2012 US Holy Family (Christmas) Stamp - 10/10/2012 Wash., DC

Never. It would probably cost the 5¢ to re-tool the machines or something, so I wouldn't hold my breath...

It cool for christmas card letters and settle collectors ,but my choice in chrismas stamps are real cool stamps when you see the envolope , automatically the stamp is mine they can have envolope the letter but the stamps going home with me. That's just to Holy for me.

That's certainly a very cute stamp. I find it interesting that it was taken from Walt Disney Productions and has their copyright at the bottom, which means that the government of Anguilla probably paid Walt Disney Productions a royalty for the use of that image.

I know the US -- and other countries -- have done the same thing with Walt Disney themed stamps. I know the idea is to entice collectors (young and old) to buy stamps, but I've never really understood just how much of a royalty fee is paid for such use on a stamp.

It seems to me the postal authority benefits because of the popularity of the subject, but that Walt Disney Productions also benefits because their productions are publicized worldwide when such an image appears on a stamp.

That stamp is my oldest son's Cameron favorite ,he wanted to post something nice . the info recieved is well taken.what would you recommend me to do? picture that paints a thousand word on a christmas eve every young childs dream. Walt Disney cool.

It seems as though the USPS can't make up their minds.

As of 08/23/2012, Beyond the Perf has abruptly changed the detailed information on the date of issue for this stamp. The date is now back to October 2012 (no exact day indicated -- in other words, October 11 has been taken out) and they have moved the issue location from New York to Washington, DC.

http://beyondtheperf.com/stamp-rele.../holy-family

Does anyone know what's going on?

The FDOI ceremony starts in New York. Then everyone rides donkeys down to DC. The cancellation ceremony will take place in a barn outside the Smithsonian Postal Museum. :-)

According to the 09/06/2012 Postal Bulletin, we're back to a November 11, 2012 issue date in New York City (same date/location as the Santa and Sleigh Stamps).

However, we now have two different types of Uncut Press Sheets available for this issue--both without die cuts:

679984 Uncut Press Sheet (without die cut) at $90
679986 Uncut Press Sheet (mini-sheet) without die cut at $27

In each instance the print quantity is to be 5000.

Presumably, the USPS is recognizing that the "full" uncut press sheet may be too rich for some people so now they are offering a reduced size press sheet (mini-sheet) in order that "without die cut" examples of the stamps may have greater availability to those on a budget.

It is interesting that both press sheets will be "without die cuts". In other words, they are not offering Press Sheets "with die cuts" for this issue.

We Christians have a way of highjacking pagan holidays. :-)

In Ukraine, they celebrated a holiday called Kupala (kupala, kind of means to bathe.) The holiday was basically a fertility ritual. Everyone would go around and get some. Quite popular, as you could imagine.

Well, then Christianity comes along. When they realized the holiday was not going anywhere, they renamed it "Ivana Kupala" (John Bather) and made it the feast of John the Baptist, taking all the fun out of it...

Andy ...
You are a veritable "font" of knowledge ... low level pun intended. Another great job on the 94 album! You have single handedly caused me to collect another country!
... Cal

So they issue it in sheets instead of booklets so they can get more people to buy their sheets. Grumble, grumble, grumble.

It seems the latest Postal Bulletin "correction" about this stamp and its issue date and location was not previously posted, so here it is:



Seeing as the stamp was issued today (10/10/2012) in Washington, DC, I picked up a booklet at my local post office:



I thought I'd point out a couple of interesting things:

1. The stamps have USPS microprinting (right under the donkey). It's large enough that it can be seen with the naked eye without magnification.



2. The booklet cover at first glance appears to be black and white, with a gold surround of the lettering "Holy Family". HOWEVER, under bright light, you will see that the black silhouette image actually has some red violet color in it. The same holds true for the stamps themselves, but is not readily noticeable unless under a bright white light.



In any case, I'm pretty certain that it will be a popular Christmas stamp this year.

If you look in the USPS "USA philatelic" catalog you will find that the illustration of the stamp shows it (correctly) with a straight edge, but if you go over an inch it shows the stamp with a FDC postmark and nom straight edge. (they usually just have the (incorrect) perfed all around imadge. They also didn't seem to bother to add the straight edge to other booklet stamps. Strange.

The USPS is notorious for doing this. Even their promotional material carries such errors. The Liberty Bell Forever Stamp and the Lady Liberty/Flag Forever stamps are two recent examples. They are all pictured wrong in USPS publications and even in their catalog, as those stamps never had perforations on all four sides, yet they are depicted that way in many of their printed materials.

I expect this stamp to sell like crazy with Christians. This is a much better design than Madonna and Child and stamps we've been subject to since God knows when. I'm planning to pick up a lot for my Christmas cards.

The USPS made a good choice with this one.

Now I'm waiting for the nativity scene souvenir sheet. As much as I hate the idea of yet another stamp added to the stamp calendar, I think a nativity scene souvenir sheet would be kind of cool.

Then next year they could do a Santa's workshop souvenir sheet....

I picked up 6 booklets yesterday, mid morning, from our local P.O. Had to convince them it was for sale as each window had a stack banded together and marked for sale on 10/11 ... they also had banded stacks of the other Christmas booklet marked (correctly) 10/11. I find the Holy Family stamp very attractive ... much nicer than the many, many stamps showing "religious art."

As a matter of interest my "proof" was a FB post from USPS displayed on my iPad !!