Philately

STAMP ANNOUNCEMENT 06-29

Happy Birthday Stamp

The Postal ServiceTM will issue a 39-cent Happy Birthday commemorative stamp in one design in a pressure- sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 568800), on June 23, 2006, in Santa Clara, California. The stamp, designed by Harry Zelenko of New York, New York, goes on sale nationwide June 24, 2006.

The Happy Birthday stamp, which is being reissued with the 39-cent denomination, was first issued Februay 8, 2002, with a 34-cent denomination, and then reissued October 25, 2002, with a 37-cent denomination.

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:

[INFORMATION NOT AVAILABLE AT
THE TIME OF PRINTING]

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 July 22, 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 no philatelic products available for this stamp issue.

Distribution: Item 568800, 39-cent Happy Birthday, PSA Pane of 20 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 (40,000 stamps).

Initial Supply to Post Offices

SDOs will make a subsequent automatic distribution to Post Offices of one-half their standard automatic distribution quantity using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distribute stamps to Post Offices before June 19, 2006.

Philatelic Requirement

Philatelic centers must be supplied their required quantities of Item 568800 from the initial automatic distribution made to SDOs.

Additional Supply

Post Offices requiring additional stamps must requisition Item 568800 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, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco APDs will each receive 2,400,000 additional stamps; and the Denver APD will receive 840,000 additional stamps. The Kansas City Stamp Service Center will receive 6,000,000 additional stamps for fulfilling supplemental orders from the APDs.

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, 5-25-06