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WASHINGTON - What is the country's deepest lake? The largest rodent? The tallest man-made monument? The fastest bird? The windiest place? The U.S. Postal Service pays tribute to these five superlatives and 35 others with the dedication of 40 Wonders of America: Land of Superlatives postage stamps. Postmaster General John E. Potter dedicated the stamps in a special ceremony today that kicked off the Washington 2006 World Philatelic Exhibition. (The answers are: Crater Lake in Oregon; American Beaver; Gateway Arch in St. Louis; Peregrine Falcon; Mount Washington in New Hampshire.)

"From coast to coast, our nation is blessed with scenic beauty and wondrous sights," said Potter. "Today the Postal Service is celebrating 40 of America's extraordinary natural and man-made marvels. These stamps provide us with an opportunity to pay homage to those places and things that make this country so spectacular."

The Wonders of America: Land of Superlatives postage stamps are available nationwide today. On the front of each stamp, in large letters, are words that describe the superlative nature of the particular place or thing. Smaller type provides the name or location of the featured wonder and the text on the back of each stamp provides relevant statistics and information. The stamps were designed by Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, AZ, and the art is by Lonnie Busch of Franklin, NC.

While a number of the stamps featured on this sheet are world records, the focus is purely domestic. The stamp images and the text on the back of each stamp can be found online at www.usps.com by clicking on the Washington 2006 World Philatelic Exhibition banner.

The Exhibition is for stamp collectors what the World Series is for baseball fans and it only happens in the United States once every 10 years. With virtually every philatelic organization in America and 135 postal administrations from around the world involved, it will be the largest philatelic exhibition ever held in America. Merchandise featuring the Wonders of America: Land of Superlatives stamps and images of the stamps will be for sale at the event.

In conjunction with the issuance of the Wonders of America stamps, the Postal Service has partnered with the Travel Industry of America to promote the Wonders of America Sweepstakes. The contest runs from May 1 to July 15, 2006. Seven lucky winners will receive travel vouchers from CheapTickets.com, Hertz, Marriott, and a $500 American Express gift card to plan their own 6-day/5-night vacation. Go to www.seeamerica.org for additional information.

Order the First Day of Issue Postmark

Customers have 30 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. Stamps can be purchased at their local Post Office, by telephone at 800-STAMP-24, and online at www.usps.com/shop. Customers should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

WONDERS OF AMERICA LAND OF SUPERLATIVES STAMPS
POSTMASTER
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 26, 2006.


Since 1775, the United States Postal Service and its predecessor, the Post Office Department, have connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. An independent federal agency that visits more than 144 million homes and businesses every day, the Postal Service is the only service provider delivering to every address in the nation. It receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of $70 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mailing and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The U.S. Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume-some 212 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year-and serves seven million customers each day at its 37,000 retail locations nationwide.