. 9, 2013.

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 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:

United States Postal Service Catalog Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO  64121-9014

Philatelic Products
Two philatelic products are available for this stamp:

• 789216, First-Day Cover (Bobcat stamp plus Patriotic Star stamp), $0.91.

• 789221, Digital Color Postmark (Bobcat plus Patriotic Star stamp), $1.62.

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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation: 152 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 more than 31,000 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 42nd in the 2012 Fortune 500. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for seven years and the fourth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.