© Steve Lange
PHILADELPHIA, Pa., June 17, 2008 — The United States Postal Service will issue the Olympic Games commemorative stamp on June 19, 2008 at the Visa Fan Fest at the Wachovia Center during the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Gymnastics.
Postal Service Board of Governors member Thurgood Marshall, Jr. and Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics, will dedicate the new stamp at approximately 5:20 p.m. on the first day of competition at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
With the issuance of this stamp, the Postal Service continues its tradition of honoring the spirit of athleticism and international unity inspired by the Olympic Games. The stamp is being issued to coincide with the games of the XXIX Olympiad, which will be held from Aug 8-24, 2008 in Beijing, China.
Designed by Clarence Lee, this stamp features a drawing by artist Katie Doka of a gymnast surrounded by ribbon-like design elements. In the upper right corner of the stamp, the denomination is surrounded by a graphic element that resembles the ink mark created by a Chinese “chop,” a carved wooden stamp often used for signatures or seals. The five Olympic rings appear in the lower left corner.
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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 146 million homes and businesses, six days a week. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. The Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.
Olympic Games Philatelic Fact Sheet
Philatelic Products
There are three philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
- 462961, First Day Cover, $.80
- 462991, Ceremony Program, $6.95
- 462993, First Day Cover Keepsake, $9.20
How to Order the 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, or 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:
Olympic Games Stamp
Postmaster
ATTN: First Day Cancellation – Olympic Games Stamp
3190 S. 70th Street Room 509
Philadelphia, PA 19153-9611
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 Aug. 20, 2008.
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
U.S. Postal Service
P.O. Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014