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USPS News: Philatelic Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 18, 2001
Stamp Release No. 01-073
Postal Service Marks 250th Anniversary Of James Madison's Birth With New Postage Stamp
NEW YORK - James Madison, the fourth president of the United States and remembered as the "father of the U.S. Constitution," was honored today by the U.S. Postal Service with a new commemorative postage stamp marking the 250th anniversary of his birth.The 34-cent James Madison stamp was dedicated at a first day of issue ceremony kicking off the fall Postage Stamp Mega-Event show at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The stamp is available at New York post offices starting today, and it will be availabe at post offices across the country beginning tomorrow.
"The Postal Service is very proud to recognize James Madison and his achievements," said Vinnie Malloy, New York District Manager/Postmaster, who dedicated the stamp. "The James Madison stamp continues our commitment to enriching and preserving our nation's history through the U.S. stamp program."
Joining Malloy at the ceremony were Jackson Taylor, president, American Stamp Dealers Association (ASDA); Lloyd de Vries, secretary, American Philatelic Society (APS); John Thompson, designer of the stamp; Mike Quinn, president, Montpelier Foundation; and "James Madison" (represented by John Douglas Hall).
The Postage Stamp Mega-Event runs through Oct. 21 and is sponsored by the ASDA, the APS and the Postal Service. For more information on stamp shows, visit the ASDA Web site at www.asdaonline.com or the APS Web site at www.stamps.org.
Born March 16, 1751, in Port Conway, Va., Madison graduated from the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) in 1771. He was elected to the Virginia Constitutional Convention in 1776 and to the Continental Congress in December 1779.
Madison was instrumental in organizing the body of delegates that wrote the U.S. Constitution in 1787, and his extensive study of ancient republics led to his many contributions to that document. He was also an important figure in the ratification of the Constitution. His commentaries in support of the Constitution helped convince the citizens of New York to accept the new government.
Later, while a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Madison played a leading role in the creation and passage of the first ten amendments to the Constitution. Known as the Bill of Rights, they were proposed in 1789 and adopted in 1791.
After serving as President Thomas Jefferson's secretary of state for eight years, Madison himself was elected President in 1808. In June 1812, near the end of his first term, Madison asked Congress to declare war on Britain. That fall, he won reelection. When the treaty to end the war was signed in 1814, Americans felt they had won, and Madison's popularity surged.
Upon leaving office, Madison retired to Montpelier, his Virginia estate. He died there on June 28, 1836.
Artist John Thompson, of Waterloo, Iowa, used the scratchboard technique to render the portrait of Madison and the illustration of Montpelier that appears in the background. The stamp art also includes a reproduction of James Madison's signature. Microtype on the stamp reads "James Madison 1751-1836." Carl Herrman of Carlsbad, Calif., was the art director for the stamp.
To see an image of the James Madison stamp, go to the Postal Service Web site at www.usps.com. Click on News and Events then Philatelic News, and locate the online version of this press release.
All current stamps and other philatelic products, as well as a free comprehensive catalog, are available by calling toll free 1 800 STAMP-24. In addition, a selection of current stamps and gift items are available online at the Postal Store.
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TECHNICAL DETAILS
Issue: James Madison
Item Number: 451700
Denomination & Type of Issue: 34-cent Commemorative
Format: Pane of 20
Issue Date & City: October 18, 2001, New York, NY 10199
Illustrator: John Thompson, Waterloo, IA
Designer: John Thompson, Waterloo, IA
Engraver: Banknote Corporation of America, Inc. (BCA)
Art Director: Carl Herrman, Carlsbad, CA
Modeler: Banknote Corporation of America, Inc. (BCA)
Manufacturing Process: Intaglio/Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America, Inc. (BCA)
Printed at: BCA, Browns Summit, NC
Press Type:
Offset: Goebel, 670
Intaglio: Epikos, 5009
Stamps per pane: 20
Print Quantity: 32 million stamps
Paper Type: Prephosphored, Type I
Gum Type: Water activated
Processed at: BCA, Browns Summit, NC
Colors:
Offset: Process black
Intaglio: Modified PMS 560 Green
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Stamp Image Area (w x h): 1.390 x 0.820 in./35.31 x 20.83 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 1.560 x 0.991 in./39.62 x 25.15 mm
Pane Size (w x h): 7.260 x 5.94 in./184.40 x 150.88 mm
Uncut Press Sheet (w x h): 17.8 x 15.06 in./452.12 x 382.524 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: "B" followed by two (2) single digits
Marginal Markings: © 2001 · Price · Plate Position Diagram · Barcode
Catalog Item Number(s) 451720 Block of 4 - $1.36
451730 Block of 10 - $3.40
451740 Pane of 20 - $6.80
451761 First Day Cover - $0.55
451784 Press Sheet - $40.80
HOW TO ORDER THE FIRST DAY OF ISSUE POSTMARK
Customers have 30 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, by telephone at 1 800 STAMP-24, and at the Postal Store Web www.usps.com. 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:
JAMES MADISON COMMEMORATIVE STAMP
POSTMASTER
421 8TH AVENUE RM 2029-B
NEW YORK NY 10199-9991
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 Nov. 17, 2001.
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For 226 years, the United States Postal Service has been the gateway to the household, binding friends, families and neighbors together. It is an independent federal agency that handles 46 percent of the world's mail volume, with annual revenues of $65 billion. The Postal Service is not funded with taxpayer dollars, but derives its revenues solely from the sale of postage and other products and services it provides. Through its unrivaled service network, the Postal Service delivers money, messages and merchandise daily to 135 million addresses, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world.
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