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37¢ Garden Bouquet
Flat Convertible Booklet of 20
Scott# 3836a Plate P11111, P22222, P33333, P44444, P55555, P66666, P77777, P88888
Series Love (Flora and Fauna)
Issue Date & City March 4, 2004, New York, NY 10199
Nationwide Sale March 5, 2004
Designer Richard Sheaff, Scottsdale, AZ
Art Director Richard Sheaff, Scottsdale, AZ
Typographer Richard Sheaff, Scottsdale, AZ
Modeler Joseph Sheeran
To Press / Initial Impressions Winter 2003 / 750 Million
Process Offset
Printer Ashton Potter USA Ltd. (APU)
Printed At Williamsville, NY
Press Mueller Martini, A76 Modified
Processed At Ashton Potter USA Ltd. (APU)
Plate Size 500 stamps per revolution
Paper & Gum Pressure Sensitive Adhesive, Type 1
Tagging Type Prephosphored
Die Cut Gauge 11.1 x 10.9
Colors Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS 563 C (Green)
Image Area (w x h): 0.77 x 1.105 in. / 19.558 x 28.067 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in. / 23.114 x 30.226 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 4.55 x 5.00 in. / 115.57 x 127.00 mm
Marginal Markings Stamp Side: “© 2003 USPS” · Plate Numbers · Peel here to fold · Cover Side: Price · Barcode · Website · “© 2003 USPS” · USPS Logo
Earliest Known Use March 4, 2004
USPS Order Numbers Convertible Booklet of 20 - $7.40 - 673540
First Day Cover  - $0.75 - 673561
Availability Stamp Fulfillment Services, Kansas City and most post offices
Official Announcement

The Postal Service will issue a 37-cent Garden Bouquet (Weddings) commemorative stamp and a 60-cent Garden Botanical (Weddings) commemorative stamp on March 4, 2004, in New York, New York. The 37-cent Garden Bouquet (Weddings) stamp (Item 673500) is produced as a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), single-sided convertible booklet of 20, and the 60-cent (2-ounce rate) Garden Botanical (Weddings) stamp (Item 566200) is produced as a PSA pane of 20. The 60-cent Garden Botanical (Weddings) pane of 20 may be split, and the stamps may be sold individually. The stamps, designed by Richard Sheaff, Scottsdale, Arizona, go on sale nationwide March 5, 2004.

The 37-cent stamp features a bouquet of white lilacs and large pink roses. Garden Bouquet, as this stamp is known, may be used for one-ounce First-Class Mail® envelopes, including the response envelope often enclosed in a wedding invitation. Garden Botanical features a drawing of mostly pink wild roses. At a 60-cent denomination, this stamp will accommodate the extra weight of a wedding invitation as well as other mailings such as oversized cards or small gift enclosures that require extra postage.

These stamps are part of the Love series. The first Love stamp was issued by the Postal Service in 1973. Since that time, Love stamps have featured a wide range of subjects including flowers, animals, cherubs, and love letters, as well as abstract designs.

Press Release Click here.
End Cards 2 Different. Black Ink on cream card.  Click here for a scan.
Note Plate P33333 and P44444 were found in April 2004. P55555 was discovered in September 2004. P66666, P77777 and P88888 were found in December 2004.

Philatelic Products:  There is a philatelic product for this stamp issue. The Garden Blossoms (Weddings) Cancellation Keepsake set, Item 673593, includes a convertible booklet of 20 stamps and 2 first day covers. The set sells for $9.13.

Distribution: Item 673500, $7.40 Garden Bouquet (Weddings), Convertible Booklet of 20 (PSA)

Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) will receive two automatic distributions of the $7.40 Garden Bouquet (Weddings) booklet of 20. Both waves are each approximately one-half the standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA booklet. Wave 1 distribution began January 20 and will complete February 19, 2004. Wave 2 distribution begins May 4, and will complete June 8, 2004. Distributions are rounded up to the nearest master carton size (4,000 booklets).

Initial Supply to Post Offices

SDOs will make a subsequent automatic distribution to Post Offices for one-half of their standard automatic booklet distribution quantity using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distribute booklets to Post Offices before February 26, 2004.

Additional Supply

Post Offices requiring additional booklets must requisition them from their designated SDO using PS Form 17. SDOs requiring additional booklets must order them from the appropriate accountable paper depository (APD) using PS Form 17. Wave 1: For fulfilling supplemental orders from SDOs, the Memphis and New York APDs each will receive 726,000 additional booklets; the Chicago APD will receive 660,000 additional booklets; the San Francisco APD will receive 580,000 additional booklets; and the Denver APD will receive 256,000 additional booklets. Wave 2: For fulfilling supplemental orders from SDOs, the Chicago, Memphis, and New York APDs each will receive 1,120,000 additional booklets; the San Francisco APD will receive 880,000 additional booklets; and the Denver APD will receive 420,000 additional booklets.

Philatelic Requirement

Authorized philatelic centers requiring the $7.40 Garden Bouquet (Weddings) booklet of 20 must order Item 673500 from their designated SDO using a separate PS Form 17.

Sales Policy

All Post Offices must acquire and maintain a supply of each new special stamp issue as long as customer demand exists, until inventory is depleted, or until the issue is officially withdrawn from sale. If supplies run low, Post Offices must reorder additional quantities using their normal ordering procedures.

This page was last updated on 07/02/13

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