Monthly Archives: January 2013

1967 Shelby GT-500 Rounds Out Muscle Car Stamps

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Let’s start this weekend off right: Here’s the fifth and final of the 2013 Muscle Cars stamps, the 1967 Shelby GT-500, a take on the Ford Mustang that reflected manufacturer Carroll Shelby’s roots as a racecar driver.

"Shelby®” and "GT-500®” are registered trademarks of Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc. used under license. MUSTANG is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company.

“Shelby®” and “GT-500®” are registered trademarks of Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc. used under license. MUSTANG is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company.

The 1967 Shelby GT-500 was powered by a 428-cubic-inch, 355-horsepower Police Interceptor engine. The car also featured a rear spoiler and optional dealer-installed LeMans stripes. Rocker panel stripes came standard on the 1967 Shelby GT-500, which also sported grille-mounted headlights. A scooped fiberglass hood, extended nose, and interior roll bar and shoulder harnesses further enhanced the racecar feel.

The 1967 Shelby GT-500 was more than just a racer. The improved suspension softened the ride, resulting in a vehicle that was comfortable to drive on the highway as well as on the track. The car was both striking and rare; only 2,048 were built. A customized or original version of the 1967 Shelby GT-500 has appeared in contemporary movies and magazines, rekindling American pop culture’s fascination with the model. In 2007, Ford reintroduced the Shelby GT-500 into the Mustang model lineup.

The Muscle Cars Forever® stamps will be issued in February. (Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.) Follow us on for up-to-the-minute stamp news, event announcements, and your chance to vote for your favorite muscle car!

Historic Misprinted Inverted Jenny to Fly Again

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Nearly a century after it was first issued, America’s most famous stamp—the misprinted 24-cent Inverted Jenny—will be reprinted as a $2 stamp as part of the Stamp Collecting: Inverted Jenny souvenir stamp sheet. The sheet will be issued September 22 to coincide with the opening of the William H. Gross Stamp Gallery—the world’s largest stamp gallery—at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C.

StampCollecting-single-4x-FPO

Stamp design shown reflects preliminary artwork and may be subject to change.

Although this is the first time the Inverted Jenny has been reissued, a small Inverted Jenny stamp appeared as a design element on one of four 1993 stamps that marked the opening of the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum. Today, two Inverted Jennys soar among the museum’s treasures. The Inverted Jenny is said to be the postage stamp most often requested for viewing by visitors.

StampCollecting5_24

Stamp design shown reflects preliminary artwork and may be subject to change.

The issuance of this souvenir sheet coincides with the 20th anniversary of the opening of the National Postal Museum in 1993 and the 2013 opening of the museum’s grand new William H. Gross Stamp Gallery. Intended to provide greater visibility and public access to the museum’s collection, the new 12,000-square-foot gallery will showcase numerous rarities, including a block of four Inverted Jenny stamps lent by the gallery’s benefactor, William H. Gross.

The gallery will be the largest in the world dedicated to philately. It will provide an experience available nowhere else and offer something for everyone, from casual visitors to experienced collectors. As visitors move through six thematic areas, displays and interactive moments will reveal the stories that unfold from the museum’s collection. Distributed throughout the thematic areas will be hundreds of pullout frames containing more than 20,000 objects, providing ample opportunities to view noteworthy stamps that have never been on public display.

Inverted 24 cent 1918 Jenny stampThe Stamp Collecting: Inverted Jenny souvenir sheet features a new version of the most famous error in the history of U.S. stamps: the Inverted Jenny, a 1918 misprint that mistakenly showed a biplane flying upside down. Reprinted with a $2 denomination to make them easily distinguishable from the 24-cent originals, the Inverted Jennys on this sheet commemorate the many ways a single stamp can turn a moment in history upside down. The original engraved dies to produce the 1918 Inverted Jenny are being used in the design to produce the new stamps.

Wedding Cake Stamp Unveiled Today at AmeriStamp Expo

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Are you getting married in 2013? Today USPS reissued the just for you! The 66-cent denomination accommodates the one-cent price change that goes into effect on January 2WeddingCake66-2013-single-BGv17. The stamp was unveiled during the American Philatelic Society’s AmeriStamp Expo in Louisville, Kentucky.

First introduced in 2009 and sold at the two-ounce rate, the Wedding Cake stamp accommodates the heavier weight of an invitation, as well as other mailings such as oversize cards or small gifts that require extra postage. The stamp art features a photograph of a three-tier wedding cake topped with white flowers that was created and designed by pastry chef Peter Brett of Washington, D.C.

If you would like to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail, affix the Wedding Cake stamps to envelopes of your choice, address the envelopes, and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Wedding Cake Stamp
Retail Manager
U.S. Postal Service
4500 Annshire Ave.
Louisville, KY 40213

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, USPS will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by March 18, 2013.

Pontiac GTO Roars Onto New Muscle Cars Stamps

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The Pontiac GTO ushered in the era of the American muscle car in the 1960s, just as baby boomers began to come of age. In 2013, the GTO will roar in again as one of five new Muscle Cars stamps.

General Motors Chevelle and Pontiac Trademarks used under license to the USPS.

General Motors Chevelle and Pontiac Trademarks used under license to the USPS.

The first GTO was born when engineers dropped a 389-cubic-inch V8 engine, which was built for a full-size sedan, into an intermediate-size Pontiac Tempest LeMans. Initially offered simply as an option on the Tempest LeMans, the GTO—which in Italian stood for Gran Turismo Omologato, or in English, Grand Touring Homologated—became its own model in 1966.

Available as a hardtop, coupe, or convertible, the 1966 Pontiac GTO was equipped with a standard 335-horsepower V8 engine. The “Goat” could really move; in tests, it went from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 6.8 seconds. It also looked much different than its predecessors. Starting in 1966, the car featured curvy Coke-bottle styling and a split grille. That model year, sales of the distinctive GTO peaked.

We’ve revealed four of the Muscle Cars stamps so far. Tune in tomorrow to see the fifth and final stamp!

1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda Revealed on Third of Five Muscle Cars Stamps

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“Our angriest, slipperiest-looking body shell wrapped around ol’ King Kong hisself.” That’s how one ad described the bold and powerful 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda. We are pleased to announce that this performance-oriented alter-ego of the 1970 Plymouth Barracuda is the third of five vehicles featured on the soon-to-be-released Muscle Cars stamps.

Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda are trademarks of Chrysler Group LLC.

Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda are trademarks of Chrysler Group LLC.

Part of what Plymouth called “The Rapid Transit System,” the 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda featured a 426-cubic-inch Hemi engine that was a 425-horsepower beast. The car oozed power.

One of its more audacious features was a Shaker hood scoop, which vibrated as air flowed through to the engine’s two four-barrel carburetors. The car’s styling was an extension of its bold ethos. It was available in a variety of eye-popping color choices, such as Lemon Twist, Lime Light, and Vitamin C. Hockey-stick shaped stripes denoting engine size, a shifter handle shaped like a pistol grip, and bucket seats were also offered. The model is also a rare specimen: Fewer than 700 were produced.

Can you guess which two cars will round out this exciting set of five stamps?