USPS will issue Patriotic Spiral forever stamp in two formats

By Denise McCarty

The United States Postal Service has added another stamp issue to its 2016 program.

The Patriotic Spiral forever stamp was announced Aug. 3. It is being issued Aug. 19 in two formats: booklets of 10 for consumers and in coils of 10,000 for businesses. Both the booklet and the coil stamps are self-adhesives.

The Postal Service describes the stamp as featuring a “festive and energetic design” of “50 blue and red stars spiraling around a central gold star on a white background.”

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The USPS also explained the patriotic symbolism behind the image, “The idea for the design was to illustrate a community of stars protectively orbiting a central star that in an abstract sense stands for our nation’s steadfast idealism and hope for a more perfect union.”

Antonio Alcala of Alexandria, Va., served as art director for the project, with art and typography by Polygraph, a Washington, D.C., graphic and product design studio.

The booklet format is being issued in Falls Church, Va., and the coil stamps in Kansas City, Mo. Americover is taking place Aug. 19-21 in Falls Church (see the First-Day Covers column on page 18).

Collectors requesting first-day cancels are encouraged to purchase their own stamps and affix them to envelopes. The first-day cover envelopes should be addressed for return (a removable label may be used), and mailed in a larger envelope.

The address for FDCs for the booklet of 10 is Patriotic Spiral Stamp (Booklet of 10), Attn: Terri Davenport, 800 W. Broad St., Falls Church, VA 22046–9998.

The address for FDCs for the coil stamps is Patriotic Spiral Stamp (Coil of 10,000), Cancellation Services, 8300 NE Underground Drive, Pillar 210, Kansas City, MO 64144-0001.

The technical details for the Patriotic Spiral stamps will be announced at a later date.