Stamp Announcement 18-17: $1, $2, and $5 Statue of Freedom Stamps

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On June 27, 2018, in Bellefonte, PA, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the $1, $2, and $5 Statue of Freedom definitive stamps in one design each. The $1 and $2 Statue of Freedom stamps will be issued in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 10 stamps (Items 114200 and 114300). The $5 Statue of Freedom stamp will be issued in a PSA pane of 4 stamps (Item 117900). All three will go on sale nationwide June 27, 2018.

The $1, $2, and $5 Statue of Freedom stamps offer a modern take on vintage patriotic stamp art for use on packages, large envelopes, and other mailings. The design features the head of the statue that tops the U.S. Capitol dome in artwork based on an engraved vignette originally created for a 1923 stamp ($5 Head of Freedom Statue). The tightly cropped enlargement, rendered in emerald green, indigo, and brick red, highlights the solid and dashed lines as well as the cross-hatching characteristic of engraved illustration. These stamps were printed in intaglio. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps using John Eissler’s engraved artwork.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 114200 and 114300, $1 and $2 Statue of Freedom PSA Pane of 10 Stamps and Item 117900 $5 Statue of Freedom PSA Pane of 4 Stamps

Stamp Fulfillment Services will not make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices™. Post Offices may begin ordering stamps before the first-day-of-issue through SFS Web at sfsweb.usps.gov.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office or at the Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must 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 – Statue of Freedom Stamps
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 October 27, 2018.

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 USA Philatelic publication and online at usps.com/shop. Customers may register to receive a free USA Philatelic publication online at usps.com/philatelic.

No locally produced items are authorized. Only merchandise that has been approved and assigned an item number by Headquarters Retail Marketing may be produced and sold.

Technical details for the Statue of Freedom stamps will appear in a future edition of the Postal Bulletin.