Stamp Announcement 20-04: Made of Hearts Stamp

FDOI

On January 23, 2020, in Memphis, TN, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Made of Hearts stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 572400). The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 23, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

Made of Hearts is a continuation of the United States Postal Service tradition of creating stamps that celebrate love. The stamp art features horizontal lines of red and pink hearts on a white background. Toward the center, red hearts in varying sizes replace pink hearts in a formation that creates one large red heart, the focal point of this graphic design. This stamp is just right for thank you notes, get well cards, or any occasion when love is the perfect message. Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp and was art director for this project.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 572400, Made of Hearts (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Pane of 20 Stamps

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 will be available by logging on to SFS Web at sfsweb.usps.gov. Post Offices may begin ordering stamps on the first-day-of-issue through SFS Web; offices must also check the amount they will receive on their automatic push distribution.

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 – Made of Hearts 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 23, 2020.

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

Locally produced items are not authorized. Only merchandise that has been approved and assigned an item number by Headquarters Retail Marketing may be produced and sold.

 

Issue:

Made of Hearts Stamp

Item Number:

572400

Denomination &
Type of Issue:

First-Class Mail Forever

Format:

Pane of 20 (1 design)

Series:

Love

Issue Date & City:

January 23, 2020, Memphis, TN 38105

Art Director:

Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA

Designer:

Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA

Typographer:

Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA

Artist:

Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA

Modeler:

Joseph Sheeran

Manufacturing Process:

Offset, Microprint

Printer:

Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)

Press Type:

Muller A76

Stamps per Booklet:

20

Print Quantity:

200,000,000 stamps

Paper Type:

Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag

Adhesive Type:

Pressure-sensitive

Processed at:

Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)

Stamp Orientation:

Vertical

Image Area (w x h):

0.77 x 1.05 in./19.558 x 26.67 mm

Stamp Size (w x h):

0.91 x 1.19 in./23.114 x 30.226 mm

Full Pane Size (w x h):

5.55 x 5.76 in./140.97 x 146.304 mm

Press Sheet Size (w x h):

22.2 x 11.52 in./ 563.88 x 292.608 mm

Colors:

PMS 2035 C Red, PMS 671 Pink C, PMS 670 Pink C, PMS Cool Gray 6 C

Plate Size:

320 stamps per revolution

Plate Numbers:

“P” followed by four (4) single digits

Marginal Markings:

Front:

Plate number in four corners

Back:

©2019 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (572400) • Plate position diagram (8) • Promotional text