Stamp Announcement 14-26: Where Dreams Blossom Stamp

Stamp Announcement 14-26: Where Dreams Blossom Stamp

On May 2, 2014, in Acton, MA, the U.S. Postal Service® will reissue the Where Dreams Blossom First-Class Forever® stamp, in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 579900).

The stamp will go on sale nationwide May 2, 2014.

With a splash of color and a beautiful bouquet, the Where Dreams Blossom stamp, first issued in 2013, adds a fun and contemporary flair to all kinds of correspondence. Where Dreams Blossom is perfect for any occasion or use, including save-the-date notices, response cards, and thank-you notes. It can also be used for cards and letters sent to celebrate other joyous moments and to deliver comfort and encouragement. The stamp art highlights a stylized bouquet of flowers similar to the design of the two-ounce Yes, I Do wedding stamp first issued in 2013. The stamp artwork was designed by Michael Osborne under the direction of Ethel Kessler.

To learn more about the stories behind the stamps, visit http://uspsstamps.com.

Distribution: Item 579900, Where Dreams Blossom (Forever stamp priced at 49 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 of 20 stamps. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size of 40,000 stamps.

Initial Supply to Post Offices

SDOs/SDCs will NOT make an automatic distribution to Post Offices™. Post Offices requiring these items must requisition them from the eBuy2 SEAM Catalog or via Touch-tone ordering. Post Offices may preorder these stamps prior to the first-day-of-issue. Post Offices should not sell the stamp prior to first-day-of-issue.

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:

Where Dreams Blossom
Postmaster
Acton Post Office
7 Post Office Square
Acton, MA 01720-9998

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 July 1, 2014.

How to Order First-Day Covers

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

Philatelic Products

There are four philatelic products for this stamp issue:

n 519910*, Keepsake (pane of 20 and Digital Color Postmark), $11.95.

n 519916*, First-Day Cover, $0.93.

n 519921*, Digital Color Postmark, $1.64.

n 519932*, Stamp Deck Card w/Digital Color Postmark, $1.99.

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:

Where Dreams Blossom Stamp

Item Number:

579900

Denomination & Type of Issue:

First-Class Mail Forever

Format:

Pane of 20 (1 design)

Series:

N/A

Issue Date & City:

May 2, 2014, Acton, MA 01720

Art Director:

Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD

Designer:

Michael Osborne, San Francisco, CA

Typographer:

Michael Osborne, San Francisco, CA

Artist:

Michael Osborne, San Francisco, CA

Modeler:

Donald Woo

Manufacturing Process:

Offset/Microprint “USPS”

Engraver:

N/A

Printer:

Banknote Corporation of America, Inc./SSP

Printed at:

Browns Summit, NC

Press Type:

Alprinta, 74

Stamps per Pane:

20

Print Quantity:

50 million stamps

Paper Type:

Phosphor Tagged, Overall

Adhesive Type:

Pressure-sensitive adhesive

Processed at:

Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit, NC

Stamp Orientation:

Horizontal

Image Area (w x h):

0.75 x 1.03 in./19.05 x 26.16 mm

Stamp Size (w x h):

0.91 x 1.19 in./23.11 x 30.23 mm

Pane Size (w x h):

5.43 x 5.64 in./137.79 x 143.00 mm

Colors:

Gold, Lt. Green, Orange, Pink, Blue, Red, Dk. Green, Purple, Warm Gray

Plate Size:

160 stamps per revolution

Plate Numbers:

“S” followed by nine (9) single digits

Marginal Markings:

Front:

Plate numbers in four corners of pane

Back:

© 2012 USPS • USPS Logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (579900) in upper right and lower left hand corners of pane • Promotional text