Categories: Stamps

2018 U.S. Stamp Program

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The United States Postal Service increased the cost of a forever stamp by 1¢, to 50¢, effective Jan. 21.

Jan. 11, Year of the Dog. One (49¢) forever commemorative stamp, pane of 12; Lunar New Year series; BCA; Honolulu, HI 96820; Linn’s Jan. 8, page 14; USPS item No. 564804 (pane of 12), 564816 (FDC at 93¢), 564821 (color postmark FDC at $1.64), 564806 (press sheet at $35.28); Scott 5254.

Jan. 18, Love Flourishes. One (49¢) forever special stamp, pane of 20; BCA; Phoenix, AZ 85026; Linn’s, Jan. 22, page 19. USPS item No. 564704 (pane of 20); 564716 (FDC at 93¢), 564721 (color postmark FDC at $1.64), 564706 (press sheet at $78.40); Scott 5255.

Jan. 19, Lemon. One 2¢ definitive stamp, coil of 10,000; BCA; Kenner, LA 70062; Linn’s, Jan. 22, page 14; USPS item No. 760415 (strip of 500), 760404 (coil of 10,000); 760416 (first-day cover at 95¢); Scott 5256.

Jan. 21, Byodo-In Temple. One $6.70 Priority Mail flat-rate stamped envelope; American Landmarks series; Kansas City, MO 64108; Linn’s, Feb. 12, page 13; USPS item No. 232805 (pack of five), 232816 (FDC at $7.14); Scott U697.

Jan. 21, Byodo-In Temple. One $6.70 Priority Mail definitive stamp, pane of four; American Landmarks series; AP; Kansas City, MO 64108; Linn’s, Jan. 22, page 10; USPS item No. 114104 (pane of four), 114116 (FDC at $7.14), 114121 (color postmark FDC at $7.85); Scott 5257.

Jan. 21, Sleeping Bear Dunes. One $24.70 Priority Mail Express definitive stamp, pane of four; American Landmarks series; AP; Kansas City, MO 64108; Linn’s, Jan. 22, page 10; USPS item No. 119804 (pane of four), 119816 (FDC at $25.14), 119821 (color postmark FDC at $25.85); Scott 5258.

Jan. 30, Lena Horne. One (50¢) forever commemorative stamp, pane of 20; Black Heritage series; BCA; New York, NY 10199; Linn’s, Jan. 29, page 1; USPS item No. 476904 (pane of 20), 476916 (FDC at 94¢), 476921 (color postmark FDC at $1.65), 476906 (press sheet at $60); Scott 5259.

Feb. 9, U.S. Flag. Four (50¢) forever definitive stamps in two double-sided panes of 20 and two coils of 100; Fort Lauderdale, FL 33310; Linn’s, Feb. 5, page 1; USPS item No. 678202 (BCA pane), 678204 (AP pane), 749702 (BCA coil), 749704 (AP coil), 749716 (FDC from coil at 94¢), 678216 (FDC from pane at 94¢); Scott 5260 (AP coil), 5261 (BCA coil), 5262 (AP pane), 5263 (BCA pane).

Feb. 22, Bioluminescent Life. Ten (50¢) forever commemorative stamps picturing deep-ocean octopus (Scott 5264), midwater jellyfish (5265), deep-sea comb jelly (5266), mushroom (5267), firefly (5268), bamboo coral (5269), white marine worm (5270), crown jellyfish (5271), pale blue marine worm (5272), sea pen (5273); pane of 20; BCA; Fort Pierce, FL 34950; Linn’s, Feb. 26, page 1; USPS item No. 475704 (pane of 20), 475716 (FDC set of 10 at $9.40), 475721 (color postmark FDC set of 10 at $16.50), 475706 (press sheet at $90).

March 5, Illinois Statehood. One (50¢) forever commemorative stamp, pane of 20; BCA; Springfield, IL 62703; Linn’s, March 5, page 8; USPS item No. 477104 (pane of 20), 477116 (FDC at 94¢), 477121 (color postmark FDC at $1.65), 477106 (press sheet at $60); Scott 5274.

March 23, Mister Rogers. One (50¢) forever commemorative stamp, pane of 20; BCA; Pittsburgh, PA 15290; Linn’s, March 12, page 1. USPS item No. 477204 (pane of 20), 477216 (FDC at 94¢), 477221 (color postmark FDC at $1.65), 477206 (press sheet at $60); Scott 5275.

April 6, STEM Education. Four (50¢) forever commemorative stamps with symbols representing Science (Scott 5276), Technology (5277), Engineering (5278), Math (5279); pane of 20; AP; Washington, DC 20066; Linn’s, April 2, page 1; USPS item No. 477604 (pane of 20), 477616 (FDC set of four at $3.76), 477621 (color postmark FDC set of four at $6.60), 477606 (press sheet at $60).

April 21, Peace Rose. One (50¢) forever definitive stamp, double-sided pane of 20; AP; Shreveport, LA 71102; Linn’s, April 9, page 10; USPS item No. 681804 (pane of 20), 681816 (FDC at 94¢), 681821 (color postmark FDC at $1.65); Scott 5280.

May 1, United States Airmail (blue). One (50¢) forever commemorative stamp, pane of 20; AP; Washington, DC 20066; Linn’s, April 9, page 1, April 30, page 10; USPS item No. 477704 (pane of 20), 477716 (FDC at 94¢), 477721 (color postmark FDC at $1.65), 477706 (press sheet at $60); Scott 5281.

May 23, Sally Ride. One (50¢) forever commemorative stamp, pane of 20; AP; La Jolla, CA 92037; Linn’s, May 14, page 1; USPS item No. 477304 (pane of 20), 477316 (FDC at 94¢), 477321 (color postmark FDC at $1.65), 477306 (press sheet at $90); Scott 5283.

June 9, Flag Act of 1818. One (50¢) forever commemorative stamp, pane of 20; AP; Appleton, WI 54911; Linn’s, June 4, page 1; USPS item No. 477804 (pane of 20), 477816 (FDC at 94¢), 477821 (color postmark FDC at $1.65); Scott 5284.

June 20, Frozen Treats. Ten (50¢) forever stamps showing treats, with green and yellow horizontal stripes at left (Scott 5285), pink with circular seed design at left (5286), pink with one horizontal curlicue at left (5287), orange with two diagonal zigzags at left (5288), multicolor with dark brown bottom at left (5289), pink and blue with horizontal white curlicue at right (5290), yellow with three fruit designs at left (5291), blue with dark blue horizontal stripes at right (5292), brown fudge bar at left (5293), pink with two horizontal zigzags at left (5294); double-sided pane of 20; AP; Austin, TX 78710; Linn’s, June 11, page 1; USPS item No. 681704 (pane of 20); 681716 (FDC set of 10 at $9.40); 681721 (color postmark FDC set of 10 at $16.50); 681706 (press sheet at $80).

June 27, Statue of Freedom. Three stamps denominated $1 (Scott 5295), $2 (5296) and $5 (5297) in panes of 10 ($1 and $2) and a pane of four ($5); BCA; Bellefonte, PA 16823; Linn’s, May 28, page 1; June 25, page 8; USPS item No. 114204 ($1 pane of 10), 114304 ($2 pane of 10), 117904 ($5 pane of four), 114216 ($1 FDC at $1.44), 114316 ($2 FDC at $2.44), 117916 ($5 FDC at $5.44), 114221 ($1 color postmark FDC at $2.15), 114321 ($2 color postmark FDC at $3.15), 117921 ($5 color postmark FDC at $6.15).

June 29, Mallards. Two $25 federal migratory waterfowl hunting and conservation stamps issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior; self-adhesive pane of 20 (RW85), self-adhesive pane of four (same), self-adhesive pane of one (Scott RW85A); AP; Hanover, MD 21076; Linn’s, June 25, page 1; USPS item No. 336001 (single stamp); 335904 (pane of one), 335804 (pane of four), 336004 (pane of 20), 335906 (press sheet for pane of one at $1,170), 335806 (press sheet for pane of four at $2,600), 336006 (press sheet for pane of 20 at $5,850).

July 4, O Beautiful. Twenty (50¢) forever commemorative stamps showing scenic views of Death Valley (Scott 5298a), Three Fingers Mountain (b), double rainbow in Kansas (c), Great Smoky Mountains (d), field of wheat in Wisconsin (e), plowed wheat in Washington (f), grasslands at evening with windmill (g), field of wheat in Montana (h), Yosemite National Park (i), Crater Lake National Park (j), Monument Valley (k), Maroon Bells in Colorado (l), sunrise in California (m), Pigeon Point in California (n), Edna Valley in California (o), Livermore in California (p), Napali Coast in Hawaii (q), Lone Ranch Beach in Oregon (r), Canaveral National Seashore (s), Bailey Island in Maine (t); pane of 20; AP; Colorado Springs, CO 80910; Linn’s, July 2, page 1; USPS item No. 565304 (pane of 20), 565316 (FDC set of 20 at $18.80), 565321 (color postmark FDC set of 20 at $33), 565306 (press sheet at $60).

July 14, Scooby-Doo. One (50¢) forever commemorative stamp, pane of 12; AP; Bloomington, MN 55401; Linn’s, July 9, page 1; USPS item No. 565504 (pane of 12); 565516 (FDC at 94¢), 565521 (color postmark FDC at $1.65), 565506 (press sheet at $36); Scott 5299.

July 27, World War I: Turning the Tide. One (50¢) forever commemorative stamp, pane of 20; AP; Kansas City, MO 64108; Linn’s, July 23, page 1; USPS item No. 477404 (pane of 20), 477416 (FDC at 94¢), 477421 (color postmark FDC at $1.65), 477406 (press sheet at $60); Scott 5300.

Aug. 7, The Art of Magic. Five (50¢) forever stamps depicting rabbit in a hat (Scott 5301), fortune teller with crystal ball (5302), woman floating in air (5303), empty bird cage (5304), bird emerging from flower (5305); pane of 20; one (50¢) Rabbit in a Hat forever stamp in pane of three with lenticular overlay (5306); BCA; Las Vegas, NV 89199; Linn’s, July 30, page 1; USPS item No. 476804 (pane of 20); 476816 (FDC set of five at $4.70), 476821 (color postmark FDC set of five at $8.25), 476806 (press sheet at $60), 565204 (Rabbit in a Hat pane of three).

Aug. 9, Dragons. Four (50¢) forever commemorative stamps, pane of 16; green dragon (Scott 5307), purple dragon (5308), black dragon (5309), orange and pink dragon (5310); BCA; Columbus, OH 43216; Linn’s, April 9, page 8; Aug. 6, page 1; USPS item No. 477504 (pane of 16); 477516 (FDC set of four at $3.76), 477521 (color postmark FDC set of four at $6.60), 477506 (press sheet at $32).

Aug. 11, United States Airmail (red). One (50¢) forever commemorative stamp, pane of 20; AP; College Park, MD 20740. Linn’s, April 9, page 1; Aug. 6, page 10; USPS item No. 477904 (pane of 20), 477916 (FDC at 94¢), 477921 (color postmark FDC at $1.65), 477906 (press sheet at $60); Scott 5282.

Aug. 26, Poinsettia. One ($1.15) global forever stamp, pane of 10; BCA; Kansas City, MO 64108; Linn’s, Aug. 13, page 1; USPS item No. 565904 (pane of 10); 565916 (FDC at $1.59), 565921 (color postmark FDC at $2.30); Scott 5311.

Sept. 7, John Lennon. Four (50¢) commemorative forever stamps, pane of 16; portrait with red shoulders (Scott 5312), red lilac (5313), dark violet (5314), blue (5315); Music Icons series; BCA; New York, NY 10199; Linn’s, Sept. 3, page 12; USPS item No. 565404 (pane of 16), 565416 (FDC set of four at $3.76), 565421 (digital color postmark FDC set of four at $6.60), 565406 (press sheet with die cuts at $48).

Sept. 13, Honoring First Responders. One (50¢) forever stamp, pane of 20; AP; Missoula, MT 59801; Linn’s, May 28, page 1; Sept. 10, page 1; USPS item No. 478104 (pane of 20), 478116 (FDC at 94¢), 478121 (color postmark FDC at $1.65), 478106 (press sheet at $60); Scott 5316.

Sept. 22, Birds in Winter. Four (50¢) forever stamps showing black-capped chickadee (Scott 5317), northern cardinal (5318), red-bellied woodpecker (5319), blue jay (5320); double-sided pane of 20; BCA; Quechee, VT 05059; Linn’s, Sept. 24, page 12; USPS item No. 681904 (double-sided pane of 20), 681916 (FDC set of four at $3.76); 681921 (color postmark FDC set of four at $6.60); 681906 (press sheet at $80).

Sept. 29, Hot Wheels. Ten (50¢) forever commemorative stamps picturing toy cars Purple Passion (Scott 5321), Rocket-Bye-Baby (5322), Rigor Motor (5323), Rodger Dodger (5324), Mach Speeder (5325), Twin Mill (5326), Bone Shaker (5327), HW40 (5328), Deora II (5329), Sharkruiser (5330); pane of 20; BCA; Fort Worth, TX 76161; Linn’s, Sept. 3, page 8; Sept. 24, page 1; USPS item No. 569004 (pane of 20), 569016 (FDC set of 10 at $9.40), 569021 (color postmark FDC set of 10 at $16.50), 569006 (press sheet at $80).

Oct. 3, Madonna and Child by Bachiacca. One (50¢) forever stamp, double-sided pane of 20; BCA; Santa Fe, NM 87501; Linn’s, Aug. 13, page 1; Oct. 1, page 10; USPS item No. 682204 (double-sided pane of 20), 682216 (FDC at 94¢), 682221 (color postmark FDC at $1.65), 682206 (press sheet at $80), Scott 5331.

Oct. 10, Kwanzaa. One (50¢) forever stamp, pane of 20; BCA; Raleigh, NC 27676; Linn’s, Aug. 13, page 1; Oct. 8, page 20; USPS item No. 565804 (pane of 20), 565816 (FDC at 94¢), 565821 (color postmark FDC at $1.65), 565806 (press sheet at $60), Scott 5337.

Oct. 11, Sparkling Holidays Santa. Four (50¢) forever stamps in double-sided pane of 20, head of Santa (Scott 5332), Santa and wreath (5333), Santa with book and USA at lower left (5334), Santa and card (5335); and one (50¢) forever stamp in souvenir sheet showing Santa with book and USA at upper right (5336); AP; Pigeon Forge, TN 37863; Linn’s, July 23, page 8; Oct. 8, page 8; USPS item No. 682104 (double-sided pane of 20), 566304 (souvenir sheet), 682116 (FDC set of four at $3.76), 682121 (color postmark FDC set of four at $6.60), 682106 (press sheet at $80).

Oct. 16, Hanukkah. One (50¢) forever stamp; pane of 20; BCA; Newport, RI 02840; Linn’s, Aug. 13, page 1; Oct. 8, page 25; USPS item No. 565604 (pane of 20); 565616 (FDC at 94¢), 565621 (color postmark FDC at $1.65), 565606 (press sheet at $60), Scott 5338.

*Asterisks precede entries with new or changed information. New/changed information is presented in bold italics.

Stamp printing contractors are identified in the listings using the following abbreviations: AP (Ashton Potter USA Ltd.), and BCA (Banknote Corporation of America).

Details of each issue listed in this program are given in the cited issues of Linn’s. Stamps are self-adhesive unless otherwise noted.

HOW TO ORDER STAMPS OR COVERS

Mail orders for mint stamps, uncut press sheets, postal stationery, and the Postal Service’s uncacheted first-day covers (FDCs) should be sent to Stamp Fulfillment Services, Box 7247, Philadelphia, PA 19101-7097. Postal Service supplied first-day covers are available only in certain formats. They usually cost the face value of the stamps affixed plus 44¢ per cover. The prices of some items, including first-day-canceled stationery, may vary. Orders should use USPS item numbers.

Stamp Fulfillment Services accepts credit card orders by telephone (800-782-6724) or fax (816-545-1212). Orders may be placed from countries other than the United States by calling 816-545-1000. An additional $5 shipping fee is added to standard shipping and handling charges for orders to be mailed to a foreign address.

New issues should be ordered no more than two weeks in advance of the date of issue.

Mail, phone or fax orders have a flat service charge of $1.25 for orders up to $50 if they include only prepackaged items, such as the minimum purchase of a block of four sheet stamps or a pane of definitive stamps. The fee is $1.75 for standard orders totaling more than $50. A $2 fee is added for custom orders.

A detailed sales catalog called USA Philatelic lists the prepackaged formats. It is free on request from U.S. Postal Service, USA Philatelic Request, Box 219014, Kansas City, MO 64121-9014. USA Philatelic listings include formats and USPS item numbers other than those listed here.

HOW TO ORDER FIRST-DAY CANCELS

The grace period for collectors to send covers for first-day cancels ends 120 days after a stamp’s issue date, unless stated otherwise in the listing.

Within the grace period, buy the stamp (or stationery item) at your local post office or philatelic center, affix it to an addressed envelope (postage must make up at least the first-class rate) and send under cover to FDOI — (name of stamp issue), USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services, 8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300, Kansas City, MO 64144-9900. No remittance is required.

Plate numbers. Multistamp issues require as a minimum a plate block with every stamp design represented at least once. Plate block formats are listed by the Scott editors in the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers.

Stamp Fulfillment Services requires the purchase of a minimum number of stamps to obtain plate number markings. For stamps with face values of 1¢ to 49¢ the minimum purchase is a full pane.

For stamps with face values of 50¢ to $1.15 the minimum purchase is either a full pane or block per the catalog listing. For stamps with face values of $1.16 and up the minimum purchase is a block of four stamps. Plate numbers on most coil stamps may be obtained with a minimum purchase of 25 stamps.

Stamp Fulfillment Services does not guarantee specific plate numbers.

This post was last modified on 14/10/2023 1:39 am

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