Postal Service Releases New Stamps: American Scientists

Educational Stamp Subjects Sure to be an Out of this World Experience Among Students, Science Fans

DALLAS , TX — On March 6, 2008, the Postal Service™ will issue 41-cent, American Scientists commemorative stamps in four designs in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 462200). Designed by Victor Stabin of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, the stamps go on sale nationwide March 6, 2008.

This second American Scientists stamps issuance honors theoretical physicist John Bardeen, biochemist Gerty Cori, astronomer Edwin Hubble, and structural chemist Linus Pauling.

For each stamp, artist Victor Stabin created a collage featuring a portrait of the scientist along with diagrams or photographic representations that are associated with major contributions made by the scientist. Information about the specific elements in each collage is contained in the design briefs of the individual profiles on the back of each stamp.

How to Order First Day of Issue Postmark
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first day of issuepostmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™, at The Postal Store® Web site 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 a larger envelope addressed to:

AMERICAN SCIENTISTS STAMPS
POSTMASTER
421 EIGHTH AVE RM 2029B
NEW YORK NY 10199-9998

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 5, 2008.

How to Order First Day Covers

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
US POSTAL SERVICE
PO BOX 219014
KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products

There are three philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

• Item 462263*, First Day Cover Set/4, $3.16.

• Item 462291*, Ceremony Program with 4 stamps, $6.95.

• Item 462293*, First Day Cover Keepsake with 4 First ay Covers, $11.36.

Items with an asterisk (*) will use the 128 barcode from Stamp Fulfillment Services. All other philatelic products will continue to use barcode series A, with the exception of the Yearbook and the Guide Book.

Distribution: Item 462200, 41-cent American Scientists PSA Pane of 20 Stamps

Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) will receive approximately 25 to 30 percent of their full standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA sheet stamp. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size (40,000 stamps).

Initial Supply to Post Offices

SDOs will make a subsequent automatic distribution to Post Offices of one-fourth their full standard automatic distribution quantity using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distribute stamps to Post Offices before February 29, 2008.

Additional Supply

Post Offices requiring additional stamps must requisition Item 462200 from their designated SDO using PS Form 17. SDOs requiring additional stamps must order them from the appropriate accountable paper depository (APD) using PS Form 17.

For fulfilling supplemental orders from SDOs, the Chicago, New York, Memphis, and San Francisco APDs will each receive 960,000 additional stamps; and the Denver APD will receive 320,000 additional stamps.

Sales Policy

All Post Offices must acquire and maintain a supply of each new commemorative stamp as long as customer demand exists, until inventory is depleted, or until the stamp is officially withdrawn from sale. If supplies run low, Post Offices must reorder additional quantities using their normal ordering procedures.