Philatelic News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2002
Stamp Release #02-036
New 'Rate Change' Postage Stamps Now Available Online, By Telephone And At All Post Offices
WASHINGTON - In anticipation of the June 30 change in domestic postage rates, the U.S. Postal Service has made billions of 37-cent stamps available and easily accessible to customers wishing to plan ahead.
Issued June 7 were five non-denominated stamps good for the 37-cent First-Class rate: the U.S. Flag stamp and a set of four Antique Toys stamps, depicting a mail wagon, steam locomotive, taxicab and fire engine. Also issued June 7 was a 3-cent "make up rate" stamp featuring a star highlighted in red, white and blue. This stamp makes it convenient for customers to use any remaining 34-cent stamps they may have on hand.
These stamps are now available online at the Postal Store at www.usps.com/shop, by calling toll free 1 800 STAMP-24 and at all post offices. In addition to the individual stamps, the Postal Store is offering "Rate Change Kits" containing rate change stamps in various formats (coils, panes and booklets), along with a handy, wallet-size rate card.
Also issued June 7 were the 23-cent Carlsbad Caverns National Park stamped postal card, illustrating a scene inside a cavern in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, N.M., and the Ribbon Star 37-cent stamped envelope, showing five strands of red, white and blue ribbon forming a white star in the center of the design.
In addition to two large coils of stamps issued June 7 and generally used by businesses, denominated versions of the 37-cent U.S. Flag design will be available in additional formats over the next several weeks. Denominated versions of the Antique Toys stamps, all bearing the 37-cent rate, will be issued July 26 in Rochester, N.Y.
Other rate change stamps and philatelic stationery scheduled for later this summer are the Coverlet Eagle 60-cent "second-ounce" rate stamp, depicting a woven eagle and shield and the motto "E PLURIBUS UNUM" (to be issued July 12 in Oak Brook, Ill.); the Jefferson Memorial $3.85 Priority Mail rate stamp (late July, Washington, D.C.); the U.S. Capitol $13.65 Express Mail rate stamp (late July, Washington, D.C.); and the Edna Ferber 83-cent "three-ounce" rate stamp (July 29, Appleton, Wis.), featuring a "scratchboard" portrait of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and short-story writer. She is the fourth honoree in the Distinguished American series. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell and Claude Pepper were honored in 2000, and Hattie Caraway in 2001.
To see the 2002 "rate change" stamps, go to www.usps.com, point your mouse at the link titled "News and Events," click on "Philatelic News" and open the online version of this news release.
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Since 1775, the U.S. Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. It is an independent federal agency that visits 137 million homes and businesses every day and is the only service provider to deliver to every address in the nation. The Postal Service 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 more than $65 billion, it is the world's leading provider of postal services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume-some 207 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year-and serves 7 million customers each day at its 40,000 retail locations nationwide.
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