© 2013 USPS
On April 5, 2013, in Oaks, Pennsylvania at The Philadelphia National Stamp Exhibition, Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, at 11:00 a.m., the Postal Service™ will issue Vintage Seed Packets First-Class Mail® stamps (Forever® priced at 46 cents) in ten designs in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) booklet of 20 stamps (Item 688500).
The stamps will go on sale nationwide April 5, 2013.
The U.S. Postal Service® continues its tradition of beautiful flower issuances with Vintage Seed Packets. The stamp art features ten photographs of antique seed packets (printed between 1910 to 1920) cropped to highlight their beautiful floral detail. Each of the stamps depicts the colorful blossoms of one kind of flower – cosmos, digitalis, primrose, calendula, aster, pink, linum, alyssum, phlox, and zinnia. Above each illustration, in bold capital letters, is the name of the flower. Art director Antonio Alcala’ designed the stamp sheet.
To learn more about the stories behind the stamps, visit www.beyondtheperf.com.
Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) and stamp distribution centers (SDCs) will receive their normal automatic distribution quantity of Vintage Seed Packets stamps. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size of 4,000 booklets.
SDOs/SDCs will not make any automatic distribution to Post Offices™. Post Offices requiring these items must requisition them from their designated SDO/SDC using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. Post Offices may preorder these stamps 30 days prior to FDOI through the eBuy2 SEAM Catalog. Post Offices should not sell the stamp prior to first-day-of-issue.
All Post Offices should maintain a sufficient inventory level of this item until the stamp is officially withdrawn from sale.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.
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/stamps, 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:
Vintage Seed Packets Stamp
Retail Manager
United States Postal Service
3190 S. 70th Street, Room 503
Philadelphia, PA 19153-9500
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 for quantities under 50. All orders must be postmarked by June 5, 2013.
The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp and stationery issues. These items are 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, online at http://usps.com/stamps or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:
U.S. Postal Service
Catalog Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014
There are four philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
n 688510*, Keepsake (Booklet & Digital Color Postmark random), $10.95.
n 688516*, First-Day Cover Set of 10, $9.00.
n 688521*, Digital Color Postmark Set of 10, $16.10.
n 688523, Notecards, $15.95.
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:
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Vintage Seed Packets
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Item Number:
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688500
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Denomination & Type of Issue:
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First-Class Mail Forever
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Format:
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Booklet of 20 (10 designs)
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Series:
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N/A
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Issue Date & City:
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April 5, 2013, Oaks, PA 19456 (The Philadelphia National Stamp Exhibition)
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Designer:
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Antonio Alcala\u00B4, Alexandria, VA
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Art Director:
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Antonio Alcala\u00B4, Alexandria, VA
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Typographer:
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Antonio Alcala\u00B4, Alexandria, VA
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Engraver:
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WRE
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Modeler:
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Avery Dennison, Designed and Engineered Solutions
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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 Booklet:
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20
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Print Quantity:
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400 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, 9 (Warm Gray), 1685 (Red Brown)
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Stamp Orientation:
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Vertical
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Image Area (w x h):
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1.05 x 0.77 in./26.67 x 19.56 mm
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Overall Size (w x h):
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1.19 x 0.91 in./30.23 x 23.11 mm
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Full Pane Size (w x h):
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2.38 x 5.75 in./60.45 x 146.05 mm
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Plate Size:
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600 stamps per revolution
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Plate Numbers:
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“V” followed by five (5) single digits
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Marginal Markings:
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Front:
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VINTAGE SEED PACKETS • USA FOREVER • © 2013 USPS in peel strip area • 20 First-Class Forever Stamps
• Barcode (015645688506) • Plate numbers in peel strip area
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— Stamp Services,
Marketing and Sales, 3-21-13
