Philately

STAMP ANNOUNCEMENT 05-16

American Advances in Aviation Stamps

The Postal ServiceTM will issue 37-cent, American Advances in Aviation commemorative stamps in 10 designs (Item 458700) in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 on July 29, 2005, in Vienna, Virginia, and Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The stamps, designed by Phil Jordan of Falls Church, Virginia, go on sale nationwide July 30, 2005.

The airplanes chosen for this new stamps pane depict American innovations and technological contributions to

How to Order First Day of Issue Postmark

Customers have 30 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post OfficeTM, by telephone at 800-STAMP-24, and at the Postal Store Web site at www.usps.com/shop. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

AMERICAN ADVANCES IN AVIATION STAMPS
VIENNA POST OFFICE
200 LAWYERS ROAD NW
VIENNA VA 22180-9998

or

AMERICAN ADVANCES IN AVIATION STAMPS
POSTMASTER
1025 W 20TH AVE
OSHKOSH WI 54902-9998

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 August 28, 2005.

How to Order First Day Covers

Stamp Fulfillment Services 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
US POSTAL SERVICE
PO BOX 219014
KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9014

First day covers remain on sale for at least 1 year after the stamp's issuance.

Philatelic Products

There are five philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

• First Day Cover (set of 10) $7.50 (Item 458763).

• Digital Color Postmark Random Single Cover $1.50 (Item 458765).

• Digital Color Postmark Set of 10 Covers $15.00 (Item 458768).

• Keepsake Print with Stamp (price may change) $21.95 (Item 458782).

• Cancellation Keepsake (10 covers/pane set) $14.95 (Item 458793).

These products will be available while supplies last at postal stores, online at www.usps.com, and by telephone at 800-STAMP-24.

Distribution: Item 458700, American Advances in Aviation Commemorative Stamps

Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) will receive approximately their full standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA sheet stamp. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size (40,000 stamps).

Initial Supply to Post Offices

SDOs will make a subsequent automatic distribution to Post Offices of their full standard automatic distribution quantity using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distribute stamps to Post Offices before July 25, 2005.

Philatelic Requirement

SDO will not receive a separate quantity of Item 458700 for their authorized philatelic centers. Philatelic centers must be supplied their quantities from the initial automatic distribution made to SDOs.

Additional Supply

Post Offices requiring additional stamps must requisition Item 458700 from their designated SDO using PS Form 17. SDOs requiring additional stamps must order them from the appropriate accountable paper depository (APD) using PS Form 17.

For fulfilling supplemental orders from SDOs, the Memphis and New York APDs will each receive 4,800,000 additional stamps; the Chicago APD will receive 4,200,000 additional stamps; the San Francisco APD will receive 3,840,000 additional stamps; and the Denver APD will receive 1,600,000 additional stamps.

Sales Policy

All Post Offices must acquire and maintain a supply of each new commemorative stamp as long as customer demand exists, until inventory is depleted, or until the stamp is officially withdrawn from sale. If supplies run low, Post Offices must reorder additional quantities using their normal ordering procedures.

— Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 6-23-05

STAMP ANNOUNCEMENT 05-17

New Mexico Rio Grande Blankets Stamps

The Postal ServiceTM will issue 37-cent, New Mexico Rio Grande Blankets commemorative stamps in four designs (Item 673700) in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) double-sided convertible booklet of 20 (4 designs) on July 30, 2005, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The stamps, designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, go on sale nationwide July 31, 2005.

For this fifth issuance in the American Treasures series, art director Derry Noyes chose four 19th century New Mexico Rio Grande blankets. The stamps feature photographs of blankets from the collections of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico; the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology in Santa Fe, New Mexico; and the Taylor Museum, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The American Treasures series started with the Amish Quilts (2001) followed by John James Audubon (2002), Mary Cassatt (2003), and Martin Johnson Heade (2004). The series is intended to showcase beautiful works of American fine art and crafts.

How to Order First Day of Issue Postmark

Customers have 30 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post OfficeTM, by telephone at 800-STAMP-24, and at the Postal Store Web site at www.usps.com/shop. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

NEW MEXICO RIO GRANDE BLANKETS STAMPS
POSTMASTER
120 S FEDERAL PL
SANTA FE NM 87501-9998

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 August 29, 2005.

How to Order First Day Covers

Stamp Fulfillment Services 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
US POSTAL SERVICE
PO BOX 219014
KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9014

First day covers remain on sale for at least 1 year after the stamp's issuance.

Philatelic Products

There are four philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

• First Day Cover (set of four) $3.00 (Item 673763).

• Digital Color Postmark Random Single Cover $1.50 (Item 673765).

• Digital Color Postmark Set of Four Covers $6.00 (Item 673768).

• Cancellation Keepsake (one random CP Cover w/bklt) $8.90 (Item 673799).

These products will be available while supplies last at postal stores, online at www.usps.com, and by telephone at 800-STAMP-24.

Distribution: Item 673700, $7.40 New Mexico Rio Grande Blankets Double-Sided Booklet of 20 Stamps

Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) will receive approximately one-quarter their standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA booklet. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size (4,000 booklets).

Initial Supply to Post Offices

SDOs will make a subsequent automatic distribution to Post Offices of one-quarter their standard automatic booklet distribution quantity using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distribute these booklets to Post Offices before July 25, 2005.

Philatelic Requirement

SDOs will not receive a separate quantity of Item 673700 for their authorized philatelic centers. The philatelic centers must be supplied their quantities from the initial automatic distribution made to the SDOs.

Additional Supply

Post Offices requiring additional booklets must requisition Item 673700 from their designated SDO using PS Form 17. SDOs requiring additional booklets must order them from the appropriate accountable paper depository (APD) using PS Form 17.

For fulfilling supplemental orders from SDOs, the Memphis APD will receive 720,000 additional booklets; the Chicago, San Francisco, and New York APDs will each receive 660,000 additional booklets; and the Denver APD will receive 300,000 additional booklets.

Sales Policy

All Post Offices must acquire and maintain a supply of each new commemorative stamp as long as customer demand exists, until inventory is depleted, or until the stamp is officially withdrawn from sale. If supplies run low, Post Offices must reorder additional quantities using their normal ordering procedures.

— Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 6-23-05

STAMP ANNOUNCEMENT 05-18

U.S. Flag Stamp

The Postal ServiceTM will issue a 37-cent U.S. Flag definitive stamp (Item 780100) in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) coil of 100 in one design. The stamp was printed by offset process.

The U.S. Flag stamp is a reprint/variety and was previously issued in the same format in June 2002 by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and in August 2003 by Sennett Security Products. Both of the previous issues were printed by gravure.

— Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 6-23-05

Stamp Stock Items Withdrawn From Regular Sale and From Sale at Philatelic Centers

Effective close of business June 30, 2005, all Post OfficesTM, stations, branches, postal stores, vending outlets, and authorized philatelic centers must (1) withdraw the stamp stock items and products listed below and their related vending and store-prepared stamp items from sale and (2) prepare them for destruction. Submit items to destruction sites according to local established procedures, under the guidelines in Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting Procedures, subchapter 45, Destroying Stamp Stock.

Do not permit sales of the stamp stock items, products, and their related vending and store-prepared stamp items listed below at retail counters and outlets after June 30, 2005, unless otherwise instructed. Items listed are also withdrawn from sale at Stamp Fulfillment Services.

— Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 6-23-05

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