© 2013 USPS
On May 23, 2013, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, at the Vicksburg National Military Park, and at the Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the Postal Service™ will issue a Civil War: 1863 (Forever® priced at 46 cents) commemorative se-tenant First-Class Mail® stamp pair (two designs) in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) souvenir sheet of 12 stamps (Item 578900). The $5.52 Civil War: 1863 souvenir sheet may not be split, and the stamps may not be sold individually.
The stamps will go on sale nationwide May 23, 2013.
In 2013, the U.S. Postal Service® continues its 5-year commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War with this collectible pane, which includes two stamps: one depicts the Battle of Gettysburg, the largest battle of the war, while the other depicts the Battle of Vicksburg, a complex Union campaign to gain control of the Mississippi River. The background image on the pane is a photograph taken by Matthew Brady shortly after the Battle of Gettysburg. The pane also includes period quotes and lyrics of a popular Civil War song. The Civil War stamp series was designed by art director Phil Jordan.
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 standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA pane of 12 stamps. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size of 2,000 panes. The stamps will be shipped and sold as a pane of 12 ($5.52).
SDOs/SDCs will make a 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.ht. Post Offices may preorder these stamps 30 days prior to first-day-of-issue through the eBuy2 SEAM Catalog. However, offices should first check the website to determine the amount they will receive on their automatic push prior to placing a preorder. 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All Post Offices should maintain a sufficient inventory level of this item until the stamp is officially withdrawn from sale.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/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:
Civil War: 1863 Stamp (Vicksburg, MS)
Postmaster
3415 Pemberton Blvd.
Vicksburg, MS 39180-9998
Civil War: 1863 Stamp (Gettysburg, PA)
Postmaster
115 Buford Avenue
Gettysburg, PA 17325-9998
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 up to a quantity of 50. For more than 50, customers must pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by July 23, 2013.
The Postal Service 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, online at http://usps.com/shop 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 10 philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
n 578906*, Press Sheet with Die Cuts, $33.12 (print quantity of 2,500).
n 578908*, Press Sheet without Die Cuts, $33.12 (print quantity of 2,500).
n 578910*, Keepsake (Souvenir Sheet & Digital Color Postmark Set of 2), $8.95.
n 578916*, First-Day Cover Set of 2 (1 Vicksburg, 1 Gettysburg), $1.80.
n 578918*, Cancelled Full Pane (Gettysburg), $8.02.
n 578919*, Cancelled Full Pane (Vicksburg), $8.02.
n 578921*, Digital Color Postmark Set of 2 (1 Vicksburg, 1 Gettysburg), $3.22.
n 578927, Folio, $15.95.
n 578930*, Ceremony Program (2 stamps, 2 cancels), $6.95.
n 578933*, Commemorative Panels, $17.95.
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.
The $5.52 Civil War: 1863 souvenir sheet may not be split, and the stamps may not be sold individually, and should be tracked in AIC 092 as a philatelic product.
Issue:
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The Civil War: 1863
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Item Number:
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578900
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Denomination & Type of Issue:
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First-Class Forever Commemorative
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Format:
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Souvenir Sheet of 12 (2 designs)
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Series:
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Civil War Sesquicentennial
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Issue Date & City:
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May 23, 2013, Vicksburg, MS 39180 (National Military Park) and Gettysburg, PA 19325 (National Military Park)
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Designer:
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Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
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Art Director:
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Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
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Typographer:
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Phil Jordan, Falls Church, VA
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Modeler:
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Joseph Sheeran
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Manufacturing Process:
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Offset
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Engraver:
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N/A
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Printer:
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Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
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Printed at:
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Williamsville, NY
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Press Type:
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Mueller Martini, A76
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Stamps per Pane:
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12
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Print Quantity:
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10,800,000 stamps
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Paper Type:
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Nonphosphored, Type III, Block Tag
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Adhesive Type:
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Pressure-sensitive
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Processed at:
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Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
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Stamp Orientation:
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Horizontal
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Image Area (w x h):
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2.0005 x 1.0578 in./50.81 x 26.87 mm
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Overall Size (w x h):
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2.1405 x 1.1978 in./54.37 x 30.42 mm
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Full Pane Size (w x h):
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8.88 x 6.75 in./225.55 x 171.45 mm
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Colors:
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Front:
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Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS 6 (Warm Gray), PMS 10 (Warm Gray), PMS 072 (Blue), PMS 193 (Red)
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Back:
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Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS 6 (Warm Gray), PMS 10 (Warm Gray), PMS 072 (Blue), PMS 193 (Red)
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Plate Size:
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72 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: “THE CIVIL WAR, 1863, A Nation Touched with Fire” • Verso-text
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Back:
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© 2013 USPS • Header: “THE CIVIL WAR, 1863, A Nation Touched with Fire” • Verso-text • USPS Logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (578900) at bottom right corner of pane
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— Stamp Services,
Marketing and Sales, 4-18-13
