USPS supplied photo. Data is still tentative.

 
44¢ American Flag
(Avery Dennison)
Self Adhesive Coils of 3,000 and 10,000
Scott # 4395 Plate # V1111
Series USPS - NA ~ PNC3 - Flag / Patriotic
Issue Date & City May 1, 2009, Washington, DC 20066 (No First Day of Issue Ceremony)
Nationwide Sale May 1, 2009
Designer Terrence W. McCaffrey, USPS
Art Director Terrence W. McCaffrey, USPS
Typographer Terrence W. McCaffrey, USPS
Existing Photo Rick Barrentine, Duluth, GA
Modeler Avery Dennison, SPD
Engraver Keating Gravure
To Press / Initial Quantity Spring 2009 / Coil of 3,000 - 51 Million stamps / Coil of 10,000 - 360 Million stamps
 
Coil Size 3,000 and 10,000
Printer

Avery Dennison (AVR)
Press Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)
Process Gravure
Where Printed AVR, Clinton, SC
Where Processed

AVR, Clinton, SC
Plate Size & Interval 320 stamps per revolution / Plate number every 16 stamps
Paper Type Prephosphored, type II
Adhesive Type Water-Activated
Tagging Type Prephosphored, Smooth Tagging
Die Cut Gauge 10.9 Vertically / 12 x 12 Valley Peak with rounded corners
Colors Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, Black
Image Size (w x h) 0.73 x 0.84 in. / 18.54 x 21.34 mm
Overall Size (w x h) 0.87 x 0.98 in. / 22.10 x 24.89 mm
Back Numbers Reported so far:  5 digit black middle back numbers every 10 stamps.
Earliest Known Use May 1, 2009
USPS Order Numbers

787700 - Full Coil of 3,000 - $1320.00
787730 - Strip pf 25 with plate # - $11.00
787800 - Full Coil of 10,000 - $4400.00
787830 - Strip of 25 with plate # - $11.00
787861 First Day Cover - From coil of 10,000, $.82

Availability Stamp Fulfillment Services, Kansas City / Providence / Tucson
Official Announcement

On May 1, 2009, in Washington, DC, the Postal Service™ will issue a 44-cent, definitive U.S. Flag stamp in one design. This stamp will be available in the following formats:

  • Pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) coil of 3,000 (Item 787700).
  • PSA coil of 10,000 (Item 787800).
  • Water-activated gum (WAG) coil of 3,000 (Item 787100).

The stamp, designed by Terrence W. McCaffrey, USPS, goes on sale nationwide May 1, 2009.

This new stamp depicts a detail of an American flag from a photograph by Rick Barrentine of Duluth, Georgia. The detail, showing a softly folded flag, features most prominently the starry blue field, with red-and-white stripes occupying the remaining space.
Note  

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 their local Post Office™, at The Postal Store® website at www.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 a larger envelope addressed to:

U. S. Flag Stamp
Special Cancellations
PO Box 92282
Washington, DC 20090-2282

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 July 6, 2009.

How to Order First Day Covers

Stamp Fulfillment Services 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:

Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
U.S. Postal Service
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products

There are two philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

  • 787161*, First Day Cover (Coil of 3,000 WAG), $0.82.

  • 787861*, First Day Cover (Coil of 10,000), $0.82.

Items with an asterisk (*) will use the 128 barcode from Stamp Fulfillment Services. All other philatelic products will continue to use barcode series A, with the exception of the Yearbook and the Guide Book.

Distribution: Item 787700, $1,320.00 U.S. Flag, PSA Coil of 3,000

The $1,320.00 U.S. Flag PSA coil of 3,000 will not be automatically distributed to stamp distribution offices (SDOs). Automatic distributions will be made only to accountable paper depositories (APDs) and the Kansas City Stamp Services Center (SSC). Initial APD distributions, which began March 9, 2009, will be complete by April 1, 2009. SDOs requiring stamps must order them from the appropriate APD using a separate PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return.

Initial Supply to Post Offices

SDOs will not make a subsequent automatic distribution of Item 787700 to Post Offices. All Post Offices requiring stamps must order them from their designated SDO using PS Form 17. SDOs must not distribute coils to Post Offices before April 24, 2009.

Distribution: Item 787800, $4,400.00 U.S. Flag, PSA Coil of 10,000

The $4,400.00 U.S. Flag PSA coil of 10,000 will not be automatically distributed to SDOs. Automatic distributions will be made only to APDs and the Kansas City SSC. Initial APD distributions, which began March 9, 2009, will be complete by April 1, 2009. SDOs requiring stamps must order them from the appropriate APD using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return.

Initial Supply to Post Offices

SDOs will not make a subsequent automatic distribution of Item 787800 to Post Offices. All Post Offices requiring stamps must order them from their designated SDO using PS Form 17. SDOs must not distribute coils to Post Offices before April 24, 2009.
 

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Updated 10 June 2009