The U.S. Postal Service has issued a 44-cent Kate Smith commemorative stamp in one design in a pressure-sensitive pane of 20 stamps. The stamp, designed by Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD, is on sale nationwide. 40 million stamps have been printed.

With this 2010 stamp, the Postal Service honors Kate Smith (1907-1986), the celebrated singer and entertainer whose signature song, “God Bless America” (composed by Irving Berlin), has been called America’s unofficial national anthem. In a career that spanned almost five decades, Smith recorded nearly 600 songs. At least 20 of her records sold more than a million copies, including three religious albums.

The stamp art duplicates artwork created for the cover of a CD titled “Kate Smith: The Songbird of the South.” The art work was based on a photograph of Smith taken in the 1960s.

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 Kate Smith 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, Naples, or Sanibel. All orders must be postmarked by August 27, 2010.

For detailed information on selection criteria for stamps visit http://www.stamps.com/communications/organization/csac.htm. 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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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.