Stamp Services

Stamp Announcement 24-8: John Wooden Stamp

FDOI - John Wooden

On February 24, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the John Wooden stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 484500). This stamp will go on sale nationwide February 24, 2024, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

This stamp issuance honors John Wooden (1910–2010), the legendary coach who led the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins to a record-setting 10 Division I men’s basketball national championships. The stamp features a portrait of Wooden looking intently out beyond the viewer. In the deep “UCLA blue” background, a player defends a shot. The numbers on the two players’ jerseys, 4 and 10, evoke the Bruins’ four perfect seasons and the 10 national championships during Wooden’s tenure. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp using original artwork by Alexis Franklin, based on a photograph by Norm Schindler from the early 1970s.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 484500, John Wooden (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 are 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 must also check the amount they will receive on their automatic push distribution.

Special Dedication Postmarks

Only the following pictorial postmark is permitted for the John Wooden stamp. The word “Station” or the abbreviation “STA” is required somewhere in the design because it will be a temporary station. Use of any image other than the following special pictorial image is prohibited.

Guidelines for Finalizing John Wooden Stamp Pictorial Postmark Art

Special Postmark

Special Postmark

To finalize the John Wooden stamp pictorial postmark art, insert the date, city, state, and ZIP Code™ of the physical location of your event adjacent to the stamp image. Overall dimensions of the pictorial postmark must not exceed 4 inches (horizontally) by 2 inches (vertically). Collectors prefer the dimensions 3-1/2 inches by 1 inch.

The Postal Service™ must make all special postmarks known to collectors through advance publicity in the Postal Bulletin. Therefore, all special dedication cancellations must be reported to Stamp Services 4 weeks before the event using PS Form 413, Pictorial Postmark Announcement/Report. To get a copy of the form, go to blue.usps.gov/formmgmt/forms/ps413.pdf.

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 – John Wooden 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 June 24, 2024.

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:

John Wooden Stamp

Item Number:

484500

Denomination &
Type of Issue:

First-Class Mail Forever

Format:

Pane of 20 (1 design)

Series:

N/A

Issue Date & City:

February 24, 2024, Los Angeles, CA 90052

Art Director:

Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA

Designer:

Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA

Artist:

Alexis Franklin, DeSoto, TX

Modeler:

Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn

Manufacturing Process:

Offset, Microprint

Printer:

Banknote Corporation of America

Press Type:

Alprinta 74

Stamps per Pane:

20

Print Quantity:

18,000,000

Paper Type:

Phosphor, Block Tag

Adhesive Type:

Pressure-sensitive

Colors:

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black

Stamp Orientation:

Horizontal

Image Area (w x h):

1.4200 x 1.0850 in. / 36.0680 x
27.5590 mm

Overall Size (w x h):

1.5600 x 1.2250 in. / 39.6240 x
31.1150 mm

Full Pane Size (w x h):

7.2400 x 7.1200 in. / 183.8960 x
180.8480 mm

Press Sheets Size (w x h):

21.7200 x 21.3600 in. / 551.6880 x
542.4400 mm

Plate Size:

180 stamps per revolution

Plate Number:

“B” followed by four (4) single digits in four corners

Marginal Markings:

Front:

Plate number in four corners

Back:

© 2023 USPS • USPS logo • Coach John Wooden™ licensed by John Wooden Legacy, LLC, c/o Luminary Group, LLC • Two barcodes (484500) • Plate position diagram (9) • Promotional text