Click on the above scans for a larger image.

42¢ Christmas: Botticelli Madonna and Child
(Ashton Potter)
Flat Double-Sided Convertible Booklet of 20

Scott# 4359a Plate P11111
Series USPS - Holiday ~ PNC3 - Holiday
Issue Date & City October 23, 2008, New York, NY 10199
Nationwide Sale October 23, 2008
Designer Richard Sheaff, Scottsdale, AZ
Art Director Richard Sheaff, Scottsdale, AZ
Typographer Richard Sheaff, Scottsdale, AZ
Modeler Joseph P. Sheeran
To Press / Initial Impressions Summer, 2008 / 600 Million
Process Offset / Microprinting "USPS". Located on left hand of John the Baptist
Printer Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed At Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU), Williamsville, NY
Press Mueller Martini, A76
Processed At Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Plate Size 880 stamps per revolution
Paper & Tagging Prephosphored USPS Type III (Smooth Tagging)
Adhesive Pressure Sensitive
Die Cut Gauge 10.9 on 2 or 3 sides 
Colors Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Gold (PMS 871)
Actual Plate Numbers - White (drop-out), Black, Cyan, Magenta, Gold (Yellow)
Image Area (w x h): 0.77 x 1.105 in. / 19.56 x 28.07 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in. / 23.11 x 30.23 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 5.76 x 2.38 in. / 146.30 x 60.45 mm
Markings Cover Side: "© 2007 USPS" • Plate Numbers • Header "CHRISTMAS"   Stamp image  • Price $8.40 • "Twenty Self-adhesive 42¢ Stamps • Barcode 677900
Earliest Known Use October 23, 2008
USPS Order Numbers 679440 Convertible Booklet of 20 - $8.40
679661 First Day Cover - $0.80

Availability

Stamp Fulfillment Services, Kansas City and most post offices

Official Announcement On October 23, 2008, in New York, New York, the Postal Service™ will issue a 42-cent, Christmas: Virgin and Child with the Young John the Baptist by Sandro Botticelli special stamp in one design in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) doublesided booklet of 20 stamps (Item 677900). Designed by Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Ari­zona, the stamp goes on sale nationwide October 23, 2008.

The 2008 Christmas stamp features a detail from a work by the Italian master Sandro Botticelli, entitled Virgin and Child with the Young John the Baptist. This painting, tempera and oil on wood, dates to around 1490 and is now in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. It presents one of the most common figural groups in religious art.

Artist / Place This painting, by the Italian master Sandro Botticelli is tempera and oil on wood, dates to around 1490 and is now in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Press Release C
End Card Black ink on Cream card stock. Click here for a scan

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:

Christmas: Virgin and Child
With the Young John the Baptist Stamp
Postmaster
421 Eighth Ave., Rm. 2029B
New York, NY 10199-9998

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 December 24, 2008.

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
P.O. Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products

There are three philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

  • 677961*, First Day Cover, $0.80.
  • 677991*, Ceremony Program, $6.95.
  • 677993*, First Day Cover Keepsake, $9.20.

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 677900, $8.40 Christmas: Virgin and Child With the Young John the Baptist by Sandro Botticelli Double-Sided Booklet of 20

Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) will receive approximately 35 percent of their standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA booklet. 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 of 25 percent their standard automatic distribution quantity for booklets using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distribute these booklets to Post Offices before October 17, 2008.

Additional Supply

Post Offices requiring additional booklets must requisition Item 677900 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.

For fulfilling supplemental orders from SDOs, the San Francisco, Chicago, Memphis, and New York APDs will each receive 2,000,000 additional booklets.

Sales Policy

All Post Offices must acquire and maintain a supply of each new commemorative stamp as long as customer demand exists, until inventory is depleted, or until the stamp 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

Page content and design copyright © 2001-2011, R.E.M.
Please send corrections and comments to Webmaster