Von Charles Snow
The United States Postal Service has announced 23 designs that will appear on more than 80 postage stamps in 2023. Descriptions and images of the stamps were released in a press release dated Oct. 24.
The new stamps include additions to the popular Lunar New Year and Black Heritage series.
Other popular themes that will be celebrated on next year's stamps include the American flag, love, flowers, waterfalls and piñatas. A new 40¢ bulk shipping stamp features a red fox.
The 50th anniversary of the Species Protection Act is honored with a field of 20 stamps.
Five iconic train stations will be featured on five new stamps, and a quartet of snow globes will grace stamps likely to be issued for the busy Christmas mailing season.
Novelist Ernest J. Gaines will appear on the 46th Black Heritage stamp, while former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be honored on a perpetual commemorative stamp.
A set of five stamps will illustrate artwork by Roy Lichtenstein, an icon of the Pop Art movement, and acclaimed author Toni Morrison will be honored with a single stamp.
In 2022, the USPS celebrated women's rowing with four seals. Women's football will receive a single badge in 2023.
One of the most recognizable vehicles on the road, the school bus, is featured on an additional ounce rate stamp.
Below are details of the 23 issues submitted so far, based in part on postal service descriptions. Unless otherwise noted, stamps are forever undeniable, which are expected to increase from the current 60¢ to 63¢ on January 22, 2023.
Lunar New Year - Year of the Rabbit. The fourth issue of the Postal Service's planned series of 12 features an ornate three-dimensional mask depicting a brightly colored rabbit's head. The artwork is by Camille Chew, whose decorative animal masks also appear on the 2020 Year of the Rat and 2021 Year of the Ox and 2022 Year of the Tiger stamps (Scott 5428, 5556 and 5662).
According to the Postal Service, Chew's rabbit mask is "a contemporary interpretation of the long tradition of folk paper crafts created during this auspicious time of year."
The Year of the Rabbit begins on January 22, 2023.
Amor. In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the first US Love Stamp (Scott 1474), the USPS is issuing a pair of Love Stamps. One shows a kitten, the other a puppy. Both put their front paws on a boyfriend's heart. The word "LOVE" appears behind each animal.
"The designs on the stamps were painted with oil paint on wooden panels, then scanned and digitally processed," the postal service said.
Great Smoky Mountains. The American Landmarks series of Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express stamps, begun in 2008, will continue in 2023 with a $26.95 Priority Mail Express stamp depicting a scene in the Great Smoky Mountains near the Newfound Gap between Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Cherokee, NC shows the USPS.
“Home to the most visited national park in the United States, the Great Smoky Mountains feature extensive state forests and a wide variety of native plants and animals,” said the USPS.
The new $26.95 Great Smoky Mountains Stamp is the 28th issue in the American Landmarks series. All stamps in the series feature the full-color artwork by Dan Cosgrove.
usa flag. A new definitive stamp (regular issue) with the US flag and the word "Liberty" in capital letters below it will be issued in boxes of 20, booklets of 20, and rolls of 100, 3,000, and 10,000 stamps. The different formats will likely result in multiple listings in the Scott catalogue. The seal was designed using existing artwork by Hong Li.
Ernest J. Gaines. The 46th stamp in the Black Heritage series honors author Ernest J. Gaines (1933-2019). The stamp features a painting based on a photograph from 2001.
Gaines' most famous works includeThe Autobiography of Miss Jane PittmanEA lesson before dying.
According to the Postal Service, "Gaines drew on his childhood days as the son of sharecroppers on a Louisiana plantation to explore the untold stories of rural African Americans and provide an important voice for American literature."
Gaines, a National Humanities Medal recipient, died at his home in Oscar, La, aged 86.
Sculptor Edmonia Lewis (c.1844-1907) was the subject of last year's Black Heritage commemorative stamp (Scott 5663).
geometria floral. A $10 stamp will join the $2 and $5 Floral Geometry stamps (Scott 5700-5701) issued in 2022. Like its two predecessors, the $10 Floral Geometry stamp was designed by Spaeth Hill , a contemporary design firm based in Alexandria, Virginia.
The stamp features “a series of overlapping geometric shapes that mimic the symmetry of floral designs found in nature. The watercolor background and glossy embossed design and typography create a sophisticated look," the Postal Service said.
Like the $5 Floral Geometry stamp, the $10 Floral Geometry stamp is issued in panels of four.
pinatas. Four stamps in a book of 20 feature full-color digital illustrations of two traditional piñata designs: a donkey and a seven-pointed star.
Artist Victor Melendez's "color palette [for the stamps] was inspired by Mexican culture, including the vibrant colors of small-town homes, hand-sewn traditional clothing, handmade toys and flowers, and the vintage piñatas themselves," he said. the USPS.
Red fox. A new 40¢ stamp, sold in sheets of 20 and spools of 3,000 and 10,000, features a portrait of a red fox, based on a pencil and watercolor illustration of pre-existing artwork by Dugald Sttermer (1936-2011) .
According to the Postal Service, the 40¢ Red Fox stamp is intended for organizations that send large volumes of items such as catalogs, circulars and newsletters. The stamp is also valid for use on other postal items such as envelopes and parcels.
sailing boats. A pair of spool stamps for the postcard fare feature "abstract illustrations that capture the joyous feeling of being on the water on a beautiful day" by artist Libby VanderPloeg, the USPS said.
VanderPloeg used a digital tablet to create the italicized "postcard" inscription that appears below the sailboat on each stamp.
snowball. Four stamps feature original oil paintings by Gregory Manches of Christmas snow globes. According to the Postal Service, the four spherical snow globes on the stamps depict “a snowman wearing a cheerful red and white scarf; Santa Claus on a roof prepares to go down the chimney; a reindeer standing in a snowy forest; and a snow-covered tree adorned with colorful ornaments.”
Thinking about you. Featuring artwork by Ellen Surrey, these five stamps are meant to be used on letters or cards to brighten the recipient's day. Stamps are issued in a box of 20 containing what the USPS describes as "a plethora of self-adhesive, die-cut messages" around the edge.
"Each stamp is designed in fun colors with various whimsical images including flowers, balloons, cute animals, sweets and good luck symbols," the postal service said.
"Words of encouragement and thoughtful affirmations surround the disc's stamps."
tulip flowers. Beautifully cropped photos of tulips in bloom are featured on 10 stamps issued in a booklet of 20. The photos were taken by Denise Ippolito.
Each stamp features a single flower and a trace of its stem, which fills almost the entire frame of each stamp.
Tulips have appeared on numerous US postage stamps over the years. For example, a single tulip against a yellow background appears on the F-rate (29¢) (Scott 2517-2520) and 29¢ (2524-2527) stamps issued in 1991 after the rate increase which increased postage costs by one first class coverage increase from 25¢ to 29¢.
Winterwaldtiere. Graphic illustrations of deer, hare, owl and fox are the focus of four new stamps, released in a booklet of 20. Illustrator Katie Kirk depicts the animals in various forest settings.
bear foot boss. A single commemorative stamp forever honors the Chief Standing Bear (ca. 1829-1908), "who in 1879 won a landmark court decision establishing that Native Americans are, by law, persons with inherent rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of of happiness." thus the statement to the USPS.
Chief Standing Bear's portrait of Thomas Blackshear II is based on a black and white photograph taken in 1877. Blackshear drew on contemporary descriptions for the colors of Standing Bear's clothing.
endangered species. A section of 20 stamps presents what the USPS calls a "photographic portfolio of 20 representative endangered species." The stamps honor the 50th anniversary of the Species Protection Act.
Animals featured on the stamps include the black-footed ferret, the Key Largo cotton rat, the Wyoming toad, and the Guam-Micronesian kingfisher.
More than 1,300 plant and animal species are currently protected under the Species Protection Act.
"The images [on the stamps] are among more than 13,000 from photographer Joel Sartore's 'Photo Ark,' his project to document as many animal species as possible," according to the Postal Service.
train stations. Five stamps celebrate the following notable seasons: Tamaqua Station, Pennsylvania; Point of Rocks Station in Maryland; Main Street Station in Richmond, Virginia; Santa Fe Railroad Station in San Bernardino, California; and Union Station in Cincinnati, Ohio.
According to the USPS, passenger trains stop at all stations except Tamaqua.
Ruth Bader-Ginsburg. One of the most important lawyers of her generation, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020) is featured on an everlasting commemorative stamp.
The Postal Service provided this brief biography of Ginsburg: "After beginning her career as an activist in the fight against gender discrimination, Judge Ginsburg has become a respected jurist whose important majority views promoting equality and strong dissenting opinions on socially contested decisions made her a passionate advocate for equal justice and an icon of American culture.”
The stamp features the oil painting of Michael J. Deas of Ginsburg in his court robes and distinctive white collar.
Toni Morrison. Morrison (1931-2019), the first African-American woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature (1993), is featured on a single perpetual commemorative stamp. The design features a photograph of the author taken by Deborah Feingold in 2000.
"Known for books such as 'The Bluest Eye,' 'Song of Solomon,' and 'Beloved,' Morrison was the rare author to achieve both bestseller status and critical acclaim," the USPS said.
Roy lichtenstein. Five stamps, issued in a box of 20, celebrate the works of the legendary artist of the Pop Art movement.
According to the post office, the works depicted on the stamps arePermanent Blast (Red), enamelled porcelain sculpture on steel, 1965;modern painting i, acrylic pencil, oil and graphite on canvas, 1966;Still life with a crystal bowl, acrylic pencil, oil and graphite on canvas, 1972;still life with goldfish, acrylic pencil, oil and graphite on canvas, 1972; ANDportrait of a woman, an acrylic pencil, oil and graphite on canvas from 1979.
A photograph of Lichtenstein by Bob Adelman appears on the edge of the disc. Also pictured is a model of Lichtenstein's 1983 sculpture.brush strokes in flight, said the USPS.
water falls. A box of 12 stamps features stunning photos of waterfalls in Arizona (Deer Creek Falls), California (Nevada Fall), Pennsylvania (Harrison Wright Falls), Wyoming (Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River), Hawaii (Wiamoku Falls). , Utah (Stewart Falls), New York (Niagara Falls), Virginia (Dark Hollow Falls), Tennessee (Grotto Falls), Washington (Sunbeam Falls), Illinois (LaSalle Canyon Waterfall) and North Carolina (Upper Falls).
women's soccer. This unique stamp celebrates women's soccer in the United States. "Graphics on the stamp show a football player in action hitting a ball with a side volley," the USPS said.
"The lightly grained rendering gives the design a timeless quality and evokes not just a single athlete or era, but the entire legacy of women's football."
School bus. A single stamp for the extra fee "celebrates the iconic yellow school bus and its role in ensuring millions of children go back to school and home every day," according to the USPS. The School Bus stamp will be available in sheets of 20 and rolls of 100 stamps.
Patriotischer Bloc. A single-reel stamp, intended for non-profit mass mailings, shows "the constituent parts of the American flag – the stars and stripes – in a block of four quadrants on a white background", according to the Postal Service.
The Patriotic Block Coil Stamp is sold in large rolls of 3,000 and 10,000.
USPS Art Directors, denen die angekündigten Briefmarken für 2023 zugeschrieben werden, sind Antonio Alcala (Year of the Rabbit, US Flag, Floral Geometry, Pinatas, Sailboats, Winter Woodland Animals, Women's Soccer, Patriotic Block), Ethel Kessler (Love, Red Fox , Ruth Bader Ginsburg , Toni Morrison), Derry Noyes (Snow Globes, Chief Standing Bear, Endangered Species, Railroad Stations, Roy Lichtenstein) and Greg Breeding (Great Smoky Mountains, Ernest J. Gaines, Thinking of You, Tulip Blossoms, Waterfalls, School bus) .
"This is a partial list [of the 2023 stamp program]," the USPS said, "with more to be announced in the coming weeks and months." All seal designs are preliminary and subject to change.”
More information about the 2023 US Stamp Program, including release dates, will be provided in future issues ofLinn's Stamp News.
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