© 2016 USPS
On March 31, 2017, in Gulfport, MS, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Mississippi Statehood First-Class Mail® stamp (Forever® priced at 49 cents), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 474800). The stamp will go on sale nationwide March 31, 2017.
This stamp celebrates the 200th anniversary of Mississippi statehood. Mississippi became the 20th state on December 10, 1817. The stamp features a photograph taken in 2009 showing a close-up of a musician’s hands as he plays his guitar. Mississippi is the birthplace of many legendary blues artists who created a uniquely American genre of music. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with an existing photo taken by Lou Bopp.
Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices™ (in Mississippi only) 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 before the first-day-of-issue through SFS Web. However, we ask that Mississippi offices check the website link in this paragraph to determine the amount they will receive on their automatic push distribution.
Only the following pictorial postmark is permitted for the Mississippi Statehood stamp. The word “Station” or the abbreviation “STA” is required somewhere in the design, because it will be a temporary station.
To finalize the Mississippi Statehood stamp 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 inch.
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 event 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.
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 800-782-6724. 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:
FDOI – Mississippi Statehood Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900
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 May 31, 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
Philatelic products for this stamp issue are as follows:
n 474806, Press Sheet with Die-cut, $58.80.
n 474810* Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $11.95.
n 474816*, First-Day Cover, $0.93.
n 474821*, Digital Color Postmark, $1.64.
n 474824*, Framed Art, $39.95.
n 474830*, 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:
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Mississippi Statehood Stamp
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Item Number:
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474800
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Denomination & Type of Issue:
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Forever, First-Class Mail
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Format:
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Pane of 20 (1 design)
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Series:
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Statehood
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Issue Date & City:
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March 31, 2017, Gulfport, MS 39503
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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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Existing Photo:
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Lou Bopp
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Modeler:
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Joseph Sheeran
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Manufacturing Process:
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Offset, Microprint – USPS
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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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Muller A76
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Stamps per Pane:
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20
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Print Quantity:
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25,000,000 stamps
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Paper Type:
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Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag Applied
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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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Colors:
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Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
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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 0.84 in./36.07 x 21.34 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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7.24 x 5.92 in./183.90 x 150.37 mm
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Press Sheet Size (w x h):
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21.72 x 11.84 in./551.69 x 300.74 mm
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Plate Size:
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240 stamps per revolution
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Plate Numbers:
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“P” followed by four (4) digits
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Marginal Markings:
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Front:
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Plate numbers 4 corners
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Back:
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©2016 USPS • USPS Logo • two barcodes (474800) • Plate Position Diagram
• Promotional Text
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— Stamp Services, Marketing, 3-2-17
