Stamp Announcement 08-49: Kwanzaa

42-cent Kwanzaa stamp

On October 24, 2008, in New York, New York, the Postal Service™ will issue a 42-cent, Kwanzaa special stamp in one design in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of of 20 stamps (Item 573200). Designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, the stamp goes on sale nationwide October 24, 2008.

This stamp design was previously issued with a 37-cent denomination in 2004, a 39-cent denomination in 2006, and a 41-cent denomination in 2007.

How to Order the First Day of Issue Postmark

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® website 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:

Kwanzaa Stamp
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 December 25, 2008.

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

 

Issue:

Kwanzaa

Item Number:

573200

Denomination &
Type of Issue:


42-cent Special

Format:

Pane of 20 (1 design)

Series:

Holiday

Issue Date & City:

October 24, 2008, New York,
NY 10199, Mega Stamp Show
(No Ceremony)

Designer:

Derry Noyes, Washington, DC

Illustrator:

Daniel Minter, Portland, ME

Art Director:

Derry Noyes, Washington, DC

Typographer:

Derry Noyes, Washington, DC

Engraver:

N/A

Modeler:

Joseph Sheeran

Manufacturing Process:

Offset/Microprint “USPS”

Printer:

Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.

Printed at:

Williamsville, NY

Press Type:

Mueller Martini, A 76

Stamps per Pane:

20

Print Quantity:

35 million stamps

Paper Type:

Nonphosphored, Type III, Overcoat
Taggant applied

Adhesive Type:

Pressure-sensitive

Processed at:

Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.

Colors:

Black, Hexachrome Cyan, PMS
1788 (Red), PMS 109 (Yellow),
PMS 143 (Orange), PMS 355
(Green)

Stamp Orientation:

Horizontal

Image Area (w x h):

1.05 x 0.77 in./26.67 x 19.56 mm

Overall Size (w x h):

1.19 x 0.91 in./30.23 x 23.11 mm

Full Pane Size (w x h):

5.76 x 5.55 in./146.30 x 140.97 mm

Plate Size:

320 stamps per revolution

Plate Numbers:

“P” followed by six (6) single digits

Marginal Markings:

 

Front:

© 2003 USPS • Price • Plate
numbers in four corners of pane
• Plate position diagram

Back:

Four barcodes “573200” • USPS
logo

may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
U.S. Postal Service
P.O. Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products

There are two 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.

Distribution: Item 573200, 42-cent Kwanzaa, PSA Pane of 20 Stamps

Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) will receive approxi­mately 25 to 30 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).

Initial Supply to Post Offices

SDOs will make a subsequent automatic distribution to Post Offices of 25 percent of their full standard automatic distribution quantity using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distribute stamps to Post Offices before October 17, 2008.

Additional Supply

Post Offices requiring additional stamps must requisi­tion Item 573200 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 and New York APDs will each receive 4,000,000 additional stamps; the Memphis APD will receive 2,400,000 additional stamps; and the San Francisco APD will receive 1,200,000 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.