Click on above scans for more detail.

42¢ Holiday Nutcrackers
(Sennett Security Products)
Flat Convertible Booklet of 20

Scott# 4363b Plate S11111
Series USPS - Holiday ~ PNC3 - Holiday
Issue Date & City October 23, 2008, New York, NY 10199 (Mega Stamp Show)
Nationwide Sale October 23, 2008
Designer Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Art Director Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Photographer Sally Andersen-Bruce, New Milford, CT
Modeler Donald Woo
Engraver N/A
To Press / Initial Impressions Summer, 2008 / 1.3 Billion stamps
Process Offset with USPS Microprinting
Printer Banknote Corporation of America / Sennett Security Products (SSP)
Printed At Browns Summit, NC
Press Alprinta, 74
Processed At Unique Binders, Fredericksburg, VA
Plate Size 800 stamps per revolution
Paper & Tagging Prephosphored USPS Type II, Smooth Tagging
Adhesive Pressure Sensitive
Die Cut Gauge 10.9 on 2 or 3 sides. Die cuts are valley/peak on the eight stamp side and peak/valley on the twelve stamp side.
Colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, (PMS 485) Red
Image Area (w x h): 0.75 x 1.03 in. / 19.05 x 26.16 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.90 x 1.19 in. / 23.11 x 30.22 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 2.38 x 5.74 in. / 60.45 x 145.80 mm
Markings © 2007 USPS • Plate numbers • Partial stamp image • "Holiday Nutcrackers"  • “Twenty 42¢ Stamps •  Four Different Designs” • Price “$8.40” • Barcode “678000” 
Earliest Known Use October 25, 2007
USPS Order Numbers 678040 Convertible Booklet of 20 - $8.40
678063 First Day Cover - Set of 4, $3.20

Availability

Stamp Fulfillment Services, Kansas City, most Philatelic Centers and post offices with multi-commodity vending. 

Official Announcement

On October 23, 2008, in New York, New York, the Postal Service™ will issue a 42-cent, Holiday Nutcrackers special stamp in four designs. Designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, the stamp goes on sale nationwide October 23, 2008.

The stamp will be issued in the following formats:

  • Pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) double-sided booklet of 20 stamps (Item 678000).
  • PSA folded vending booklet of 20 stamps (Item 678100).
  • Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) sheetlet of 18 stamps (Item 571700).

Nutcrackers have been around for centuries. They range from simple utilitarian devices to elaborate collectibles, with a host of creations that fall somewhere in between. During the winter holiday season, nutcrackers of all shapes and sizes are familiar sights in toy stores, on Christmas trees, on mantel pieces, on book and magazine covers, and in performance venues.

Four eye-catching nutcracker designs — Santa (or “Father Christmas”), a king, a captain, and a drummer — add colorful, humorous touches to winter holiday correspondence in 2008.

Press Release C
Note Individual Scott numbers are: 
• 4360 - Drummer Nutcracker
• 4361 - Santa Claus Nutcracker

• 4362 - King Nutcracker
• 4363 - Soldier Nutcracker
  4363a - block of 4, #4360-4363
  4363b - Pane of 20, 5 each #4360-4363

End Card Black ink on cream card.  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:

Holiday Nutcrackers Stamps
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 27, 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 six philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

  • 571763*, First Day Cover Set of 4, $3.20.
  • 678063*, First Day Cover Set of 4, $3.20.
  • 678068*, Digital Color Postmark Set of 4, $6.00.
  • 678077, Nutcrackers Secret Puzzle Post Cards, $7.95.
  • 678091*, Ceremony Program w/4 Stamps, $6.95.
  • 678099* Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $14.40.

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 678000, $8.40 Holiday Nutcrackers, PSA Double-sided Booklet of 20

Stamp Distribution Offices (SDOs) will receive approxi­mately 68 percent of their full 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 for 50 percent of their full standard automatic distribution quantity for a PSA booklet using PS Form 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return. SDOs must not distribute stamps to Post Offices before October 17, 2008.

Additional Supply

Post Offices requiring additional booklets must requisition Item 678000 from their designated SDO using PS Form 17. SDOs requiring additional stamps 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 1,920,000 additional booklets.

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