US Postal Service New Stamp Issues and images for 2021

[DJCMH]

A couple days ago The USPS released information and designs of a large number of the issues planned for 2021, but I've not had a chance until now to get them posted. So finally, here is a sneak-peak at nineteen of the issues planned for 2021.

https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-postal-history/animals- ... .s.-stamps

Go For Broke: Japanese American Soldiers of WWII. Some 30,000 Japanese American soldiers served in the U.S. Army during the WWII, and this vertical commemorative stamp, based on a photograph but rendered by intaglio printing, recognizes their contributions and sacrifices.
“Go for Broke” was the motto of the all-Japanese-American 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team, according to the Postal Service, and came to represent all Japanese-American units formed during WWII.

Brush Rabbit. The additional-ounce rate, currently 15¢, will increase to 20¢ on Jan. 24, and the Postal Service will issue a new stamp that can be applied to domestic letter mail that exceeds the 1-ounce limit for a forever stamp.
Using artwork by Dugal Stermer, the stamp shows a brush rabbit and will please many collectors by including the common name of the rabbit underneath its portrait and the scientific name (Sylvilagus bachmani) curving above its back.
The Brush Rabbit stamp will be issued in a pane of 20 and in a coil of 100.

Lunar New Year: Year of the Ox. The second stamp in the planned series of 12 features a decorated three-dimensional mask showing the head of an ox, with original artwork by Camille Chew, who also created the rat mask pictured on the 2020 Year of the Rat stamp (Scott 5428). These stamps are expected in a pane of 20.
The first day of the upcoming Year of the Ox is Feb. 12, 2021.

Chien-Shiung Wu. A vertical commemorative with a portrait by Kam Mak celebrates nuclear physicist Chien-Shiung Wu (1912-1997).
“During a career that spanned more than 40 years in a field dominated by men, she established herself as the authority on conducting precise and accurate research to test fundamental theories of physics,” the Postal Service said.

[DJCMH]

Love. The Love stamp for 2021 uses a digital graphic design by Bailey Sullivan spelling out the word LOVE in two-tone bold block letters. Four hearts and other elements against a dark blue background fill out the rectangle.

Garden Beauty. These 10 horizontal definitive stamps follow 2020’s similar vertical Wild Orchids issue (Scott 5435-5454).
The new stamps provide a garden mixture consisting of a pink flowering dogwood, a rose-pink and white tulip, an allium or ornamental onion, a pink and white Asiatic lily, a magenta dahlia, a yellow and pink American lotus, a pink moth orchid with mottled petals, a pink and white sacred lotus, an orange and yellow tulip, and a yellow moth orchid with a pink center.
The Garden Beauty stamps will be issued in a double-sided pane of 20, which the Postal Service describes as a booklet. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps using existing photographs by Allen Rokach.

Mystery Message. Twenty small brightly colored boxes containing intricate patterns are stacked in rows to fill a single square forever stamp. A closer look reveals that the design by USPS art director Antonio Alcala contains lettering that spells out a mystery message.

Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly. The Postal Service again tapped artist Tom Engeman to create the illustration for the eighth stamp in the Butterfly series for nonmachineable mail such as square greeting cards.
The stamp art is highly stylized and simplified, according to the Postal Service, but it provides an attractive representation of Colorado’s handsome state insect.
The new stamp presumably will replace the California Dogface Butterfly stamp issued Jan. 27, 2019 (Scott 5346).

Barns. Four stamps at the postcard rate (planned to increase 1¢ to 36¢ on Jan. 24) will each show a barn in one of the four seasons. Designed by Ashley Walton, the stamps feature original artwork by Kim Johnson.
The designs, according to the Postal Service, show “a round barn surrounded by the hazy light and warm colors of fall; a gambrel-roofed barn in summer; a forebay barn in an early spring countryside; and a Western barn on a winter’s night.”

[DJCMH]

Backyard Games. Eight stamps in a pane of 16 depict the familiar outdoor games of horseshoes, bocce, flying disc, croquet, baseball, tetherball, badminton and cornhole. The artwork by Mick Wiggins shows game equipment enlarged in the foreground, with the participants in the background.
Mike Ryan designed the stamps.

Day of the Dead. Human skulls make their debut on U.S. stamps with four decorated examples on four different stamps to celebrate the Mexican holiday that remembers the departed.
The festive designs by Luis Fitch each include candles and floral elements, along with decorative personal touches for each skull.

Heritage Breeds. Ten more animals will be showcased on a pane of 20 stamps featuring heritage breeds, which the Postal Service describes as “pre-industrial farm animals that are enjoying renewed attention for their versatility, adaptability and unique genetic traits.”
The featured breeds are the American mammoth jackstock donkey, the Narragansett turkey, the Cayuga duck, the San Clemente Island goat, the mulefoot hog, the cotton patch goose, the American cream draft horse, the Barbados blackbelly sheep, the milking Devon cow, and the Wyandotte chicken. Zack Bryant designed the stamps with photographs by Aliza Eliazarov.

Raven Story. “Merging traditional artwork with modern design touches, this stamp depicts one of many stories about Raven, a figure of great significance to the indigenous people of the Northwest Coast,” the Postal Service said in its description of this single forever stamp.
“Among the cultures of the region, the raven plays an essential role in many traditional tales, including stories about the creation of the world. Inspired by the traditional story of Raven setting free the sun, the moon and the stars, Tlingit/Athabascan artist Rico Worl depicts Raven just as he escapes from his human family and begins to transform back into his bird form.”

Western Wear. Four stamps with a decidedly Western feel depict a cowboy hat, a belt buckle with a longhorn skull, a cowboy boot with a spur and a Western-style shirt with a floral pattern.
Cacti, snakes, stars and roses are among the decorative elements surrounding the subjects in the illustrations by Ryan Feerer.

[DJCMH]

Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses. Koslow’s paintings of lighthouses first appeared on U.S. stamps in 1990 (Scott 2470-2474). The set of five stamps was the first of seven he completed before his death in 2016 at age 91.
The seventh and final set will be issued in 2021 and depict mid-Atlantic lighthouses: Thomas Point Shoal, Md.; Montauk Point, N.Y.; Harbor of Refuge, Del.; Navesink, N.J.; and Erie Harbor Pierhead, Pa.

Missouri Statehood. A photograph of Bollinger’s Mill State Historic Site by landscape photographer Charles Gurche is shown on the new stamp marking 200 years of Missouri statehood.
Missouri became the 24th state in the Union on Aug. 10, 1821.

Message Monsters. The Postal Service describes this set of four as inviting interactivity with “dozens of self-adhesive accessories” to personalize mail franked with these diverse monster stamps.
“Decorations include hearts, hats, voice balloons, flowers and thought bubbles,” with artwork by Elise Gravel. The stamps will be issued in a pane of 20.

Espresso Drinks. A set of four stamps in a double-sided pane of 20 features four coffee drinks depicted in digital art by Terry Allen.
Each illustration includes the name of the drink in “art deco-inspired lettering”: caffe latte, espresso, caffe mocha and cappuccino.

Happy Birthday. Three U.S. stamps expressing birthday wishes were issued during the early years of this century. This new version with a digital illustration by Rodolfo Castro, and designed by Castro with Lisa Catalone Castro, recalls the “childhood excitement of a birthday party.” In this confetti celebration, a pointed party hat substitutes for the A in HAPPY, and other party decorations inspiring the remaining letters.

And that is what has been revealed so far for 2021.

[saifbeg]

I have to say a number of them are quite excellent and I have my eye on them to buy in 2021. Thank you for informing me!

[RevRed+]

Hi DJCMH, thanks for the info. I now have my eyes on the Lighthouse issue.

[Wucky100]

Some very nice issues there, cant wait to purchase them, I'm not a fan of the "Day of the Dead" issue - i love the Coffee series!, wil make a great Booklet Issue

But overall a good series of issues for 2021!

Thanks

Peter

[DJCMH]

August Wilson stamp added to USPS Stamp Program 2021

https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-postal-history/playwrig ... mp-in-2021

The United States Postal Service on Dec. 8 announced an addition to its stamp program for 2021.

August Wilson (1945-2005), a prominent playwright twice honored with the Pulitzer Prize for drama, will be celebrated on a forever stamp Jan. 28.

The nondenominated (55¢) stamp will be the 44th in the Black Heritage commemorative series and will be issued in a pane of 20.

The Postal Service has scheduled a virtual first-day ceremony that will take place on the issue date at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. The event will be shown live on the USPS Facebook and Twitter social media channels. Details for viewing the event live are available on the USPS website.

The official city of issue is Pittsburgh, Pa., where Wilson was born and raised. The setting for many of his most famous plays is Pittsburgh’s Hill District.

“One of America’s greatest playwrights, Wilson is hailed as a trailblazer for helping to bring nonmusical African American drama to the forefront of American theater,” the Postal Service said in announcing the new issue.

The stamp’s preliminary design shows a portrait of Wilson with his arms crossed in front of him, modeled on a 2004 photo of the playwright by David Cooper.

Behind Wilson in the stamp design is a simple wooden fence.

Wilson’s best-known plays include Fences, which received the 1987 Tony award for best play and the 1987 Pulitzer for drama, and The Piano Lesson, Wilson’s other Pulitzer winner (1990).

A new film, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom starring Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis, is based on Wilson’s 1984 play of the same name. The film opened to a limited theatrical run Nov. 25.

The August Wilson stamp was not included in the Nov. 17 Postal Service announcement of new stamps planned for the coming year.

[DJCMH]

2021-01 : Love

Love Stamp 2021, Issued 14 January

https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2020/pb22560/html/info_003.htm#ep1462776

On January 14, 2021, in Loveland, CO, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Love 2021 stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 565100). The stamp will go on sale nationwide January 14, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The Postal Service™ continues its popular Love series with a new stamp in 2021. The stamp art features a lighthearted and colorful digital illustration with the word “LOVE” and three large hearts shown in an unconventional palette of color duos, strikingly set against a dark blue background. The design also includes a smaller heart, a rectangle, and a semicircle. Greg Breeding was art director; Bailey Sullivan created the original art and designed the stamp.

Issue:Love 2021 Stamp
Item Number:565100
Denomination & Type of Issue:First-Class Mail Forever
Format:Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series:Love
Issue Date & City: January 14, 2021, Loveland, CO 80538
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Bailey Sullivan, Brooklyn, NY
Typographer:Bailey Sullivan, Brooklyn, NY
Illustrator:Bailey Sullivan, Brooklyn, NY
Modeler:Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process:Offset, Microprint
Printer:Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type:Muller A76
Stamps per Pane:20
Print Quantity:200,000,000 stamps
Paper Type:Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type:Pressure-sensitive
Processed at:Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors:PMS 289 C Dark Blue, PMS 7688 C Light Blue, PMS 485 C Red, PMS 7423 C Pink, PMS 1375 C Orange
Stamp Orientation:Horizontal
Image Area (w x h):1.05 x 0.77 in. / 26.67 x 19.558 mm
Overall Size (w x h):1.19 x 0.91 in. / 30.226 x 23.114 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h):5.76 x 5.55 in. / 146.304 x 140.97 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h):11.52 x 22.20 in. / 292.608 x 563.880 mm
Plate Size:320 stamps per revolution
Plate Number:“P” followed by five (5) single digits in four corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in 4 corners
Back:©2020 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (565100) • Plate position diagram (8) • Promotional text

[Wucky100]

I am very excited about the fact that this year, 2021, the USPS are going to bring back the No-Die Cut Press sheets which they ceased in 2016........

My day has been made wonderful indeed!

Wucky100

[OldDuffer1]

Excuse one's ignorance but what is a "Non machineable surcharge" stamp?

[DJCMH]

Excuse one's ignorance but what is a "Non machineable surcharge" stamp?

For letters that are too big or too thick to go through the processing machines, there is an additional charge to process. Common problem with greeting cards for example. The stamp combines the base first class rate with the surcharge. The previous stamp issued in 2019 sold for US$0.70 (US$0.55 + US$0.15 surcharge) not sure if the surcharge has gone up for 2021, likely has if they are issuing a new stamp even though basic first class rate remains the same (for now).

[OldDuffer1]

Thanks, DJCMH. I wonder how customers are supposed to know this in advance? (i.e. before dropping it into a post box).

Presumably you can purchase "thickness" gauges (as we can in the UK) or have it checked at the Post Office?

Interesting that you still have a Postcard rate- long abandoned in GB.

[DJCMH]

2021-02A : Barns (Pane Variety)

https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2020/pb22561/html/info_004.htm#ep1463010

On January 24, 2021, in Barnesville, GA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Barns stamps (Non-denominated priced at the Postcard rate) in 4 designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 120900) and a PSA coil of 100 stamps (Item 740200). The stamps will go on sale nationwide January 24, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

Four new postcard stamps celebrate the beauty and history of American barns. The artist created digital paintings of four types of iconic barns found in the rural American landscape. With differing qualities of light and color, each piece reflects one of the four seasons:

-A round barn surrounded by the hazy light and warm colors of fall;
-A gambrel-roofed barn in summer;
-A forebay barn in an early spring countryside; and
-A Western barn on a winter’s night.

Ashley Walton designed the stamps with original artwork by Kim Johnson. Greg Breeding was the art director.

Technical Details (Pane Stamps)

Issue:Barns Stamps
Item Number:120900
Denomination & Type of Issue:Postcard Rate Non-denominated, Mail-use (currently US$0.36)
Format:Pane of 20 (4 designs)
Series:N/A
Issue Date & City:January 24, 2021, Barnesville, GA
Art Director:Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer:Ashley Walton, Charlottesville, VA
Artist:Kim Johnson, Stamford, CT
Modeler:Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process:Offset
Printer:Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type:Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane:20
Print Quantity:100,000,000 stamps
Paper Type:Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block
Adhesive Type:Pressure-sensitive
Colors:Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation:Horizontal
Image Area (w x h):0.84 x 0.73 in./21.336 x 18.542 mm
Stamp Size (w x h):0.98 x 0.87 in./24.892 x 22.098 mm
Pane Size (w x h):4.93 x 5.35 in./125.22 x 135.89 mm
Plate Size:160 stamps per revolution
Plate Number:“B” followed by four (4) single digits
Front:Plate number in four (4) corners
Back:©2020 USPS • USPS logo • Plate position diagram (8) • Barcode (120900) in upper right and lower left corners of pane • Promotional text

[DJCMH]

2021-02B : Barns (Coil Variety)

https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2020/pb22561/html/info_004.htm#ep1463010

Technical Details

Issue: Barns Stamps
Item Number:740200
Denomination & Type of Issue:Postcard Rate Non-denominated, Mail-use (currently US$0.36)
Format:Coil of 100 (4 designs)
Series:N/A
Issue Date & City:January 24, 2021, Barnesville, GA
Art Director:Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer:Ashley Walton, Charlottesville, VA
Artist:Kim Johnson, Stamford, CT
Modeler:Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process:Offset
Printer:Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type:Alprinta 74
Stamps per Coil:100
Print Quantity:400,000,000 stamps
Paper Type:Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block
Adhesive Type:Pressure-sensitive
Colors:Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation:Horizontal
Image Area (w x h):0.84 x 0.73 in./21.336 x 18.542 mm
Stamp Size (w x h):0.98 x 0.87 in./24.892 x 22.098 mm
Plate Size:768 stamps per revolution
Plate Number:“B” followed by four (4) single digits
Coil Number Frequency:Plate number every 32nd stamp below stamp image

[DJCMH]

2021-03A : Brush Rabbit (Pane Version)

https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2020/pb22561/html/info_005.htm

On January 24, 2021, in Sacramento, CA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Brush Rabbit stamp (Non-denominated Additional Ounce Rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 121100) and a PSA coil of 100 stamps (Item 740300). This stamp will go on sale nationwide January 24, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

A new additional ounce stamp features a brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani). The pencil-and-watercolor illustration is from pre-existing artwork by designer and illustrator Dugald Stermer (1936–2011). The brush rabbit is a small brownish cottontail rabbit of the U.S. West Coast and Baja California, Mexico. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

Technical Details (Pane Version)

Issue:Brush Rabbit Stamp
Item Number:121100
Denomination & Type of Issue:Non-denominated Additional Ounce Rate (currently US$0.20)
Format:Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series:N/A
Issue Date & City:January 24, 2021, Sacramento, CA
Art Director:Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer:Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer:Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Existing Art:Dugald Stermer
Modeler:Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process:Offset, Microprint
Printer:Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type:Muller A76
Stamps per Pane:20
Print Quantity:50,000,000 stamps
Paper Type:Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type:Pressure-sensitive
Colors:Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS 7529 C Grey
Stamp Orientation:Vertical
Image Area (w x h):0.73 x 0.84 in./18.542 x 21.336 mm
Overall Size (w x h):0.87 x 0.98 in./22.098 x 24.892 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h):5.35 x 4.93 in./135.89 x 125.222 mm
Plate Size:400 stamps per revolution
Plate Number:“P” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front:Plate number in four corners of pane
Back:©2020 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (121100) • Plate position diagram (10) • Promotional text

[DJCMH]

2021-03B : Brush Rabbit (Coil Variety)

https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2020/pb22561/html/info_005.htm

Technical Details

Issue:Brush Rabbit Stamp
Item Number:740300
Denomination & Type of Issue:Non-denominated Additional Ounce Rate (currently US$0.20)
Format:Coil of 100
Series:N/A
Issue Date & City:January 24, 2021, Sacramento, CA
Art Director:Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer:Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer:Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Existing Art:Dugald Stermer
Modeler:Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process:Offset, Microprint
Printer:Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type:Muller A76
Stamps per Coil:100
Print Quantity:60,000,000 stamps
Paper Type:Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type:Pressure-sensitive
Stamp Orientation:Vertical
Image Area (w x h):0.73 x 0.84 in./18.542 x 21.336 mm
Stamp Size (w x h):0.87096 x 0.98 in./21.122 x 24.892 mm
Coil Size (w x h):87.00 x 0.98 in./2209.80 x 24.892 mm
Colors:Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS 7529 C Grey
Plate Size:744 stamps per revolution
Plate Number:“P” followed by five (5) single digits
Coil Number Frequency:Plate number every 32nd stamp below stamp image

[DJCMH]

2021-04 : Castillo San Marcos Priority Mail Stamp

https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2020/pb22562/html/info_006.htm#ep1461561

On January 24, 2021, in St. Augustine, FL, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Castillo de San Marcos Priority Mail® stamp in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of four stamps (Item 121300). This stamp will go on sale nationwide January 24, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The latest Priority Mail stamp celebrates the oldest masonry fortification in the United States, the Castillo de San Marcos, in St. Augustine, Florida. The stamp art features a digital illustration of the fortress based on a contemporary photograph. With a view toward the northeast corner of the fortress, the artwork captures it in the golden glow of sunrise over Matanzas Bay. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with art created by Dan Cosgrove.

No technical details published by USPS in their Postal bulletins as of 14 January 2021 issue

[DJCMH]

Star Wars Droids Stamps to be issued by USPS this year

https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-postal-history/surprise ... uTr2EPGir0

Apparently the Force is strong with the United States Postal Service.

In a surprise announcement made Jan. 26, the postal agency revealed that it will issue a set of 10 Star Wars Droids forever stamps this spring.

The actual issue date will be announced later.

The nondenominated (55¢) stamps will be issued in a pane of 20, with each stamp design featured twice in the pane.

Each stamp shows a single droid (mechanical android) that has appeared in one or more feature films in the fictional Star Wars media franchise, or in an offshoot television or streaming series.

“Representing more than four decades of innovation and storytelling, the droids featured in this pane of 20 stamps are IG-11, R2-D2, K-2SO, D-O, L3-37, BB-8, C-3PO, a GNK (or Gonk) power droid, 2-1B surgical droid and C1-10P, commonly known as ‘Chopper,’” the Postal Service reported.

The new pane is the second (or third) issue from the USPS to celebrate the Star Wars phenomena.

A pane of 15 41¢ stamps featuring characters from the first six live-action feature films (Scott 4143) was issued May 25, 2007, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first feature film in the series.

Five months later, a 41¢ stamp picturing the character Yoda, a Jedi grandmaster, was issued in a separate pane of 20. The Yoda stamp (Scott 4205) adapted the design of a nearly identical stamp from the earlier issue.

The 2007 set of 15 includes two adjacent stamps on the pane that show the two most familiar Star Wars droid characters. R2-D2 is featured on a horizontal stamp with Princess Leia (Scott 4143f), and C-3PO stands alone on a vertical stamp (4143g).

Since the upcoming Star Wars Droids set includes a new stamp for each of them, these two droids will be making their second appearances on U.S. stamps.

“The characters are shown against backgrounds representing settings of memorable adventures,” according to the Postal Service. “The selvage features a passageway from the floating Cloud City above the planet Bespin, introduced in [the 1980 feature film] Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

“These set of droids are a nod to Lucasfilm’s, as well as its parent company, Disney’s, commitment to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning and the continued collaboration between ‘Star Wars: Force for Change’ and global pre-K-12 nonprofit organization ‘FIRST’ (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).

“‘Star Wars: Force for Change’ and ‘FIRST’ have joined forces to expand access to STEM learning to more young people around the world, and to help them envision a brighter, more inclusive future,” the Postal Service added.

The stamps also pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of Lucasfilm, the California-based studio that created the Star Wars franchise.

Greg Breeding was the designer of the stamps and pane. William Gicker was the art director.

[DJCMH]

Some other additions to the 2021 program also announced last week

https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-postal-history/yankees- ... p-subjects

Yogi Berra USA Stamp for 2021

Yogi Berra

Yogi Berra is one of the best-known baseball catchers of all time, not only for his formidable accomplishments in the sport, but also as a cultural icon whose good nature and amusing malaprops endeared him to the nation.

An 18-time All-Star Game selection and 10-time World Series champion during his 18 seasons with the New York Yankees, Berra was one of the game’s greatest catchers and a powerful hitter. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972 and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2015.

The stamp shows a portrait of Berra by artist Charles Chaisson with lettering created by Michael Doret. USPS art director Antonio Alcala designed the stamp

.

USA Solar Phenomena Stamps for 2021

Sun Science

An issue titled Sun Science by the Postal Service will offer 10 stamps in a pane of 20. Each design features “stunning images of the sun that celebrate the science behind the ongoing exploration of our nearest star,” according to the Postal Service.

The designs are inscribed coronal hole, coronal loops, solar flare, plasma blast (two examples of each), plus sunspots and active sun (one each).

Alcala designed these stamps as well, using digital images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory.

USA Tap Dancing Stamps for 2021

Tap Dance

“Celebrating tap dancing as a uniquely American contribution to world dance, these five stamps feature photographs of different tap dancers performing against brightly colored backgrounds that highlight their form and movement,” the Postal Service said.

The dancers are not identified, but each is surrounded by text repeating the word “TAP.”

USPS art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps with photographs by Matthew Murphy.

Art of Emilio Sanchez USPS Stamps for 2021

Emilio Sanchez

Four new stamps celebrate artist Emilio Sanchez (1921-1999) with images from four of his colorful architectural lithographs and paintings: Lost Toldos (1973), Ty’s Place (1976), En el Souk (1972) and the untitled 1981 oil and watercolor work known as Ventanita entreabierta.

“Sanchez explored the effects of light and shadow to emphasize the abstract geometry of his subjects,” according to the Postal Service. “His artwork encompasses his Cuban heritage as well as his long life in New York City.”

Born in Camaguey, Cuba, Sanchez became an American citizen in 1968.

Alcala designed this issue, which will be offered in a pane of 20.

USA Ursula LeGuin stamp for 2021

Ursula K. Le Guin

The stamp honoring author Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018) is the 33rd issue in the Literary Arts series.

Le Guin emerged in the 1960s as a leading writer in the fantasy genre and speculative fiction field.

In the stamp portrait by Donato Giancola (based on a 2006 photograph of the author), Le Guin is shown with a background scene from her 1969 novel The Left Hand of Darkness, “in which an envoy from Earth named Genly Ai escapes from a prison camp across the wintry planet of Gethen with Estraven, a disgraced Gethenian politician,” the Postal Service noted.

Alcala served as art director for this 3-ounce rate stamp.