© 2013 USPS
On January 15, 2014, in San Francisco, California, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse First-Class Mail® stamp (Forever® stamp priced at 46 cents) in one design in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 12 stamps (Item 587100).
The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 15, 2014.
The Year of the Horse stamp is the seventh of 12 stamps in the Celebrating Lunar New Year series. The Year of the Horse begins on January 31, 2014, and ends on February 18, 2015. The stamp art depicts Chinese drums, with drumsticks painted red for luck, of the sort traditionally played to welcome the New Year. Artist Kam Mak created this original painting. Art director Ethel Kessler incorporated elements from the previous series of Lunar New Year stamps to create continuity between the series.
To learn more about the stories behind the stamps, visit http://uspsstamps.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 all Post Offices™ of a quantity to cover approximately 45 days of sales. 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: http://topkkssgsht/sites/SDCReports/Lists/StampAutomatics/default.aspx. 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All Post Offices should maintain a sufficient inventory level of this item until the stamp is officially withdrawn from sale.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 http://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:
Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse Stamp
Chinatown Station
867 Stockton Street
San Francisco, CA 94108-9998
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 have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by March 15, 2014.
Only the following pictorial postmark is permitted for Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse stamps. The word “Station” or the abbreviation “STA” is required somewhere in the design, because it will be a temporary station.
To finalize Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse stamps pictorial postmark art, insert the date, city, state and ZIP™ Code of the physical location of your event adjacent to the stamp image. Overall dimensions of the pictorial postmark must not exceed 4 inches horizontally by 2 inches vertically. Collectors prefer the dimensions 3 1/2 inches by 1.
The Postal Service must make all special postmarks known to collectors through advance publicity in the Postal Bulletin. Therefore, all special dedication cancellations must be reported to Stamp Services four weeks before the events using PS Form 413, Pictorial Postmark Announcement/Report. To get a copy of the form, go to http://blue.usps.gov/formmgmt/forms/ps413.pdf.
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 eleven philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
n 587106, Press Sheet w/Die Cuts, $49.68 (print quantity of 2,500).
n 587108, Press Sheet w/o Die Cuts, $49.68 (print quantity of 2,500).
n 587110*, Keepsake (2 SS, 1 DCP), $12.95.
n 587116*, First-Day Cover, $0.90.
n 587118*, First-Day Cover (Full Pane), $8.02.
n 587119*, First-Day Cancelled Full Pane, $8.02.
n 587121*, Digital Color Postmark, $1.61.
n 587124, Framed Art, $39.95.
n 587130*, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
n 587131*, Stamp Deck Card, $0.95.
n 587132*, Stamp Deck Card w/DCP, $1.96.
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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Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse Stamps
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Item Number:
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587100
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Denomination & Type of Issue:
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First-Class Forever
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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 15, 2014, San Francisco, CA 94188
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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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Typographer:
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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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Engraver:
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Trident
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Modeler:
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CCL Label, Inc.
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Manufacturing Process:
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Gravure
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Printer:
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CCL Label, Inc.
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Printed at:
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Clinton, SC 29325
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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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17,600,400 stamps
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Paper Type:
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Phosphored Tagged, Block; Nonphosphored 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, 132 (Brown), 2577 (Lavender), 872 (Gold)
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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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© 2013 USPS • USPS logo
• Header: “CELEBRATING LUNAR NEW YEAR” • Short summary of Lunar New Year • Barcode (587100) at bottom of pane • Promotional text
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— Stamp Services,
Marketing and Sales, 12-26-13
