© 2014 USPS
On November 19, 2014, in Washington, DC, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Christmas Magi stamp (Forever priced at 49 cents), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive (PSA) Booklet of 20 stamps (Item 689700).
The stamp will go on sale nationwide November 19, 2014.
The Christmas Magi stamp celebrates one of the most beloved stories of the holiday season: the tale of three visitors from the east who came bearing gifts for Jesus. The stamp art depicts the Magi atop a trio of camels near the summit of a small hill. Guiding them is a large, dazzling star. The colors in the sky range from rose near the horizon, darkening to a rich purple at the top, suggesting that the travelers are moving through the desert at dawn. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp, which was illustrated by Nancy Stahl.
To learn more about the stories behind the stamps, visit http://uspsstamps.com.
Initial Supply to Post Offices: Item 689700, Christmas Magi First-Class Mail (Forever stamp priced at 49 cents) $9.80 PSA Booklet of 20 Stamps
Stamp Fulfillment Services will make a subsequent automatic push distribution to Post Offices™ of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales. Distribution quantities for the automatic push distribution are available by logging on to SFS Web at https://sfsweb.usps.gov. Post Offices may begin ordering stamps prior to the FDOI through SFS Web. However, offices should check the website noted above to determine the amount they will receive on their automatic push distribution.
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://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:
Christmas Magi Stamp
Special Events
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 up to a quantity of 50. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by January 18, 2015.
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 eight philatelic products for this stamp issue:
n 689706, Press Sheet with Die cuts, $78.40
(print quantity 1,000).
n 689708, Press Sheet without Die cuts, $78.40
(print quantity 1,000).
n 689710*, Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $11.95.
n 689716*, First-Day Cover, $0.93.
n 689721*, Digital Color Postmark, $1.64.
n 689724*, Framed Art, $39.95.
n 689730*, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
n 689731*, Stamp Deck Card, $0.95.
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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Christmas Magi Stamp
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Item Number:
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689700
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Denomination & Type of Issue:
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First-Class Mail, Forever, 49 cents
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Format:
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Double-Sided Booklet of 20 (1 design)
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Series:
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N/A
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Issue Date & City:
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November 19, 2014, Washington,
DC 20066
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Art Director:
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Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
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Designer:
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Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
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Typographer:
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Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
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Artist:
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Nancy Stahl, New York, NY
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Modeler:
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Donald Woo
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Manufacturing Process:
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Offset, Microprint
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Printer:
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Banknote Corporation of America/SSP
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Printed at:
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Browns Summit, NC
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Press Type:
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Alprinta, Model 74
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Stamps per Booklet:
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20
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Print Quantity:
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200 million
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Paper Type:
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Phosphor Tagged Paper, Overall
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Adhesive Type:
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Pressure-sensitive adhesive
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Processed at:
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Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit, NC
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Stamp Orientation:
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Vertical
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Image Area (w x h):
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0.77 x 1.05 in./19.56 x 26.67 mm
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Stamp Size (w x h):
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0.91 x 1.19 in./23.11 x 30.23 mm
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Full Booklet Size (w x h):
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5.74 x 2.38 in./145.87 x 60.33 mm
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Press Sheet Size (w x h):
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11.49 x 9.5 in./291.74 x 241.30 mm
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Colors:
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Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black,
PMS 8520
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Plate Size:
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160 stamps per revolution
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Plate Numbers:
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“S” followed by five (5) single digits
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Marginal Markings:
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• Plate numbers • © 2014 • USPS Logo
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— Stamp Services,
Marketing and Sales, 10-16-14
