©2015 USPS
On January 7, 2017, in Chino, CA, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Love Skywriting First-Class Mail® stamp (Forever® priced at 47 cents), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 561600).
The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 7, 2017.
This new issuance is a continuation of the U.S. Postal Service tradition of creating stamps that celebrate love. The Love Skywriting stamp will add a sweet, romantic touch to your letters and cards, not only on Valentine’s Day, but all year round. The stamp art depicts the word “Love” written in white cursive script against a blue sky studded with wispy clouds. Underlining the word is a decorative swirl of smoke. A small, stylized plane, dwarfed by the giant letters, completes the end of the swirl, with smoke trailing from its tail. Louise Fili designed the stamp, illustrated by Jessica Hische. Derry Noyes was the art director.
Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an 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 on 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 www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-782-6724. 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:
Love Skywriting
Stamp Fulfillment Services
Cancellation Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Pillar 210
Kansas City, MO 64144-9998
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. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by March 7, 2017.
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 www.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 six philatelic products for this stamp issue:
n 561606, Press Sheet with Die-cut, $75.20.
n 561610*, Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $11.95.
n 561616*, First-Day Cover, $0.91.
n 561621*, Digital Color Postmark, $1.62.
n 561624*, Framed Art, $39.95.
n 561630*, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
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:
|
Love Skywriting Stamp
|
Item Number:
|
561600
|
Denomination & Type of Issue:
|
First-Class Mail Forever
|
Format:
|
Pane of 20 (1 design)
|
Series:
|
Love
|
Issue Date & City:
|
January 7, 2017, Chino, CA 91710
|
Designer:
|
Louise Fili, New York, NY
|
Art Director:
|
Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
|
Typographer:
|
Louise Fili, New York, NY
|
Illustrator:
|
Jessica Hische, San Francisco, CA
|
Modeler:
|
Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
|
Manufacturing Process:
|
Offset, Microprint
|
Printer:
|
Banknote Corporation of America
|
Printed at:
|
Browns Summit, NC
|
Press Type:
|
Alprinta 74
|
Stamps per Pane:
|
20
|
Print Quantity:
|
250 million stamps
|
Paper Type:
|
Phosphor Tagged Paper, Overall
|
Adhesive Type:
|
Pressure-sensitive
|
Processed at:
|
Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit SC
|
Colors:
|
Spot Blue
|
Stamp Orientation:
|
Horizontal
|
Image Area (w x h):
|
1.05 x 0.77 in./26.67 x 19.56 mm
|
Overall Size (w x h):
|
1.19 x 0.91 in./30.23 x 23.11 mm
|
Full Pane Size (w x h):
|
5.635 x 5.425 in./143.13 x 137.80 mm
|
Press Sheets Size (w x h):
|
22.54 x 10.85 in./572.52 x 275.59 mm
|
Plate Size:
|
320 stamps per revolution
|
Plate Numbers:
|
“B” followed by one (1) single digits
|
Marginal Markings:
|
|
Front:
|
Plate numbers in four corners of pane
|
Back:
|
© 2016 USPS • USPS logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (561600) in upper right and lower left corners of pane • Promotional text
|
— Stamp Services, Marketing, 12-8-16
