On July 16, 2008, in Washington, DC, the Postal Service™ will issue a 42-cent Take Me Out to the Ball Game commemorative stamp in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 (Item 462100). Designed by Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Arizona, the stamp goes on sale nationwide July 16, 2008.
This issuance commemorates the 100th anniversary of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” one of the most popular baseball songs of all time. For decades, the song’s catchy chorus has been part of the musical tradition at ballparks around the country, especially during the seventh-inning stretch. The song was born on a New York City train in the summer of 1908, when passenger Jack Norworth (1879–1959), an actor, singer, and songwriter who had never attended a major league ball game, saw a sign about an upcoming game at the Polo Grounds. Suddenly inspired, he took out a piece of paper and began dashing off lines about a fictional fan.
Issue:
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Take Me Out to the Ball Game
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Item Number:
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462100
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Denomination &
Type of Issue:
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42-cent Commemorative
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Format:
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Pane of 20 (1 design)
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Series:
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N/A
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Issue Date & City:
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July 16, 2008,
Washington, DC 20066
(No Ceremony)
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Designer:
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Richard Sheaff, Scotsdale, AZ
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Art Director:
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Richard Sheaff, Scotsdale, AZ
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Typographer:
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Richard Sheaff, Scotsdale, AZ
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Engraver:
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WRE ColorTech
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Modeler:
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Avery Dennison, SPD
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Manufacturing Process:
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Gravure
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Printer:
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Avery Dennison (AVR)
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Printed at:
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AVR, Clinton, SC
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Press Type:
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Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)
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Stamps per Pane:
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20
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Print Quantity:
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75 million stamps
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Paper Type:
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Prephosphored, Type II
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Adhesive Type:
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Pressure-sensitive
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Processed at:
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AVR, Clinton, SC
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Colors:
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Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, Black
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Stamp Orientation:
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Vertical
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Image Area (w x h):
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0.85 x 1.43 in./21.59 x 36.32 mm
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Overall Size (w x h):
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0.99 x 1.56 in./25.15 x 39.62 mm
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Full Pane Size (w x h):
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5.85 x 7.25 in./148.59 x 184.15 mm
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Plate Size:
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200 stamps per revolution
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Plate Numbers:
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“V” followed by four (4) single digits
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Marginal Markings:
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Front:
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©2007 USPS • Price • Plate
position diagram • Plate
numbers in four corners of pane
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Back:
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Barcode (462100) in four corners of
pane • Brief history of “Take Me
Out to the Ball Game” song on
back of stamps • USPS logo
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Customers have 60 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™, at The Postal Store® Web site at www.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 a larger envelope addressed to:
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME STAMP
POSTMASTER
SPECIAL CANCELLATIONS
PO BOX 92282
WASHINGTON DC 20090-2282
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 September 16, 2008.
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
There are four philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
Items with an asterisk (*) will use the 128 barcode from Stamp Fulfillment Services. All other philatelic products will continue to use barcode series A, with the exception of the Yearbook and the Guide Book.
Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) will receive approximately 75 to 80 percent of their full standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA sheet stamp. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size (40,000 stamps).
SDOs will make a subsequent automatic distribution to Post Offices of one-half their full standard automatic distribution quantity using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distribute stamps to Post Offices before July 10, 2008.
Post Offices requiring additional stamps must requisition Item 462100 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, New York, Memphis, and San Francisco APDs will each receive 2,800,000 additional stamps; and the Denver APD will receive 880,000 additional stamps.
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, 6-19-08
