Philately

The Postal ServiceTM will issue 39-cent, Lunar New Year commemorative stamps in 12 designs in a pressure- sensitive adhesive (PSA) souvenir sheet of 12 stamps (Item 568700), on January 29, 2006, in Washington, DC. The stamps, designed by Clarence Lee of Honolulu, Hawaii, go on sale nationwide January 30, 2006.

Clarence Lee created intricate paper-cut designs for the 12 animals associated with the Chinese lunar calendar. The calligraphic characters used for this souvenir sheet were drawn by Lau Bun, also of Honolulu. The characters in the individual stamps identify the Year of the Dog, Rat, Tiger, and so on. The characters on the selvage to the left of the souvenir sheet may be translated as "Happy New Year!" The same greeting appears in English at the top of the sheet.

The Lunar New Year souvenir sheet may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

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:

LUNAR NEW YEAR STAMPS
POSTMASTER
SPECIAL CANCELLATIONS
PO BOX 92282
WASHINGTON DC 20066-9998

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 February 28, 2006.

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 three philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

• Item 568762 First Day Cover Full Pane - $7.18

• Item 568764 Canceled Full Pane - $7.18

• Item 568793 Keepsake - $11.86

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

Distribution: Item 568700, $4.68, Lunar New Year-Collection, PSA Commemorative Sheet of 12 Stamps

Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) will receive approximately one-half of their standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA sheet stamp. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size (2,000 commemorative sheets/24,000 stamps).

Initial Supply to Post Offices

SDOs will make a subsequent automatic distribution to Post Offices of one-half their standard automatic distribution quantities using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distribute this commemorative sheet to Post Offices before January 24, 2004.

Philatelic Requirement

SDOs will not receive a separate quantity Item 568700 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 Item 568700 must requisition them from their designated SDO using PS Form 17. SDOs requiring additional commemorative sheets must order them from the appropriate accountable paper depository (APD) using PS Form 17.

For fulfilling supplemental orders from SDOs, the San Francisco APD will receive 500,000 additional commemorative sheets; the New York APD will receive 400,000 additional commemorative sheets; the Memphis and Chicago APDs will each receive 160,000 additional commemorative sheets; and the Denver APD will receive 60,000 additional commemorative sheets.

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. The $4.68 Lunar New Year commemorative sheet may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

— Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 1-5-06

"2006 Stamps and Postal Stationery" (Updated Announcement 06-A, January 2006), which appears on page 21, replaces the quarterly announcement of the same name, previously printed and sent to customers on request through Stamp Fulfillment Services in Kansas City. The announcement is a listing of stamps and postal stationery items scheduled for issuance during calendar year 2005. Post OfficesTM may wish to post this schedule on their bulletin boards.

Customers may also access the Postal Bulletin through the Postal ServiceTM Web site at www.usps.com; click on About USPS & News, then Forms & Publications, then Postal Bulletin.

This announcement will be updated every 2 to 3 months, as changes warrant.

How to Order First Day of Issue Cancellations and Covers

Customers may purchase new stamps or postal station- ery items at their Post Office, from the USA Philatelic catalog, by calling 800-STAMP-24, or online at www.usps.com by clicking on Buy Stamps & Shop. Then they should prepare their own covers by affixing new stamps to the upper-right corner of envelopes or postcards of their choice, and address those envelopes, postcards, or postal station- ery items to themselves or others. (Postage must equal the current First-Class Mail® rate.) For sturdiness, include a card of postcard thickness in each cover (envelopes only) submitted, and tuck in the flap. Place the cover in a larger envelope addressed to:

NAME OF ISSUE
POSTMASTER
CITY STATE ZIP CODE (followed by -9991).

Covers submitted for first day of issue cancellations may include additional uncancelled stamps only if the uncancelled stamps were issued before the first day of issue of the new stamps or postal stationery items. All orders must be postmarked on or before the deadline indicated in the "2006 Stamps and Postal Stationery" announcement on page 21.

INFORMATION FULFILLMENT
DEPT 6270
US POSTAL SERVICE
PO BOX 219014
KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9014

— Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 1-5-06

CORRECTION

Navajo Jewelry Stamp

In the article "Stamp Announcement 05-33: Navajo Jewelry Stamp" in Postal Bulletin 22169 (12-8-05, pages 59-60), the section How to Order First Day Covers does not apply to this stamp issue.

— Stamps Services, Government Relations, 1-5-06

The price of semipostal stamps, which is 45 cents each, will remain unchanged when First-Class Mail® rate changes go into effect on January 8, 2006. The two semipostal stamps currently on sale are the Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp and the Stop Family Violence semipostal stamp.

The 45-cent semipostal rate meets the pricing formula mandated by federal law, which sets a minimum differential of 15 percent. The differential is defined as the difference between the First-Class® single-piece letter rate and the actual price of the semipostal stamp. Once the First-Class Mail rate changes go into effect, the differential will be reduced from 8 cents per stamp to 6 cents per stamp.

First-Class single-piece mail with semipostal stamps should not be returned to sender unless it meets one or more of the following criteria:

1. The piece weighs more than 1 ounce.

2. The piece is subject to the nonmachinable surcharge.

3. The sender has elected extra services.

For questions on the postage value of semipostal stamps, see Mailing Standards of the United Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 604.1.10.

— Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 1-5-06

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.

November 10, 2005

US Postal Service

DISTINGUISHED MARINES STAMPS CAMP PENDLETON FIRST DAY OF SALE POSTMARK

MPO OIC

1895 AVENIDA DEL ORO

OCEANSIDE CA 92056-9998

— Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 1-5-06

— Mailing Standards, Pricing and Classification, 1-5-06