DIXON, IL — The Postal Service honored Ronald Reagan today, America’s 40th President, by dedicating a new commemorative Forever Stamp in celebration of the centennial year of his birth.
“President Reagan always considered Dixon his hometown,” said Chairwoman Ann Lewis, Dixon Reagan Centennial Commission. “It is a special privilege having this new stamp dedicated here.”
This stamp ceremony was held at the Dixon Historic Center and part of a number of Reagan centennial events taking place across the nation in 2011. The stamp art by Bart Forbes of Plano, TX, was created in oil wash on board. It is based on a photograph of Reagan taken in 1985, during his second term as president, at his beloved Rancho del Cielo (Ranch in the Sky), near Santa Barbara, CA.
Distinguished by his charisma and oratorical skills, Reagan was an accomplished Hollywood actor who appeared in more than 50 films before becoming a prominent political leader. He often is credited with bolstering the conservative movement in America, moving it from the margins to the mainstream of politics and government.
When Reagan left office in January 1989, he and former First Lady Nancy Reagan returned to California. Later that year, Communist East Germany opened its borders — including the Berlin Wall — to the West. This momentous event occurred less than two and a half years after Reagan’s famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate, in which he boldly challenged his counterpart in the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to “tear down this wall!”
Joining Lewis in the dedication ceremony in Dixon was Northern Illinois District Manager Bob Hart, United States Postal Service. In his remarks, Hart mentioned the role a former Dixon Letter Carrier played in preserving Reagan’s legacy.
In the summer of 1980, Dixon Letter Carrier Lynn Knights was delivering mail when he noticed a For Sale sign in front of the house that Reagan grew up in. Knights knew this house had the potential to be an important part of Dixon’s history and the nation, which is why he became a charter member of the association that raised the money to buy the home and restore it for future generations.
“It was a good thing he did,” said Hart. “History may have been different in Dixon without the foresight of Lynn Knights.”
How to Order the First-Day-of-Sale Postmark
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at a local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop, 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 larger envelopes addressed to:
Ronald Reagan Stamp
Postmaster
405 West 2nd Street
Dixon, IL 61021-9998
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 April 11, 2011.
How to Order 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. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:
Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
U.S. Postal Service
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014
Philatelic Products
There are five philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
- 466561, First-Day Cover, $0.82
- 466565, Digital Color Postmark, $1.50
- 466584, Uncut Press Sheet, $88
- 466591, Ceremony Program, $6.95
- 466599, Keepsake Pane of 20 with Digital Color Post, $10.95
To learn more about the Postal Service’s Stamp Program, visit http://beyondtheperf.com.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
# # #
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.
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 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 $67 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 29th in the 2010 Fortune 500. 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 six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.
