During 2011, all First-Class Mail® 1-ounce letter stamps were issued as Forever® stamps priced at 44 cents. Because the Forever stamps are not denominated, the stamps will be revalued at 45 cents and do not need to be replaced for the price changes effective January 22, 2012.
There was no change in the additional ounce price; therefore, 20-cent stamps do not need to be replaced. Further, all denominations needed can be achieved through combinations of stamps in current inventories.
Six types of stamps continue to be denominated, and these stamps will need to be pre-ordered for the price changes. Because the Postal Regulatory Commission issued its decision on the price changes during Thanksgiving week, availability of the new denominated stamps will not be universal as of January 22. The printers are working as quickly as possible, and many of the stamps will arrive at Stamp Distribution Centers (SDCs) by mid-January. There will be no automatic distribution of the new denominated stamps, and Post Offices™ will need to place orders to receive their stamp shipments. Pre-orders can be made now.
The six categories of denominated stamps and their earliest availability at SDCs to process are listed in the following table. In some instance, the dates will vary by SDC dependent on transportation arrangements and distances from the supplier to the servicing SDC.
Keep in mind that these are the earliest availability dates and national distribution will take some time. Large purchasers of stamps should be directed to the StampsNow program at 800-STAMP-24 (800-782-6724) or 816-545-1282 or by e-mailing StampsNow.info@usps.gov for additional information and expedited direct fulfillment.
— Stamp Services,
Government Relations and Public Policy, 1-12-12
