Do you remember when the 50th star was added to our American flag? It was in 1959, the year that Hawaii became the 50th state in the United States. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Hawaii’s statehood, the U.S. Postal Service has issued a 44-cent, Hawaii Statehood commemorative stamp in one design in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps. The stamp is on sale nationwide.

Artist and historian Herb Kawainui Kane of Captain Cook, Hawaii, who has dedicated much of his life to studying Hawaiian culture and history, created the painting on the stamp. In the art, a surfer rides a wave on a longboard, a popular choice among surfers for centuries. next to him, two people paddle an outrigger canoe to shore.

Kane has extensive knowledge and experience in surfing and canoe construction, a skill he developed from building a traditional sailing canoe himself. 40 million stamps have been printed.

Customers have 90 days from the official first day of issuance date to obtain first day of sale postmarks on new stamps and stationery items. Collectors may request a local first day of sale postmark by mail only. 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 Hawaii 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; if not specified, the postmark applied will be for the return address city. All orders must be postmarked by November 22, 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.