KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL — The Postal Service dedicated two stamps today commemorating two historic events — one that occurred a half century ago, and the second that’s making history now.

The 50th anniversary of America’s first manned spaceflight and an unmanned spacecraft currently charting planet Mercury were commemorated today on two 44-cent First-Class Forever stamps. The dedication ceremony took place next to a seven-story replica of the rocket Alan Shepard piloted to become America’s first man in space. A second stamp celebrates the MESSENGER Mission spacecraft that is currently orbiting and charting planet Mercury.

“These two historic missions — Shepard’s Mercury flight that took place 50 years ago tomorrow, and MESSENGER’s current orbiting of Mercury — frame a remarkable 50-year span in which America has advanced space exploration through more than 1,500 manned and unmanned flights,” said Stephen Masse, U.S. Postal Service vice president, finance and planning, in dedicating the stamps. “The Postal Service is proud to commemorate these achievements on stamps.”

Joining Masse in the dedication was Laura Shepard Churchley, Shepard’s daughter; Scott Carpenter, Mercury astronaut; Charles Bolden, NASA administrator and former Space Shuttle commander; Robert Cabana, former Space Shuttle commander and current director, Kennedy Space Center; and, Jim Adams, NASA deputy director, Planetary Science.

“These stamps, which will go out by the millions across this country, are a testament to the thousands of NASA men and women who shared dreams of human spaceflight and enlarging our knowledge of the universe,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

Project Mercury

As the world watched on television, Shepard blasted off from Cape Canaveral, FL, on May 5, 1961. The flight reached a maximum speed of 5,100 mph, roughly eight times the speed of sound, and a zenith of 116 miles above the Earth. With parachutes deploying, the space capsule safely splashed down in the Atlantic some 300 miles from the launch site. The New York Times declared that Shepard’s 15-minute flight “roused the country to one of its highest peaks of exultation since the end of World War II.”

Emboldened by this achievement, President John F. Kennedy declared in a historic speech on May 25, 1961, that America “should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”

The Mercury project set the country on a path that would lead to the stunning Apollo 11 moon landing eight years later on July 20, 1969, a crowning technological achievement of the 20th century.

MESSENGER

On March 17, 2011, MESSENGER became the first spacecraft to enter into orbit around Mercury. MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) is a scientific mission to investigate Mercury, which some scientists say is “the least-studied terrestrial planet” in our solar system.

Launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL, on Aug. 3, 2004, the spacecraft made six “flybys” of planets, including one of Earth, two of Venus, and three of Mercury. The flybys were done to collect data, to conserve fuel through gravity assists, and to make adjustments critical to achieving the precise trajectory for successfully inserting the spacecraft into orbit around Mercury.

Entering orbit in March 2011 represented a major milestone in space exploration. The data obtained by MESSENGER before and during the year-long orbit will be analyzed for many years to come. Scientists think the data may explain how the planet took shape and also offer clues about the origin of the solar system.

Creating the Stamps

Donato Giancola of Brooklyn, NY, illustrated the stamps under the direction of Phil Jordan of Falls Church, VA, who based the artwork on NASA photographs and images. The phrase “Mercury Project,” depicted on the stamp image was approved by NASA officials who indicate the term is used interchangeably with “Project Mercury” as noted in the text on the back of the stamp sheet. The MESSENGER Mission stamp depicts the MESSENGER spacecraft orbiting Mercury.

The Project Mercury and MESSENGER Mission Stamps are being issued as Forever stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.

Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at local Post Offices, at The Postal Store website at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others, and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:

Mercury Project/MESSENGER Mission Stamp
1538 Harrison St.
Titusville, FL 32780

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. All orders must be postmarked by July 3, 2011.

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 quarterly USA Philatelic Catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
U.S. Postal Service
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Ordering the stamps and related products
In addition to the stamps, there are five philatelic products available for this stamp issue. Also, customers can order all stamps and products online at www.usps.com/shop, by calling 1-800 STAMP-24, or by using the mail-in order form in the USA Philatelic Catalog. Customers can subscribe to the catalog at www.beyondtheperf.com, www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 1-800 STAMP-24.

* 468063, First-Day Covers (Set of 2), $1.76.
* 468068, Digital Color Postmark First Day Covers (Set of 2), $3.20.
* 468084, Uncut Press Sheet, $105.60.
* 468091, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
* 468099, Sheet of 20 stamps w/Digital Color Postmark First-Day Covers (Set of 2), $12.95.

Linn’s Stamp News reports that the US Postal Service has closed down the philatelic sales unit at the Providence RI post office, with no advance notice or explanation. According to Linn’s, the unit had “fulfilled custom stamp orders and requests… from collectors all over the United States” for more than a decade.

In response to questions a USPS spokesperson cited the “change in district alignments” (the Providence District office was eliminated in the recent USPS reorganization) and “heightened financial reporting requirements”. It was not clear why those factors would have had any bearing on the Providence unit.

Linn’s editor Michael Baadke, in his Editor’s Column, praised postal clerk Donna Rajotte, who ran the unit since its inception in 2000, and questioned why the USPS would eliminate such an apparently profitable operation.

LINNS.COM: The website of the world’s largest weekly stamp newspaper-Linn’s Stamp News.

WASHINGTON — A recognized sustainability leader and innovator, the U.S. Postal Service continued a 50-year tradition today with the issuance of its latest social awareness stamp: Go Green. The sheet of Forever stamps features 16 actions anyone can take to make a positive impact on the environment.

The stamps and philatelic products can be ordered online at usps.com/green.

The first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony for the Go Green stamps took place at Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School and adjoining Savoy Elementary School, steps from the largest green garden in the Washington, DC, public school system.

“We’re creating a culture of conservation at the Postal Service that will have a lasting impact in our workplace and our communities,” said Ronald A. Stroman, Deputy Postmaster General. “The Go Green stamps carry 16 simple, green messages that have the power to help make the world a better place for us and future generations.”

Joining Stroman at the ceremony were Lisa P. Jackson, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator; Alexandra Pardo, Thurgood Marshall academic director; Patrick Pope, Savoy principal and Emil Dzuray, USPS Acting Chief Sustainability Officer. William McDonough, cofounder and principal of MBDC, creators of the Cradle to Cradle certification program, participated as an honored guest.

"With these Go Green stamps, the Postal Service is reminding us of the important steps we can take each day to have an impact on the world around us," said Jackson. "These stamps demonstrate individual actions — from saving energy or water to reducing waste — that add up to a big difference for our health and our environment."

In a crowd-pleasing finale, the event closed with the arrival of a three-wheeled electric mail delivery vehicle, which delivered ceremonial, indigenous trees for both schools — symbolic of USPS delivering a greener America.

USPS is the only mailing and shipping company in the world whose stamp products and shipping supplies have earned Cradle to Cradle Certification, meaning they meet established standards for human and environmental health and recyclability.

USPS has been environmentally friendly since 1899 when it tested the first electric vehicle in Buffalo, NY. Today, the agency operates more than 44,000 alternative fuel capable mail delivery vehicles across the country, including ethanol, biodiesel, compressed natural gas and electric. Since 2005, USPS has increased its use of alternative fuels 133 percent, and since 2003, has reduced its facility energy use 28 percent. The Postal Service chose the Go Green stamps as this year’s social awareness stamps to help raise awareness about helping the environment.

To learn more about USPS sustainability initiatives, visit the USPS green newsroom and usps.com/green.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at local Post Office facilities, at the Postal Store website at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:

Go Green Stamp

Special Cancellations

PO Box 92282

Washington, DC 20090-2282

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. All orders must be postmarked by June 14, 2011.

How to Order First-Day Covers

USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services 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. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

Information Fulfillment

Dept. 6270

U.S. Postal Service

PO Box 219014

Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

via USPS News Release: Postal Service Delivers a Greener America.

Quick- where is this famous statue located? If you said New York Harbor, you’re not even close. The Liberty Forever stamp, issued this past December, actually features an image of the replica Statue of Liberty located outside the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Linn’s Stamp News revealed the mistake on the cover of its April 25 edition. Linn’s notes differences between the original statue and the one pictured on the stamp. The image was licensed from Getty Images, and the keyword information attached to the photograph includes “Replica Statue Of Liberty – Las Vegas”. Apparently the folks who designed the stamp missed that part, because the press release that announced the stamp says “Lady Liberty, as the Statue of Liberty is affectionately known, is shown in a close-up photograph of her head and crown taken by Raimund Linke. The statue, located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor…”

NEW ORLEANS, March 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — To celebrate America’s musical gift to the world, the U.S. Postal Service today issued the Jazz Appreciation Forever Stamp.

Inspired by vintage jazz record-album covers, Pasadena, Calif., artist Paul Rogers captured the eclectic nature of jazz music and the spontaneity and improvisation of jazz artists in creating art for the Jazz Appreciation Forever Stamp.

“With this evocative Jazz stamp, we celebrate the music and the musicians who play it in studios, clubs and concert halls and on festival stages,” said Thurgood Marshall Jr., vice chairman, Postal Service Board of Governors. “I can’t think of a more perfect place to dedicate this new stamp than here in New Orleans, the birthplace of so many legendary jazz performers… and where jazz first flowered near the dawn of the 20th century.

“Jazz is a pastime that brings people together, regardless of race, ethnicity or background,” said Marshall. “It’s a lot like the Postal Service, which has been bringing people together for over 235 years, through the power of the mail.”

Forever Stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce rate. The Jazz Appreciation stamps go on sale today nationwide at Post Offices and online at usps.com/shop.

Joining Marshall to dedicate the Jazz Appreciation Forever Stamp were Guy Cottrell, chief postal inspector; Nancy Marinovic, president, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation; Shamarr Allen, leader of the funk band Underdawgs; Jeffery Taylor, manager, Louisiana District, Postal Service; and Paul Rogers.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at a local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:

Jazz Stamp
Postmaster
PO Box 50336
New Orleans, LA 70150-0336

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. All orders must be postmarked by May 26, 2011.

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 quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
U.S. Postal Service
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products

There are four philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

466661, First-Day Cover, $.82
466665, Digital Color Postmark, $1.50
466691, Ceremony Program, $6.95
466699, Keepsake Pane and Digital Color Postmark, $10.95

To learn more about the Postal Service’s Stamp Program, visit http://beyondtheperf.com.

The USPS has announced its commemorative stamp program for 2011, with stamps featuring Mark Twain, Owney the Postal Dog, and the painter Edward Hopper among others. Click here to see all the new stamps.

2011 Program Preview | USA Philatelic.

The US Postal Service’s philatelic site, BeyondThePerf.com has announced that all of the USPS’s 2011 commemoratives will be “Forever” stamps, good for the first class letter rate forever:

Now, we’re pleased to announce that the entire 2011 commemorative program will join the Forever ranks. This benefits the Postal Service as well as our customers. Rather than incur the expense of destroying unsold stamps after a rate change, we can internally adjust the value — keeping our stamps in circulation until they run out.

via Beyond the Perf Special Update.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 — The U.S. Postal Service issued the following news release:

Business mailers across the nation will receive a special holiday gift from the U.S. Postal Service this season with the issuance of two, new, First-Class Mail Forever stamps on coils.

The new stamps feature photographs of world-recognized symbols of the United States: the Statue of Liberty and the American flag. The Lady Liberty and U.S. Flag Forever Stamp coils are now on sale at select Post Offices nationwide, online at www.usps.com, and by phone at 1 800-STAMP-24. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price. They were first introduced in 2007.

As the name suggests, Forever Stamps can be used to mail a one-ounce letter regardless of when the stamps are purchased or used and no matter how prices may change in the future.

"Our business and residential customers have spoken and we have listened," said David Failor, executive director, Stamp Services. This is a customer convenience that will last forever."

Lady Liberty, as the Statue of Liberty is affectionately known, is shown in a close-up photograph of her head and crown taken by Raimund Linke. The statue, located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, was designed by French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, with assistance from engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel (who also designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris) and was dedicated Oct. 28, 1886. At the time, it was the tallest structure in New York at 305 feet.

A gift from the people of France to the people of the United States in recognition of the friendship that developed during the American Revolution, the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of political freedom and democracy for millions of people around the world.

The photograph of the U.S. flag is by Ron Watts. One of the most recognizable symbols in the world, the American flag has regularly appeared on definitive stamps intended for mail use. In the past decade, a number of commemorative stamps have displayed the flag as well. The Stars and Stripes pane (2000), for example, highlighted the evolution of American flags over time, and the Old Glory prestige booklet (2003) featured a wide range of ephemera and folk art that incorporated American flag motifs.

HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, HI — The beauty of Hawaii’s rare plants and animals will grace letters and packages traveling across the nation now that the Postal Service issued the Nature of America: Hawaiian Rain Forest stamp pane and stamped postal cards today.

Featuring a Hawaiian rain forest, this 2010 Nature of America collectable stamp pane is the 12th and final pane in an educational series focusing on the beauty and complexity of major plant and animal communities in the United States.

“Beautiful, diverse, and complex,” said Patrick Donahoe, Postal Service chief operating officer and Deputy Postmaster General, in dedicating the stamps. “The Hawaiian rain forests are all of these and more. The rain forest is a remarkably self-sustaining and balanced ecosystem. To the credit of the people of Hawaii, work has been ongoing to preserve and protect them, and ultimately, the rain forest itself. As a result, the Hawaiian rain forests are among the most efficient collectors of fresh water in the world.”

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Royal Mail is launching the world’s first ‘Intelligent Stamp’ through its latest issue of Special Stamps – Great British Railways. The stamp set will combine state-of-the-art technology with history and heritage, bringing stamps in to the 21st century for stamp collectors everywhere.

The stamps will be the first in the world to work with image recognition technology. When activated by a smartphone on the iPhone or Android platforms the stamps will launch exclusive online content created by Royal Mail.

Philip Parker, Royal Mail Stamps spokesperson says: “This is the first time a national postal service has used this kind of technology on their stamps. We’re very excited to be bringing intelligent stamps to the nation’s post.

“Intelligent stamps mark the next step in the evolution of our stamps, bringing them firmly into the 21st century. Royal Mail’s special stamps mark key events and anniversaries in the UK’s heritage, through a programme which aims to be both educational and informative. Through Intelligent Stamp technology, our stamps will open up to a whole new world of information, interest and fun to stamp collectors and the millions of people who will receive them on letters in the coming months alike.”

The first Intelligent Stamps are incoporated into the Great British Railways special stamps issue. For the launch, Royal Mail has delved into its rich cultural history and created a short film of Bernard Cribbins reading W H Auden’s poem, The Night Mail – first made famous in The Post Office’s own film from 1936.

Bernard Cribbins says: “WH Auden wrote the Night Mail poem in 1936 for the Post Office’s own blockbuster film of the same name, which has, for years, remained in the hearts and minds of many. I’m excited to be bringing it to a brand new audience, and to help take Royal Mail Stamps into a new era by using state of the art interactive technology.”

Intelligent stamp technology is free to use and will be available on selected future special stamp issues.

How to use the Intelligent Stamp

Using an intelligent stamp is really simple. All users need to do is go to the app store on their smartphone and search for the JUNAIO application. Junaio works on both iPhone and Android phones. iPhone users will find the app in the iTunes store and Android users need to go to the Android Market. The application is free of charge and you can easily download it to your phone, just as you would any other app.

Once you have downloaded the Junaio application, open it and then go to the Royal Mail Channel and select the Great British Railways logo.

Once this has been activated, the phone will then open its camera. Place the camera over the stamp image as if you were taking a photo of the stamp. When the stamp is recognised, the exclusive Royal Mail content will run automatically.