Postal Service Issues Unique Kaleidoscope Flowers Stamps

KANSAS CITY, Mo. , Jan. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Continuing its tradition of issuing beautiful and distinctive floral stamps, the U.S. Postal Service issued the Kaleidoscope Flowers 46-cent stamps today.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130114/DC42040)

Available in self-adhesive coils of 3,000 and 10,000, customers may order the stamps now to prepare for the Jan. 27 First-Class letter mail one-cent price change at usps.com/stamps, or by phone at 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724).

This set of four stamps depicts the same graphic flower design, with each stamp featuring one of four different color combinations. Some of the color combinations create the illusion that patterns recede or move forward. Designed by art director Antonio Alcala, the Kaleidoscope Flowers stamps feature the work of graphic artists Petra and Nicole Kapitza.

Customers may view the Kaleidoscope Flowers stamps, as well as many of this year's other stamps on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, on Twitter @USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/2013-preview.  Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service's online site for information on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.

Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at usps.com/stamps or by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724). 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:

Kaleidoscope Flowers Stamp
PO Box 449992
Kansas City, MO 64144-9992

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 March 14, 2013.

Ordering First-Day Covers
The Postal Service 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, online at usps.com/shop or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:

U.S. Postal Service
Catalog Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO  64121-9014

Philatelic Products
There are two philatelic products available for the Kaleidoscope Flowers stamps coils of 3,000 and 10,000:

• 789416, First-Day Cover Set of 4, $3.60
• 789421, Digital Color Postmark Set of 4, $6.44

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation — 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office™ Boxes. The Postal Service™ receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com®, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world's mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, Oxford Strategic Consulting ranked the U.S. Postal Service number one in overall service performance of the posts in the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

Follow the Postal Service on www.twitter.com/USPS and at www.facebook.com/USPS.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service