Stamps/Philately

Stamp Announcement 12-19: Heart Health

Stamp Announcement 12-19: Heart Health

On February 9, 2012, in Washington, DC, the Postal Ser­vice™ will issue a Heart Health commemorative stamp (Forever® priced at 45 cents), in one design in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 468700).

With the issuance of this stamp, the U.S. Postal Ser­vice® hopes to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining a healthy heart. The stamp art, which features a bright yellow sun disc, a leafy green trees icon, and a blue swirl of a sky, evokes the feelings of wellness and vitality that come from physical exercise — a key element in con­trolling and preventing coronary heart disease, or CHD, the leading cause of death among women and men in the United States each year. The striding figure at the center of the stamp has a full red heart. At the figure’s feet, a large red apple represents a well-balanced diet. Art director Derry Noyes worked with the artist Nicholas Wilton to cre­ate this fresh and positive approach to a difficult subject.

The stamp will go on sale nationwide February 9, 2012.

Distribution: Item 468700, Heart Health Commemorative (Forever priced at 45 cents) PSA Pane of 20 Stamps

Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) and stamp distribu­tion centers (SDCs) will receive their standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA pane stamp. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size of 40,000 stamps.

Initial Supply to Post Offices

SDOs/SDCs will make subsequent automatic distribu­tion to Post Offices™ of a quantity to cover approximately 45 days of sales. Distribution quantities for the automatic distribution will be posted, by finance number and unit ID, on the Asset Management SDC webpage at http://blue.usps.gov/purchase/assetmgnt/am_sdchome.htm. SDOs/SDCs must not distribute this commemorative sheet to Post Offices before January 26, 2012.

Additional Supply

Post Offices requiring additional quantities of Item 468700 must requisition them from their designated SDO/SDC after the first day of issue using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return.

Sales Policy

All Post Offices should maintain a sufficient inventory level of this item until the stamp is officially withdrawn from sale. If supplies run low, Post Offices must reorder addi­tional quantities using their normal ordering procedures.

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:

Heart Health Stamp
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 April 9, 2012.

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

There are four philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

n 468761*, First Day Cover, $0.89.

n 468765*, Digital Color Postmark, $1.60.

n 468791*, Ceremony Program, $6.95.

n 468799, Cancellation Keepsake (DCP w/Pane), $10.95.

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.

 

Issue:

Heart Health

Item Number:

468700

Denomination & Type of Issue:

First-Class Mail Rate Forever

Format:

Pane of 20 (1 design)

Series:

N/A

Issue Date & City:

February 9, 2012, Washington, DC 20066

Designer:

Derry Noyes, Washington, DC

Art Director:

Derry Noyes, Washington, DC

Typographer:

Derry Noyes, Washington, DC

Artist:

Nicholas Wilton, San Geronimo, CA

Engraver:

Trident

Modeler:

Avery Dennison, Designed and Engineered Solutions

Manufacturing Process:

Gravure

Printer:

Avery Dennison (AVR)

Printed at:

AVR, Clinton, SC

Press Type:

Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)

Stamps per Pane:

20

Print Quantity:

50 million stamps

Paper Type:

Prephosphored, Type II

Adhesive Type:

Pressure-sensitive

Processed at:

AVR, Clinton, SC

Colors:

Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, Black, 574 (Green); 484 (Red)

Stamp Orientation:

Vertical

Image Area (w x h):

0.84 x 1.42 in./21.34 x 36.07 mm

Overall Size (w x h):

0.99 x 1.56 in./25.15 x 39.62 mm

Full Pane Size (w x h):

5.85 x 7.25 in./148.59 x 184.15 mm

Plate Size:

200 stamps per revolution

Plate Numbers:

“V” followed by six (6) single digits

Marginal Markings:

Front:

Plate numbers in four corners of pane

Back:

©2011 USPS USPS logo Plate position diagram Barcode (468700) in upper right and lower left corners of pane Promotional text
Verso text on back of each pane