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Click on the image for more detail. Data is still tentative.
| Scott # 4389 | Plate # V11111 |
| Series | USPS - NA ~ PNC3 - Plants and Animals |
| Issue Date & City | April 16, 2009, New York, NY 10199, (Mega Stamp Show) |
| Nationwide Sale | April 16, 2009 |
| Designer | Carl Herrman, Carlsbad, CA |
| Art Director | Carl Herrman, Carlsbad, CA |
| Typographer | Carl Herrman, Carlsbad, CA |
| Artist | Nancy Stahl, New York, NY |
| Modeler | Avery Dennison, SPD |
| Engraver | Keating Gravure |
| To Press / Initial Quantity | Spring 2009 / Billion stamps |
| Coil Size | 100 |
| Printer | Avery Dennison, (AVR) |
| Press | Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK) |
| Process | Gravure |
| Where Printed | AVR, Clinton, SC |
| Where Processed | AVR, Clinton, SC |
| Plate Size & Interval | 480 stamps per revolution / plate # every 20 stamps |
| Paper Type | Prephosphored, Type II, Surface Coated |
| Adhesive Type | Pressure Sensitive |
| Tagging Type | Prephosphored, Smooth appearance |
| Die Cut Gauge | Serpentine Die Cuts - 8.4 Vertically. |
| Die Cut Varieties | Both 10 x 10 PV/VP & VP/PV die cuts are known. Dramatic Die Cut Varieties are known on this issue. |
| Colors | Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, Black, PMS 302 (Blue) |
| Image Size (w x h) | 0.730 x 0.840 in./18.54 x 21.34 mm |
| Overall Size (w x h) | 0.870 x 0.982 in./22.10 x 24.94 mm |
| Back Numbers | None |
| Earliest Known Use | April 16, 2009 |
| USPS Order Numbers | 7872400 Full Coil of 100 - $28.00 787262 First Day Cover - $0.94 |
| Availability | |
| Official Announcement | On April 16, 2009, in New York, New York (Mega Stamp Show), the Postal Service™ will issue a 28-cent, Polar Bear definitive stamp in one design in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 113100). The stamp, designed by Carl T. Herrman, Carlsbad, California, goes on sale nationwide April 16, 2009.
This stamp features a polar bear by illustrator Nancy Stahl, who has created several designs for the Postal Service including the Florida Panther in 2007 and the Dragonfly in 2008. This stamp shows the bear’s head, chest, and front paws, and in the background is a dark blue sky dotted with stars. Stahl used a collection of photographs to create this highly stylized illustration. The Polar Bear stamp will be available in the following formats:
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| How to Order the First Day of Issue Postmark |
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| Customers have 60 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™, at the Postal Store® website at https://store.usps.com/store/, 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: |
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| Polar Bear Stamp Postmaster 421 Ave., Rm. 2029B New York, NY 10199-9998 |
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| 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 17, 2009. |
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| How to Order First Day Covers |
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| 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 postmark. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly <em>USA Philatelic</em> catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to: |
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| INFORMATION FULFILLMENT DEPT 6270 US POSTAL SERVICE PO BOX 219014 KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9014 |
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| Philatelic Products |
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| There are three philatelic products available for this stamp issue: |
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| 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. |
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| Distribution: Item 787200, $28.00 Polar Bear, PSA Coil of 100 |
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| All SDOs will receive automatic distributions of the $28.00 Polar Bear PSA coil of 100. Distributions will be in multiple waves. Wave 1 shipments, which will begin March 9, 2009, and will be complete by April 8, 2009. The Wave 2 shipment will be determined at a later date. Distributions are rounded up to nearest master carton size (800 coils). |
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| Initial Supply for Post Offices |
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| SDOs will not make a subsequent automatic distribution to Post Offices. All Post Offices requiring quantities of Item 787200 must order them from their designated SDO using a separate PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distribute coils to Post Offices before April 9, 2009. |
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| Additional Supply |
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| Post Offices requiring additional coils must requisition Item 787200 from their designated SDO using PS Form 17. SDOs requiring additional coils must order them from the appropriate accountable paper depository (APD) using PS Form 17. |
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| Following the second automatic distribution to SDOs, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Memphis APDs will each receive additional coils. The Kansas City SSC will receive additional coils for fulfilling supplemental orders from APDs. |
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| Additional quantities of this definitive stamp will also be made available to SDOs via future automatic distributions, shipped directly from the supplier to the SDOs. |
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