© 2024 USPS
On January 14, 2025, in Boston, MA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Lunar New Year • Year of the Snake stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 485900). This stamp will go on sale nationwide January 14, 2025, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Lunar New Year • Year of the Snake commemorative pane of 20 stamps must not be split and the stamps must not be sold individually.
In 2025, the Postal Service™ will issue the sixth of 12 stamps in its latest Lunar New Year series. The Year of the Snake begins January 29, 2025, and concludes on February 16, 2026. Calling to mind the elaborately decorated masks used in the dragon or lion dances often performed in Lunar New Year parades, this three-dimensional mask depicting a snake is a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk-art crafts created during this time of year. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed this stamp issuance with original artwork by Camille Chew and photography by Sally Andersen-Bruce.
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 before the first-day-of-issue through SFS Web; offices should also check the amount they will receive on their automatic push distribution.
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 – Lunar New Year • Year of the Snake 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 14, 2025.
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:
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Lunar New Year • Year of the Snake Stamp
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Item Number:
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485900
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Denomination &
Type of Issue:
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First-Class Mail Forever
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Format:
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Pane of 20 (1 design)
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Series:
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Lunar New Year
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Issue Date & City:
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January 14, 2025, Boston, MA 02205
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Art Director:
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Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
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Designer:
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Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
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Artist:
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Camille Chew, Providence, RI
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Modeler:
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Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
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Manufacturing Process:
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Offset, Foil Stamping, Flexographic, Microprint
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Printer:
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Banknote Corporation of America
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Press Type:
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Gallus RCS
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Stamps per Pane:
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20
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Print Quantity:
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21,000,000 stamps
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Paper Type:
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Phosphor, Block Tag
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Adhesive Type:
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Pressure-sensitive
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Colors:
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Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, PMS 7579 C, PMS 7563 C, Red Luxor Foil MTS 392, Gold Luxor Foil MTS 413
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Stamp Orientation:
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Vertical
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Image Area (w x h):
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0.8400 x 1.4200 in. / 21.3360 x
36.0680 mm.
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Overall Size (w x h):
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0.9800 x 1.5600 in. / 24.8920 x
39.6240 mm.
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Full Pane Size (w x h):
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7.2500 x 8.5000 in. / 184.1500 x
215.9000 mm.
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Press Sheets Size (w x h):
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14.5000 x 19.5000 in. / 368.3000 x
495.3000 mm.
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Plate Size:
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80 stamps per revolution
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Plate Number:
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“B” followed by six (6) single digits
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Marginal Markings:
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Front:
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Header: LUNAR NEW YEAR • YEAR OF THE SNAKE • Plate number in bottom two corners
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Back:
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© 2024 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (485900) • Plate position diagram (4) • Promotional text
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— Stamp Services,
Marketing, 12-12-24
