Lady Bird Johnson S/S - Date Of Issue: 11/30/2012

Here's a news brief issued today from the US Postal Service announcing a Lady Bird Johnson (Forever) Stamp to be issued in December 2012:

http://blog-stampofapproval.com/201...-birth-year/

Do they do weekend FDOI? Lady Bird Johnson's birthday is on December 22nd, which is a Saturday this year.

There have been several US issues this year that were issued on a Saturday:

Saturday, March 24 - Cherry Blossom Centennial
Saturday, April 21 - 20th Century Poets
Saturday, June 2 - Aloha Shirts Booklet
Saturday, June 9 - Celebrate Scouting
Saturday, June 23 - Scenic American Landscape Premium Cards
Saturday, July 21 - MLB Individual Player Stamps
Saturday, July 28 - Innovative Choreographers
Saturday, August 18 - War of 1812: USS Constitution

There are even two stamps that were/will be issued on Sunday:

Sunday, January 22 - Sailboats Postal Cards
Sunday, October 14 - Santa and Sleigh

So, yes, they do issue stamps and have FDOI ceremonies on weekends. The hardship for the average collector is that most post offices will have limited availability of the stamps on the actual day of issue as Saturday not only involves limited hours for most post offices, but there are typically fill-in clerk personnel on the weekends that do not always have access to the the new stamps on the day of issue.

Since I don't collect FDOI, I'm good. But I know it will be a pain for others if the the FDOI is on a Saturday.

Although I understand this idea has already been mentioned in other forums and in Linn's Stamp News, I found it interesting that only today (August 7, 2012) the USPS Facebook page has referred to this issue in plural form ... in other words, the USPS is "quietly" acknowledging the fact that this issue will be a multiple of stamps and not just a single one:

wt1, the August 20 Linn's indicated possibly as many as six different Ladybird stamps. Lots of wildflowers no doubt!

Are these accurate illustrations of three of the actual stamps? If so, it seems quite odd they wouldn't include the name of the person on the stamp(s):



More info. at this link:

http://www.texastribune.org/texas-p...mmemorative/

Or perhaps they're referring to uncut press sheets with and without die cuts. Sigh...

I would say those are photoshopped (using the Forever text from the Liberty Bell stamp). They have no year, and I assume only one design will be printed...

It all seems a bit confusing right now. One website says "stamp" and others read "stamps." The Stamp of Approval release even reads "stamp" and then goes on to say that besides the White House portrait it would include "artwork of stamps originally issued in the 1960s to encourage planting flowers to beautify America." This seems to allude to Scott #1365-1368. Sounds like it will be a very crowded stamp or that there will be several uncrowded stamps. I think we'll just have to wait and see how this shakes out. Now without checking your albums, how many out there can name the other four First Ladies portrayed on a US stamp? This is probably too easy a question for US collectors.

Martha Washington
Abigail Adams
Dolley Madison
Eleanor Roosevelt

NOTE: I didn't look at my catalog when I came up with the above list, but the detail is now being reported in the news media when referencing the upcoming Lady Bird Johnson stamp:

wt1 wins the gold medal. Shoulda known he'd be the first one in with the answers. The tough one is Dolley Madison, #1822 and such a tiny stamp. My wife incorrectly guessed Jacqueline Kennedy, and there may be a case made for the style and dignity she brought to the White House that justifies a future stamp.

In addition to Jacqueline Kennedy, I suspect Betty Ford will eventually have a stamp, too, considering her efforts with the Betty Ford Clinic.

Actually, it wouldn't be too out of the question that an entire series of Former First Ladies would make good subject matter for a sheet of stamps.

Not to be a big pooo, but why put Mrs. Johnson on a stamp? I suppose she is more important than a hawaiian shirt, but... Betty Ford and her clinic, that makes sense. Maybe I just don't know enough about Lady Bird...

Well, there is this:



From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Bird_Johnson

Given a choice, I'd rather they do all the first ladies than multiples of one this way.