Stamp Services

Stamp Announcement 24-35: Holiday Joy Stamps

FDOI

On September 14, 2024, in Washington, DC, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Holiday Joy stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate), in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) double-sided booklet of 20 stamps (Item 685000). These stamps will go on sale nationwide September 14, 2024, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

Four new folk art-inspired holiday stamps feature two colorful Christmas ornaments, a vibrant poinsettia surrounded by greenery, and a whimsical blue flower centered against green leaves and delicate scrollwork. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps using original digital illustrations by Michelle Muñoz.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 685000, Holiday Joy (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Double-Sided Booklet 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/sfsweb. Post Offices may begin ordering stamps before the first-day-of-issue through SFS Web; offices should 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 store.usps.com/store/home. 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 – Holiday Joy 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 January 14, 2025.

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 store.usps.com/store/home. 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:

Holiday Joy Stamps

Item Number:

685000

Denomination &
Type of Issue:

First-Class Mail Forever

Format:

Double-Sided Booklet of 20 (4 designs)

Series:

N/A

Issue Date & City:

September 14, 2024, Washington, DC 20066

Art Director:

Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA

Designer:

Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA

Artist:

Michelle Muñoz, Moreno Valley, CA

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, Block Tag

Adhesive Type:

Pressure-sensitive

Colors:

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black

Stamp Orientation:

Vertical

Image Area (w x h):

0.7700 x 1.0500 in. / 19.5580 x
26.6700 mm

Overall Size (w x h):

0.9100 x 1.1900 in. / 23.1140 x
30.2260 mm

Booklet Size (w x h):

5.7430 x 2.3750 in. / 145.8720 x
60.3250 mm

Plate Size:

800 stamps per revolution

Plate Number:

“B” followed by four (4) single digits

Marginal Markings:

Header: HOLIDAY JOY 20 FIRST-CLASS FOREVER STAMPS • © 2024 USPS in peel strip area • Barcode • USPS Logo • Promotional Text • Plate number in peel strip area