USPS reveals new stamps planned for May and June

By Michael Baadke

United States stamps honoring national parks, classic U.S. stamps and military medals for heroism have been added to the schedule of stamps planned for 2016.

A set of 10 stamps featuring colorful vignettes in the style of intricately cut paper art that originated in Mexico is also planned, and a single three-ounce rate stamp in the Literary Arts series will honor author Henry James.

New stamps will be issued each day during the first seven days of the upcoming World Stamp Show-NY 2016. The eight-day show is taking place May 28-June 4 at the Javits Center in New York City.

The schedule provided by U.S. Postal Service Acting Director of Stamp Services Mary-Anne Penner on March 31 includes previously revealed stamps as well as the just-announced new issues.

May 28: World Stamp Show. Two stamps celebrating the show in New York will be issued in a stamp folio consisting of two groups of 12 stamps in a single pane that can be folded. The designs are similar to the World Stamp Show-NY 2016 stamps issued last year on Aug. 20 (Scott 5010 and 5011).

May 29: Repeal of the Stamp Act. A single stamp commemorating the 1766 repeal of the Stamp Act will be issued in a pane of 10.

May 30: Honoring Extraordinary Heroism. Four forever stamps will be issued in a pane of 12 featuring medals honoring valor in combat: the Army’s Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross for the Navy and Marine Corps, the Air Force Cross, and the Coast Guard Cross. Each stamp shows one of the four medals suspended from a ribbon and shown against a dark blue backdrop.

May 31: View of Our Planets, Pluto Explored. A pane of 16 stamps with eight different designs will feature the planets of our solar system. A separate pane of four stamps with two different designs will celebrate the recent approach of the New Horizons spacecraft to the dwarf planet Pluto.

June 1: Classics Forever. Six forever stamps will be issued in a single souvenir sheet to pay homage to classic U.S. stamps of the 19th century. Each stamp reproduces the design of a different original issue, with the original denomination replaced with a “forever” inscription. The stamps being featured are the 1851 12¢ George Washington, the 1851 1¢ Benjamin Franklin, the 1860 24¢ George Washington, the 1860 90¢ George Washington, the 1866 15¢ Abraham Lincoln, and the 1861 1¢ Benjamin Franklin.

June 2: National Parks. The Postal Service will issue 16 stamps honoring National Parks in what it describes as a pane of stunning forever stamps. “These stamps celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Parks and depict the beauty and diversity of these national treasures,” said Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan. “They serve as an inspiration for Americans to visit, learn and to write cherished memories of their trips to these incredible wonders.” The parks that will be honored and the designs on the stamps will be revealed one at a time over the next three weeks, beginning April 4.

June 3: Colorful Celebrations. In a double-sided pane of 20, the Postal Service will offer 10 different forever stamps featuring designs reminiscent of the craft of papel picado, which translates to “pierced paper.” The intricate designs in this set show a variety of birds, flowers and patterns.

Date to be determined: Henry James. The 31st stamp in the Literary Arts commemorative series is a three-ounce rate stamp honoring Henry James (1843-1916) the author of the novels Washington Square, The Golden Bowl, and The Portrait of a Lady, and the stories Daisy Miller and The Turn of the Screw.