Introducing a Flag for All Seasons
WASHINGTON — From the heights of sunny summer to the snowy depths of winter, the American Flag never looked more beautiful than on the U.S. Postal Service’s A Flag for All Seasons Forever stamps.
Dedicated today at the Spellman Museum of Stamp and Postal History in Weston, MA, Old Glory is illustrated in four different stamp designs. The stamps go on sale nationwide in coils of 100 stamps at local Post Offices, online at usps.com/stamps or by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724).
Each stamp shows the American flag, viewed from below, flying from a pole at full staff against a background of trees painted to evoke all four seasons of the year.
The stamp art, consisting of opaque watercolors on illustration board, is the work of Laura Stutzman, who used personal photographs of the flag for reference. The seasons are reflected in the colors of the leaves on the trees or, in the case of the flag in winter, the lack of leaves on the background trees.
These stamps are being issued as Forever stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price.
Booklets of 20 A Flag for All Seasons Forever stamps will go on sale nationwide May 17, followed by booklets of 10 stamps August 16.
Customers can view the new stamps, as well as many of this year’s other stamps, onFacebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, on Twitter @USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/2013-preview. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service’s online site for information on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.
Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks for the Coil of 100 Stamps
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase the new stamps at local Post Offices, at usps.com/stamps or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should apply the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:
A Flag for All Seasons Stamp
Retail Specialist
25 Dorchester Avenue, Rm. 3011
Boston, MA 02205-9600
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 for fewer than 50 requests. All orders must be postmarked by July 3.
Ordering 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 quarterly USA Philatelic catalog, online at usps.com/stamps or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:
U.S. Postal Service
Catalog Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014
Philatelic Products
Two philatelic products are available: