On January 14, 2010, in Los Angeles, California, at the El Pueblo Historical Monument, the Postal Service™ will issue a 44-cent, Celebrating Lunar New Year: Year of the Tiger commemorative stamp in one design in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) souvenir sheet of 12 stamps (Item 574300). Designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Maryland, the stamp goes on sale nationwide January 14, 2010. The $5.28 Celebrating Lunar New Year: Year of the Tiger souvenir sheet may not be split, and the stamps may not be sold individually.
The U.S. Postal Service® introduced its Celebrating Lunar New Year series in 2008. This is the third stamp in that series, which will continue through 2019 with stamps for the Year of the Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar.
Art Director Ethel Kessler and artist Kam Mak, who grew up in New York City’s Chinatown and now lives in Brooklyn, worked on the new series and decided to focus on some of the common ways the Lunar New Year Holiday is celebrated. To commemorate the Year of the Tiger, which begins February 14, 2010, they chose narcissus flowers, considered auspicious at any time of the year and, thus,
Issue:
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Celebrating Lunar New Year:
Year of the Tiger
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Item Number:
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574300
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Denomination & Type
of Issue:
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44-cent Commemorative
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Format:
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Souvenir Sheet of 12 (1design)
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Series:
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Celebrating Lunar New Year
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Issue Date & City:
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January 14, 2010,
Los Angeles, CA 90052
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Designer:
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Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
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Art Director:
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Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
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Artist:
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Kam Mak, Brooklyn, NY
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Typographer:
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Greg Berger, Bethesda, MD
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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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12
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Print Quantity:
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40 million stamps
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Paper Type:
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Non-phosphored, Type III
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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,
PMS 872 (Gold)
PMS 132 (Brown),
PMS 187 (Red)
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Stamp Orientation:
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Horizontal
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Image Area (w x h):
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1.42 x 0.85 in./36.07 x 21.59 mm
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Overall Size (w x h):
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1.56 x 0.98 in./39.62 x 24.89 mm
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Full Pane Size (w x h):
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7.25 x 5.85 in./184.15 x 148.59 mm
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Plate Size:
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108 stamps per revolution
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Plate Numbers:
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N/A
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Marginal Markings:
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Front:
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Header: “CELEBRATING LUNAR
NEW YEAR”
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Back:
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© 2009 USPS • USPS Logo
• Price: “.44 x 12 = $5.28”
• Header: “CELEBRATING
LUNAR NEW YEAR”
• Paragraph: “Millions of
people…for “Tiger.” • Barcode
574300 at bottom
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especially appropriate at this time of renewed hope for the future. The illustration was originally created using oil paints on a fiberboard panel. Kessler’s design also incorporates elements from the previous series of Lunar New Year stamps, using Clarence Lee’s intricate paper-cut design of a tiger and the Chinese character — drawn in grass-style calligraphy by Lau Bun — for “Tiger.”
How to Order the First Day of Issue Traditional or Digital Color Postmarks
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first day of issue postmarks 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. Traditional Postmarks: Customers 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:
Celebrating Lunar New Year Stamp:
Year of the Tiger Stamp
7001 South Central, Room 338
Los Angeles, CA 90052-9998
After applying the first day of issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail unless a self-addressed stamped envelope for return is provided. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by March 15, 2010. Digital Color Postmarks: Customers may submit #6 or #10 envelopes constructed of paper rated as “laser safe.” The Postal Service recommends envelopes of 80-pound Accent Opaque, acid-free, 9/16" side seams with no glue on the flap. The maximum size of all digital color postmarks is 2" high x 4" long. Allow sufficient space on the envelope to accommodate the postmark. Do not use self-adhesive labels for addresses on the envelope. Two test envelopes must be included. There is a minimum of 10 envelopes at 50 cents per postmark required at the time of servicing. Customers should submit a check, money order, or credit card for payment. The Postal Service reserves the right to not accept hand-painted and other cachet envelopes that are not compatible with our digital color postmark equipment. The Postal Service also reserves the right to substitute traditional black rubber postmarks if use of non-specified envelopes results in poor image quality or damage to equipment. Customers should affix the stamps to the envelopes and address them to themselves or others for return through the mail. Or, they may include an additional self-addressed return envelope large enough to accommodate their canceled items, with sufficient postage affixed for return of their postmarked items. Mail the request for a first day of issue digital color postmark to:
Celebrating Lunar New Year Stamp:
Year of the Tiger Stamp
Digital Color Postmarks
7001 South Central, Room 338
Los Angeles, CA 90052-9998
The Post Office will then forward all customer requests for digital color postmarks to Cancellation Services, Stamp Fulfillment Services, PO Box 449992, Kansas City, MO 64144-9992. After applying the first day of issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes to the customer by U.S. Mail.
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
U.S. Postal Service
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014
Philatelic Products
Year of the Tiger Limited Edition Note Card Set features the gorgeous narcissus flowers from the Year of the Tiger stamp artwork. Narcissus flowers are considered lucky any time of the year, but especially at the start of the Lunar New Year. Keep in touch and send good fortune with this beautiful limited edition set. The set includes 12 note cards, 12 coordinating envelopes, and a sheet of 12 Year of the Tiger stamps (Item No. 574366, $14.95).
There are seven other philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
n 574361*, First Day Cover, $0.82.
n 574362*, First Day Cover Full Sheet, $7.78.
n 574364*, First Day Cancelled Full Sheet, $7.78.
n 574365*, Digital Color Postmark, $1.50.
n 574384*, Uncut Press Sheet, $47.52.
n 574391*, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
n 574399*, Cancellation Keepsake (Two Souvenir Sheets & One Digital Color Postmark First Day Cover), $12.95.
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 574300, $5.28, Celebrating Lunar New Year: Year of the Tiger, PSA Souvenir Sheet of 12 Stamps
Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) will receive approximately 25 percent their standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA sheet stamp. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size of 2,000 panes (24,000 stamps).
Initial Supply to Post Offices
SDOs will make a subsequent automatic distribution to Post Offices of 20 percent of their standard automatic distribution quantity using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distribute this commemorative sheet to Post Offices before January 8, 2010.
The $5.28 Celebrating Lunar New Year: Year of the Tiger commemorative sheet may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.
Additional Supply
Post Offices requiring additional commemorative sheets 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, Memphis, New York, and Chicago APDs will receive 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
— Stamp Services,
Government Relations and Public Policy, 12-17-09
