Philately

STAMP ANNOUNCEMENT 05-30

Holiday Cookies

The Postal ServiceTM will issue 37-cent, Holiday Cookies special stamps in four designs, on October 20, 2005, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and New York, New York (Mega Stamp Show). The stamps designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, go on sale nationwide on October 21, 2005.

In celebration of the winter holiday season, the stamps feature festively decorated cookies. Two snowmen, two elves (one sugar cookie and one gingerbread), an angel, and Santa Claus are all part of the delicious fun, adding made warmth to seasonal correspondence.

The stamps will be issued in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 567500), a double- sided booklet of 20 stamps (Item 674000), and a folded vending booklet of 20 stamps (Item 674100).

How to Order the 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:

HOLIDAY COOKIES STAMPS
POSTMASTER
100 S FIRST ST
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55401-9998

HOLIDAY COOKIES STAMPS
POSTMASTER
421 EIGHTH AVE RM 2029B
NEW YORK NY 10199-9998

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 November 19, 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

Philatelic Products

There are five philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

• First Day Cover (Set of 4) $3.00 (Item 567563).

• Digital Color Postmark Random Single Cover $1.50 (Item 567565).

• Digital Color Postmark (Set of 4 Covers) $6.00 (Item 567568).

• Holiday Planner w/Stamps, $14.95 (Item 567587).

• Cancellation Keepsake (FP w/CP Cover Set of 4) $13.40 (Item 567599).

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 567500, 37-cent Holiday Cookies PSA Pane of 20 Stamps

Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) will receive double 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 for their full standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA sheet stamp using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distribute stamps to Post Offices before October 14, 2005.

Philatelic Requirement

SDOs will not receive a separate quantity Item 567500 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 567500 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 Chicago, Memphis, and New York APDs will each receive 6,000,000 additional stamps; the San Francisco APD will receive 5,760,000 additional stamps; and the Denver APD will receive 1,600,000 additional stamps. For fulfilling supplemental orders from APDs, the Kansas City Stamp Services Center will receive 20,000,000 additional stamps.

Distribution: Item 674000, $7.40 Holiday Cookies, PSA Double-Sided Booklet of 20

SDOs will receive approxmately one-half 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 for one-half their full standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA booklet using PS Form 17. SDOs must not distribute stamps to Post Offices before October 14, 2005.

Philatelic Requirement

SDOs will not receive a separate quantity Item 674000 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 booklets must requisition Item 674000 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 San Francisco, Chicago, Memphis, and New York APDs will each receive 1,000,000 additional booklets; the Denver APD will receive 300,000 additional booklets.

Distribution: Items 674100 and 674111, $7.40 Holiday Cookies, PSA Folded Vending Book of 20 (for Vending Use Only)

SDOs will receive automatic distributions of the Holiday Cookies folded vending books of 20, both straight packaging (Item 674100) and crisscross packaging (Item 674111). Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size (4,500 books for straight; 3,000 books for crisscross).

Initial Supply to Post Offices

SDOs will not make a subsequent automatic distribution to Post Offices. Only Post Offices equipped with the appropriate self-service vending machines may order Items 674100 and 674111 from their designated SDO using a separate PS Form 17. SDOs must not distribute stamps to Post Offices before October 14, 2005.

Additional Supply

Authorized Post Offices, requiring additional books for restocking of the appropriate self-service vending machines, must requisition them from their designated SDO using PS Form 17. SDOs requiring additional books must order them from the appropriate APD using PS Form 17.

For fulfilling supplemental orders from SDOs, APDs will receive additional quantities of the vendible straight books (Item 674100) and crisscross books (Item 674111).

— Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 9-15-05

UPDATE

Stamp Announcement 05-25, Let's Dance/Bailemos Stamps

For the article "Stamp Announcement 05-25: Let's Dance/Bailemos Stamps" in Postal Bulletin 22161 (8-18-05, pages 49-51), the addresses for sending requests for first day of issue postmarks were not available at the time of the Postal Bulletin printing.

The addresses are now available and are provided below:

LETS DANCE BAILEMOS STAMPS
POSTMASTER
2200 NW 72 AVE
MIAMI FL 33152-9998

LETS DANCE BAILEMOS STAMPS
421 8TH AVE RM 2029B
NEW YORK NY 10199-9998

— Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 9-15-05

UPDATE

Greta Garbo Stamp

In the article "Stamp Announcement 05-27: Greta Garbo Stamp" in Postal Bulletin 22161 (8-18-05, pages 54-55), the address for sending requests for first day of issue postmarks was not available at the time of the printing of the Postal Bulletin.

The address is now available and is provided below:

GRETA GARBO STAMP
POSTMASTER
SPECIAL EVENTS UNIT
421 8TH AVE RM 2029B
NEW YORK NY 10199-9998

The cancellations for Stockholm, Sweden, should also be sent to the New York address.

In addition, Item 458496, Swedish Souvenir Sheet, mentioned in the stamp announcement is not available.

— Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 9-15-05

CORRECTION

Jim Henson the Man Behind the Muppets Stamps

In the article "Stamp Announcement 05-28: Jim Henson the Man Behind the Muppets Stamps" in Postal Bulletin 22162 (9-1-05, page 95), the name of 1 of the 13 Muppet characters was misspelled as "Camille the Chicken." The correct spelling is "Camilla the Chicken."

— Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 9-15-05

Pictorial Postmarks Announcement

As a community service, the Postal ServiceTM offers pictorial postmarks to commemorate local events celebrated in communities throughout the nation. A list of events for which pictorial postmarks are authorized appears below. If available, the sponsor of the pictorial postmark appears in italics under the date. Also provided, as space permits, are illustrations of those postmarks that were reproducible and available at press time.

People attending these local events may obtain the postmark in person at the temporary Post OfficeTM station established there. Those who cannot attend the event, but who wish to obtain the postmark, may submit a mail order request. Pictorial postmarks are available only for the dates indicated, and requests must be postmarked no later than 30 days following the requested pictorial postmark date.

All requests must include a stamped envelope or postcard bearing at least the minimum First-Class Mail® postage. Items submitted for postmark may not include postage issued after the date of the requested postmark. Such items will be returned unserviced.

Customers wishing to obtain a postmark should affix stamps to any envelope or postcard of their choice, address the envelope or postcard to themselves or others,insert a card of postcard thickness in envelopes for sturdiness, and tuck in the flap. Place the envelope or postcard in a larger envelope and address it to: PICTORIAL POSTMARKS, followed by the NAME OF THE STATION,ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP+4® CODE, exactly as listed below (using all capitals and no punctuation, except thehyphen in the ZIP+4 code).

Customers can also send stamped envelopes and postcards without addresses for postmark, as long as they supply a larger envelope with adequate postage and their return address. After applying the pictorial postmark, the Postal Service returns the items (with or without addresses) under addressed protective cover.

The following postmark has been extended for 60 days.

July 17, 2005

Casa Labadie/Municipio Moca

ESTACION CENTENARIO

POSTMASTER

PICTORIAL CANCELLATION COORDINATOR

585 AVE FD ROOSEVELT STE 223

SAN JUAN PR 00936-9996

— Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 9-15-05

— Mailing Standards, Pricing and Classification, 9-15-05