Hard-To-Get US Purple Heart With Ribbon "Forever' Stamp

On April 5, 2011, the US Postal Service issued a new definitive "Forever" stamp with the Purple Heart medal and ribbon. It's an elusive stamp to find at a local post office, as I have checked several in my area and no one has them in stock. They "may" be getting them in, but no one seems to know for sure when that will be.

In fact, one postal clerk told me that I wasn't the only one asking, as there are a number of Veteran's groups and organizations looking for them, too, particularly as the Memorial Day holiday is nearing.

Anyway, according to the Postal Bulletin, it appears they be difficult to find for awhile, as the stamp is considered a "definitive" and as such is noted to NOT be automatically distributed to post offices, with post offices being advised to sell existing inventories of denominated Purple Heart stamps and only order these new stamps when inventories are depleted.

It appears that we stamp collectors are being greatly inconvenienced by this policy. Have any SCF members tried to obtain the stamp from their local post office with any success? It sounds like it could be a nationwide problem and we'll have to order them by mail if we want to get them anytime soon.

I will check with my local PO and see if the postal person can order some. She is pretty good about doing this.

I'm sure you know but you can get them here.

https://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/st...ory=10000003

Thanks. I know I can get them through mail order, but why pay out an extra $1 if the local post offices are supposed to be able to provide them to customers at face value?

This is not the only new issue I've had a problem with. The 84-cent Oveta Culp Hobby stamp hasn't been available anywhere in my area either. The postal clerks tell me that they have them on order, but being in Southeastern Massachusetts, they tell me that they are restricted to ordering new stock only ONCE A MONTH and that the recent closure of the Providence, RI supply chain for their stamp inventory means that all orders have to now go to New York which slows the ordering process even further.

I guess the USPS consolidation is hitting home at the detriment of us stamp collectors, as it is discouraging consumers from getting these new issues at their local post offices.

How much gas are you using to drive to the local post office or offices? I like the thrill of the hunt, too, but at $4/gallon, I'd pay the extra dollar to have em shipped.

I'll have to check my local post office and see. I know he has the 84 cent Oveta Culp Hobby stamps and every new commemorative issue.

I'll also check my local post offices and If I can obtain some I'll gladly send you some. Where I live the P.O.'s are very small, in fact two that I know of are actually someones private house with a little exterior office added on so, chances are good that I can obtain these.

Finally found the Oveta Culp Hobby Stamp!



No luck with the new Purple Heart stamp, though. I mentioned to the postal clerk where I picked up the O.C. Hobby stamps that I had read in the Postal Bulletin where post offices were supposed to deplete their supply of denominated Purple Heart stamps before they could order the new ones, but they acknowledged they have none of the older Purple Heart stamps in inventory, so maybe they'll order some ... but the problem is they are restricted to one order per month and they've already made that order for the month of May. They may make an "emergency order" (whatever that means) since I reminded them the Purple Heart Stamp will be wanted for Memorial Day.

My local PO is going to try to order some of the purple hearts. We shall see.

Yup, mine said the same thing but who knows?..lol

Same thing my PO said ... but again no one knows for sure "when".

I finally relented and placed an order for that issue (among other things) from SFS yesterday and they tell me I should receive it in 7 days. I want these stamps now as there are several military-oriented cancels out or coming out in the next few weeks that these stamps would be most appropriate for use on a cover and I only have a limited time to do it (30 days from date of the cancel).

I can always get from my local PO later on the "mint" sheet, since as a definitive and a "Forever" stamp, it's probably going to be around for a long while.

Got my order yesterday from SFS for the new Purple Heart Forever stamps. Actually, I decided to break up the pane, as I wanted the Purple Heart stamps for use in requesting some commemorative cancels, but I thought that the center single stamp (with imprinted selvage) might be a nice way to collect this stamp:

An unofficial FDC pictorial cancel for the new Purple Heart "Forever" Stamp:

WOW cool! I too am waiting on my little local P.O. to get some.

Hey wt1 how does one go about getting something like that? Does the PO have a hand stamper or machine that puts on that image or is that something that some private entity does? Very curious as I want to start heavily in F.D.C.'s and maybe specialize on 19th & 20th century patriotic style covers, so any help is very valuable to me. Thanks.

Here's how:

http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bullet...nfo_017.html

The list is updated every two weeks in the next Postal Bulletin for all of the new pictorial cancellations that are available. They are free upon request, as long as you provide a self-addressed stamped envelope for the cancellation to be applied. If you want them unaddressed, you can also provide an additional stamped envelope for the return of these covers without undesired postal markings (i.e. bar codes, etc.).

Just got the purple heart stamps. The postal person (Yeah, I don't know what to call them) placed what whe termed an "emergency order" for two of the sheetlets. I can't imagine what would constitute an emergency order, but that's what she did and it worked.