Click on the above scans for a larger image.

41¢ Christmas: Luini Madonna and Child
(Ashton Potter)
Flat Double-Sided Convertible Booklet of 20

Scott# 4206a Plate P11111
Series USPS - Holiday ~ PNC3 - Holiday
Issue Date & City October 25, 2007, New York, NY 10199 (Mega Stamp Show)
Nationwide Sale October 25, 2007
Designer Richard Sheaff, Scottsdale, AZ
Art Director Richard Sheaff, Scottsdale, AZ
Typographer Richard Sheaff, Scottsdale, AZ
Modeler Joseph P. Sheeran
To Press / Initial Impressions Summer, 2007 / 700 Million
Process Offset / Microprinting "USPS". Located near the green on the left arm
Printer Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed At Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU), Williamsville, NY
Press Mueller Martini, A76
Processed At Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Plate Size 528 stamps per revolution
Paper & Tagging Prephosphored USPS Type III (Solid Tagging)
Adhesive Pressure Sensitive
Die Cut Gauge 10.9 on 2 or 3 sides 
Colors Gold (PMS 871), Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Actual Plate Numbers - White, Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Image Area (w x h): 0.77 x 1.085 in. / 19.558 x 27.559 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in. / 23.114 x 30.226 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 5.76 x 2.38 in. / 146.304 x 60.452 mm
Markings Cover Side: "© 2006 USPS" • Plate Numbers • Header "CHRISTMAS"   Stamp image  • "CHRISTMAS" • Price $8.20 • "Twenty 41¢ Self-adhesive Stamps • Barcode 676200
Earliest Known Use October 17, 2006
USPS Order Numbers 676240 Convertible Booklet of 20 - $8.20
676261 First Day Cover - $0.79

Availability

Stamp Fulfillment Services, Kansas City and most post offices

Official Announcement

On October 25, 2007, in New York, New York, the Postal Service™ will issue a 41-cent Christmas: The Madonna of the Carnation by Bernardino Luini special stamp in one design in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) double-sided book of 20 stamps (Item 676200). Designed by Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Arizona, the stamp goes on sale nationwide October 25, 2007.

The stamp features an oil-on-panel painting entitled The Madonna of the Carnation by Milanese painter Bernardino Luini (circa 1480–1532). Dating to around 1515, the painting is now part of the Samuel H. Kress Collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The stamp art is considered a detail of the painting, as the original photograph was slightly cropped on all four sides to fit the stamp format.

Artist / Place Bernardino Luini, painting from the Samuel H. Kress Collection, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
Press Release C
End Card Black ink on Cream card stock. Click here for a scan

How to Order First Day of Issue Postmark

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® 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:

Christmas The Madonna of the Carnation by
Bernardino Luini
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 December 24, 2007.

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:

  • 676261*, First Day Cover, $0.79.

  • 676291*, Ceremony Program, $6.95.

  • 676293*, First Day Cover Keepsake, $8.99.

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 676200, $8.20 Christmas: The Madonna of the Carnation by Bernardino Luini Double-Sided Booklet of 20

Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) will receive approxi­mately 40 percent of their full standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA booklet. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size (4,000 booklets).

Initial Supply to Post Offices

SDOs will make a subsequent automatic distribution to Post Offices of one-fourth their full standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA booklet using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distrib­ute stamps to Post Offices before October 19, 2007.

Additional Supply

Post Offices requiring additional booklets must requisi­tion Item 676200 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, Memphis, and New York APDs will each receive 1,800,000 additional booklets; the San Francisco APD will receive 1,680,000 additional booklets; and the Denver APD will receive 560,000 additional booklets.

This page was last updated on 07/02/13

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