Wednesday, October 5, 2016

United States 2016 Stamp Program

Update (15 Jan 2018): I'm updating this post to add postal stationary details from 2016. A collector had found the Northern Cardinal stamped envelope late in 2016, which USPS eventually recognized as an item issued in 2016. See details for the two stationary items below.
Update (05 Oct 2016): This should be the final update for this year. Details for all known stamp subjects have become available. USPS made minor adjustments were made for release date and locations for the last few stamp releases, which is reflected in the table below. Hopefully all readers and collectors have ordered enough stock for posting holiday mail and keepsakes for gifts. At this point, no new issues are expected for 2016, so a favorite stamp poll will be the next item to be posted on the blog. Be on the lookout. Here's wishing Happy Holidays and Happy Collecting.
Update (15 Sep 2016): Here's another update, likely the second to last for 2016. Information for all stamp issues other than print run and printer for two subjects is available. Recent additions to the release calendar for 2016 are also included here. Click on the images below to enlarge.
Update (06 Aug 2016): There have been some last minute additions to the stamp program, which are scheduled for released over next two months. Release date for Apples 1 cent stamp is now known. Stamps on Patriotic Spiral (Booklet of 10 and Coil of 10k), Holiday Window Views (Booklet of 20) and Wonder Woman (Pane of 20) have been added to the 2016 program. Patriotic Spiral will be released on 19 Aug and the other two at the ASDA show in October. The next update to the release program will be provided in late-September when details for the remaining issues will become available. Until then, enjoy collecting.
Update (16 Jul 2016): A new stamp issue, Songbirds in Snow with 4 designs (booklet of 20) is now scheduled to be released at the APS Stamp Show in Portland on 04th August. Star Trek stamps (4 designs) will be released on 02 Sep in New York City. Highlighted issues have a print run of less than 20 million stamps and it is recommended to purchase these stamps before they are sold out. Click on the images below to enlarge.
Update (11 June 2016): Stamp release dates for all of July are also available now. See below for the dates from Jan to July 2016. Release dates for only a handful of stamps are to be decided.
Updating (07 May 2016) the stamp program for most of the issues for May 2016 as well. Will be attending the World Stamp Show in New York City from 28 May onward. Will provide another update in early June. Enjoy until then!
Highlighted issues have a print run of less than 20 million stamps.

Here is the stamp issue program from January to March 2016. This will be updated as additional details are available from USPS.

Keep checking here for additional updates:
http://betterphilately.blogspot.com/2015/12/stamp-issues-for-2016.html

Monday, October 3, 2016

Stamp Issue Updates for 2016

Update (02 Oct 2016): This could be the last update for the year. A few minor adjustments were made to the stamp release dates. Another change for the Christmas (15th. c. Florentine) from 11 to 18 Oct, but the city of release remained unchanged (Washington DC). The Hanukkah stamp will now be released on 01 Nov in Boca Raton, FL and the Christmas (Nativity) stamp on 03 Nov in Washington, DC. At this point, it is believed the entire stamp program is known for the year. See the release dates for all the stamp below. Surprisingly, little to no postal stationery was released over the entire year. Signs of times to come? The other blog post with details on the stamp printing and designers will be updated soon.


Update (05 Sep 2016): Another stamp issue has been added for release this year. It's a greeting card-rate stamp in the butterfly series (sixth in the series). A 68c stamp non-machinable rate stamp on Eastern Tailed-Blue butterfly will be released in 2016. Although a special rate stamp, it will remain valid 'forever' for it's intended use. No release date or place of issue has been announced yet.

Update (28 Aug 2016): CSAC and United States Postal Service have heard all your voice. A new postage stamp will be issued on 05 October to celebrate Diwali, a Hindu festival. Petitions for this stamp subject have been made for over 10 years and a decision was eagerly awaited by the Indian American community. It's a highlight for this blog because of it's focus on India Post and USPS, and because Diwali brings both the countries and it's culture together. The stamp featuring a traditional lamp called 'diya' was designed by Greg Breeding using a photograph by Sally Anderson-Bruce. William Gicker was the art director for this project. The stamp will be released  at the Indian Consulate in New York. Diwali will be celebrated on 29-30 October this year. In other news, dates for a few stamp issues have been adjusted and release locations updated as well. These updates and the high level stamp program is below. Happy Diwali and Happy Collecting!

01 Oct - Kwanzaa at Charleston, SC (Previously, 07 Oct at New York, NY)
05 Oct - Diwali at New York, NY (Previously unannounced)
11 Oct - Christmas (15th c. Florentine) at Washington, DC (Previously 07 Oct at New York, NY)
Update (06 Aug 2016): This post had not been updated in the last few months, mainly because USPS did a good job disseminating information to philatelists and there were other posts on this blog that contained new on recent stamp issues, especially the ones released during the World Stamp Show in New York. At this point, dates for all known stamps for 2016 have been announced. The last one to be announced was for the 1 cent Apples definitive stamp (12 Aug 2016 release date). Following stamp issues were added beyond the ones made known earlier. The updated stamp program is posted below as well. As mentioned earlier, the detailed version of the stamp program will be posted in another blog.

04 Aug - Songbirds in Snow (4 designs)
19 Aug - Patriotic Spiral (1 design)
06 Oct - Holiday Window Views (4 designs)
07 Oct - Wonder Woman (4 designs) - Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze Age & Modern Age












Here's the stamp issue program, in an easy to read set of two images (03 Apr 2016).
Moving the detailed schedule to a new post (04 Mar 2016).

Update (27 Feb 2016): Added dates for Indiana Statehood, Holiday stamps (4 issues), Jaime Escalante and Soda Fountain Favorites (to be release in Nashville, TN).
Date
Issue Description
Format
07-Jun
Indiana Statehood
Pane of 20
May
Repeal of the Stamp Act, 1766
Pane of 10
May
NY2016 Souvenir Sheets (2 designs)
2 Panes of 12 each
May
Views of Our Planets (8 designs)
Pane of 16
May
Pluto - Explored (2 designs)
Souvenir Sheet of 4
TBD
Apples (1c)
N/A
07-Oct
Christmas (15th c. Florentine)
Pane of 20
06-Oct
Christmas (Nativity)
Pane of 20
TBD
Eid Greetings
Pane of 20
19-Feb
Grapes (5c)
Coil of 10k
06-Oct
Hanukkah
Pane of 20
TBD
Jack O'Lanterns (4 designs)
Pane of 20
13-Jul
Jaime Escalante
Pane of 20
07-Oct
Kwanzaa
Pane of 20
TBD
Pets (20 designs)
Booklet of 20
TBD
Pickup Trucks (4 designs)
Booklet of 20
TBD
Shirley Temple
Pane of 20
30-Jun
Soda Fountain Favorites (5 designs)
Booklet of 20
TBD
Star Quilts (Presorted First Class, 2 designs)
Coils of 3k/10k
TBD
Star Trek (4 designs)
Pane of 20

Update (13 Feb 2016): Just separating out Q1 2016 from the remaining months. This should help keep a track of the issues until March and then add on as more first day of issue dates are available. Happy Collecting!

Date
Issue Description
Format
March?
Indiana Statehood
Pane of 20
May
Repeal of the Stamp Act, 1766
Pane of 10
May
NY2016 Souvenir Sheets (2 designs)
2 Panes of 12 each
May
Views of Our Planets (8 designs)
Pane of 16
May
Pluto - Explored (2 designs)
Souvenir Sheet of 4
TBD
Apples (1c)
N/A
TBD
Christmas (15th c. Florentine)
Pane of 20
TBD
Christmas (Nativity)
Pane of 20
TBD
Eid Greetings
Pane of 20
19-Feb
Grapes (5c)
N/A
TBD
Hanukkah
Pane of 20
TBD
Jack O'Lanterns (4 designs)
Pane of 20
TBD
Jaime Escalante
Pane of 20
TBD
Kwanzaa
Pane of 20
TBD
Pets (20 designs)
Booklet of 20
TBD
Pickup Trucks (4 designs)
Booklet of 20
TBD
Shirley Temple
Pane of 20
TBD
Soda Fountain Favorites (5 designs)
Booklet of 20
TBD
Star Quilts (Presorted First Class, 2 designs)
Coils of 3k/10k
TBD
Star Trek (4 designs)
Pane of 20

Update (30 Dec 2015 & 23 Jan 2016): USPS appears to have provided a major update to the stamp issues for 2016 a couple days ago over a call with stamp news editors. This information actually enables to move to the tabular format for stamp releases in 2016. Information for print quantity, printer, designers and city of release will be added later. Among the new subjects introduced in this recent update, quite a few (highlighted in red below) were mentioned in the Washington Post's leaked CSAC stamp list. The Grapes and Pears stamps are considered as the '5 & 10 cent low denomination designs'; Views of Our Planets could be the 'Solar System' from the CSAC list.


Date
Issue Description
Format
12-Jan
Quilled Paper Heart
Pane of 20
17-Jan
Columbia River Gorge ($22.95)
Pane of 10
17-Jan
La Cueva Del Indio ($6.45)
Pane of 10
29-Jan
Botanical Art (10 designs)
Booklets of 10 & 20
       22-Feb
The Moon (Global Forever)
Pane of 10
               29-Jan
United States Flag
Booklets of 10, 20 & Coil of 100 (SSP)
               29-Jan
United States Flag
Booklet of 10 & Coil of 100 (APU)
2-Feb
Richard Allen
Pane of 20
5-Feb
Celebrating Lunar New Year
Pane of 12
29-Mar
Sarah Vaughan
Pane of 16
March
Indiana Statehood
Pane of 20
May
Repeal of the Stamp Act, 1766
Pane of 10
May
NY2016 Souvenir Sheets (2 designs)
2 Panes of 12 each
May
Views of Our Planets (8 designs)
Pane of 16
May
Pluto - Explored (2 designs)
Souvenir Sheet of 4
TBD
Apples (1c)
N/A
TBD
Christmas (15th c. Florentine)
Pane of 20
TBD
Christmas (Nativity)
Pane of 20
TBD
Eid Greetings
Pane of 20
TBD
Grapes (5c)
N/A
TBD
Hanukkah
Pane of 20
TBD
Jack O'Lanterns (4 designs)
Pane of 20
TBD
Jaime Escalante
Pane of 20
TBD
Kwanzaa
Pane of 20
               17-Jan
Pears (10c)
Coil of 10k
TBD
Pets (20 designs)
Booklet of 20
TBD
Pickup Trucks (4 designs)
Booklet of 20
TBD
Shirley Temple
Pane of 20
TBD
Soda Fountain Favorites (5 designs)
Booklet of 20
TBD
Star Quilts (Presorted First Class, 2 designs)
Coils of 3k/10k
TBD
Star Trek (4 designs)
Pane of 20

Original Post
The new year will soon be here. USPS has already announced several stamp issues. This list includes some stamp subjects from the Washington Post leaked stamp list.

Adding stamp release dates below as they are announced or confirmed.

United States Stamp Issues in 2016:
January 12 - Quilled Paper Heart
January 29 - Botanical Art (Booklet of 20)
February 02 - Richard Allen
February 05 - Year of the Monkey
March 29 - Sarah Vaughan


May - NY2016 Souvenir Sheet
May - Repeal of the Stamp Act, 1766
Indiana Statehood
Jaime Escalante
Pets (Booklet of 20)

Other potential subjects for 2016 (CSAC leaked list from The Post):
A Leon Higginbotham, Jr.
Barn Swallow Envelope
Biplane Stamped Card
Columbia River Gorge
Common Buckeye Butterfly
Elizabeth Taylor
Henry James
Mushrooms
NPS
Sesame Street
Skywriting
X-Ray Flowers
Yes,Virginia