Stamp Services

Stamp Announcement 20-08: Wild Orchids Stamps

FDOI: Wild Orchids Stamps

On February 21, 2020, in Coral Gables, FL, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue Wild Orchids stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in 10 designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) booklet of 20 stamps (Item 682500), a PSA Coil of 3,000 stamps (Item 750400), and a PSA Coil of 10,000 stamps (Item 760700). The stamps will go on sale nationwide February 21, 2020, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The Postal Service celebrates the exotic beauty of orchids with 10 new stamps in booklets of 20, and coils of 3,000 and 10,000. Each stamp features a photograph of one of these nine species that grows wild in the United States:

n Cypripedium californicum,

n Hexalectris spicata,

n Cypripedium reginae,

n Spiranthes odorata,

n Triphora trianthophoros,

n Platanthera grandiflora,

n Cyrtopodium polyphyllum,

n Calopogon tuberosus, and

n Platanthera leucophaea.

Orchids also have common names, with some plants having several different names in popular use. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps with existing photographs taken by Jim Fowler.

Availability to Post Offices:

Item 682500, Wild Orchids (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) PSA Double-sided Booklet of 20 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.

Item 750400, Wild Orchids (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) PSA Coil of 3,000 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.

Item 760700, Wild Orchids (Forever Priced at the First-Class Rate) PSA Coil of 10,000 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 – Wild Orchids 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 June 21, 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:

Wild Orchids Stamps

Item Number:

682500

Denomination &
Type of Issue:

First-Class Mail Forever

Format:

Double-sided Booklet of 20 (10 designs)

Series:

N/A

Issue Date & City:

February 21, 2020, Coral Gables, FL 33134

Art Director:

Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD

Designer:

Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD

Typographer:

Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD

Existing Photos:

Jim Fowler, Greenville, SC

Modeler:

Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn

Manufacturing Process:

Offset

Printer:

Banknote Corporation of America

Press Type:

Alprinta 74

Stamps per Booklet:

20

Print Quantity:

500,000,000 stamps

Paper Type:

Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block

Adhesive Type:

Pressure-sensitive

Processed at:

Banknote Corporation of America

Stamp Orientation:

Vertical

Image Area (w x h):

1.05 x 0.77 in./26.67 x 19.558 mm

Stamp Size (w x h):

1.19 x 0.91 in./30.226 x 23.114 mm

Full Booklet Size (w x h):

2.375 x 5.743 in./60.325 x 145.872 mm

Colors:

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black

Plate Size:

800 stamps per revolution

Plate Numbers:

“B” followed by four (4) single digits

Marginal Markings:

Header: WILD ORCHIDS Twenty First-Class Forever Stamps • ©2019 USPS in peel strip area • Barcode • Promo-tional text in peel strip area • Plate number in peel strip area

 

Issue:

Wild Orchids Stamps

Item Number:

750400

Denomination &
Type of Issue:

First-Class Mail Forever

Format:

Coil of 3,000 (10 designs)

Series:

N/A

Issue Date & City:

February 21, 2020, Coral Gables, FL 33134

Art Director:

Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD

Designer:

Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD

Typographer:

Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD

Existing Photos:

Jim Fowler, Greenville, SC

Modeler:

Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn

Manufacturing Process:

Offset

Printer:

Banknote Corporation of America

Press Type:

Alprinta 74

Stamps per Coil:

3,000

Print Quantity:

15,000,000 stamps

Paper Type:

Nonphosphored Type III

Adhesive Type:

Pressure-sensitive

Processed at:

Banknote Corporation of America

Stamp Orientation:

Vertical

Image Area (w x h):

0.73 x 0.84 in/18.542 x 21.336 mm

Stamp Size (w x h):

0.87 x 0.98 in/22.098 x 24.892 mm

Colors:

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black

Plate Size:

540 stamps per revolution

Plate Numbers:

“B” followed by four (4) single digits

Coil Number Frequency:

Plate number every 27th stamp

 

Issue:

Wild Orchids Stamps

Item Number:

760700

Denomination &
Type of Issue:

First-Class Mail Forever

Format:

Coil of 10,000 (10 designs)

Series:

N/A

Issue Date & City:

February 21, 2020, Coral Gables, FL 33134

Art Director:

Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD

Designer:

Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD

Typographer:

Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD

Existing Photos:

Jim Fowler, Greenville, SC

Modeler:

Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn

Manufacturing Process:

Offset

Printer:

Banknote Corporation of America

Press Type:

Alprinta 74

Stamps per Coil:

10,000

Print Quantity:

50,000,000 stamps

Paper Type:

Nonphosphored Type III

Adhesive Type:

Pressure-sensitive

Processed at:

Banknote Corporation of America

Stamp Orientation:

Vertical

Image Area (w x h):

0.73 x 0.84 in/18.542 x 21.336 mm

Stamp Size (w x h):

0.87 x 0.98 in/22.098 x 24.892 mm

Colors:

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black

Plate Size:

540 stamps per revolution

Plate Numbers:

“B” followed by four (4) single digits

Coil Number Frequency:

Plate number every 27th stamp