Who doesn’t love Lucy? On August 11, 2009 in North Hollywood, California, the Postal Service will issue the 44-cent, Early TV Memories commemorative stamps in 20 designs in a pane of 20 stamps. With these stamps, the U.S. Postal Service commemorates 20 great shows from TV’s golden age. For more than a half century, Americans have turned to television for entertainment and information. Whether laughing at the first situation comedies, tingling at crime dramas, or identifying with ordinary people who had their day in the spotlight on game shows, audiences were charmed by the novelty of the young medium. The Early TV Memories commemorative postage stamps will only be available for purchase for a limited time.

A collectible First Day of Sale postmark for the cities of Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Naples will be offered locally on August 11th. The Cape Coral Central Post Office located at 1030 SE 9th Ave, Cape Coral will offer the postmarking service from 10:00 a.m. to noon. The Naples Main Post Office located at 1200 Goodlette Rd N, Naples will offer the service from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

A specially designed cachet envelope will be available for purchase. The postmark is available for any postage stamp issued within the previous 90 days. The postmark can also be applied to postage placed on any stationery item.

Collectors may also request a local first day of sale postmark by mail. There is no charge for servicing of first day of sale postmarks up to 50 covers. Mail-in customers must supply a self-addressed envelope with sufficient return postage applied to return the serviced covers.

To obtain the first day of sale postmark, mail stationery items bearing Early TV Memories stamps to: Customer Relations USPS, 79 Mid Cape Terr Ste 8, Cape Coral, FL 33991. Please specify which city you are requesting a postmark for—Fort Myers, Cape Coral or Naples, Florida; if not specified, the postmark applied will be for the return address city. All orders must be postmarked by November 11, 2009.

For more information about purchasing stamps, stamps by mail, postal regulations, a free subscription to USA Philatelic magazine, Post Office events, the location of the nearest postal store or contract unit, or for answers to your specific Postal Service questions, contact USPS at 1-800-275-8777, or visit www.usps.com. To schedule a presentation for your community, club or group on how the Postal Service brings the Post Office to your home or office computer, call 239-573-9638.

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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/welcome.htm.

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.