Reagan Forever: U.S. Postage Stamp Commemorates Former President's Centennial Year

SIMI VALLEY, Calif., Feb. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Considered one of the most influential presidents of the 20th century, Ronald Reagan, America's 40th president, was honored today with the issuance of a commemorative Forever Stamp in celebration of the centennial year of his birth.

"Ronald Wilson Reagan was one of a kind," said James C. Miller, III, member, Board of Governors, U.S. Postal Service. "And it is right that we celebrate his life and legacy with constant reminders attached to millions of letters arriving at homes all across America."

This stamp ceremony, which was held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, was one of a number of Reagan centennial events taking place across the nation in 2011. The stamp art by Bart Forbes of Plano, TX, was created in oil wash on board. It is based on a photograph of Reagan taken in 1985, during his second term as president, at his beloved Rancho del Cielo (Ranch in the Sky), near Santa Barbara, CA.

Distinguished by his charisma and oratorical skills, Reagan was an accomplished Hollywood actor who appeared in more than 50 films before becoming a prominent political leader. He often is credited with bolstering the conservative movement in America, moving it from the margins to the mainstream of politics and government.

When Reagan left office in January 1989, he and former First Lady Nancy Reagan returned to California. Later that year, Communist East Germany opened its borders — including the Berlin Wall — to the West. This momentous event occurred less than two and a half years after Reagan's famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate, in which he boldly challenged his counterpart in the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to "tear down this wall!"

Joining Miller to dedicate the Ronald Reagan commemorative Forever Stamp were Mickey D. Barnett, member, Board of Governors, U.S. Postal Service; Robert Tuttle, former ambassador to the Court of St. James's and member, Board of Trustees, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation; and Joanne Drake, chief administrative officer, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at a local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:

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 April 11, 2011.

How to Order 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. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

Philatelic Products

There are five philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

• 466561, First-Day Cover, $0.82
• 466565, Digital Color Postmark, $1.50
• 466584, Uncut Press Sheet, $88
• 466591, Ceremony Program, $6.95
• 466599, Keepsake Pane of 20 with Digital Color Post, $10.95

To learn more about the Postal Service's Stamp Program, visit http://beyondtheperf.com.

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, 150 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 $67 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 29th in the 2010 Fortune 500. 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 six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service