2014 USPS Issues... News? Thoughts? Opinions?

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With Winter Flowers, the U.S. Postal Service continues its tradition of issuing stamps that present beautiful, floral-themed art.

Each of these four stamps depicts a close-up view of one plant — Christmas cactus, amaryllis, cyclamen, or paperwhite — with detailed and colorful renderings of its blossom and foliage.

These winter-blooming flowers are popular potted plants, especially during the holidays when people enjoy them as gifts or as festive decorations. Just as these flowers brighten our dark winter days, these stamps will add a decorative and cheerful note to all your correspondence.

Art director Ethel Kessler designed the Winter Flowers stamps, which feature art by William Low.

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The great spangled fritillary butterfly graces the fourth butterfly stamp for use on large greeting card envelopes. The stamp art was created on a computer, using images of preserved butterflies as a starting point. The result is a highly stylized, simplified image of a great spangled fritillary rather than an exact replica.

The great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele) is named for the silvery spots found on the undersides of its wings. A large butterfly with a wingspan of 2.25 to 4 inches, it is found in all northern states and ranges as far south as northern Georgia in the east and central California in the west. Even though this striking butterfly is a common sight in much of the country, it can be puzzling to identify. Not only are females slightly darker than males, but individuals in eastern populations are more orange in color, while those in western populations are more brown.

All great spangled fritillaries have one thing in common: a very close relationship with violets. Females lay their eggs on or near clumps of violets in August or September. When the eggs hatch, the larvae crawl to nearby violet plants, but instead of having a snack, they hide among fallen leaves and begin to hibernate. When spring arrives, the caterpillars come out of hibernation and feed on fresh violet leaves before forming a chrysalis and transforming into adult butterflies.

Nationally known artist Tom Engeman worked with art director Derry Noyes on this design.

The square format of the stamp was developed in partnership with the greeting card industry to indicate that this stamp may be used for square envelopes weighing up to and including one ounce. Greeting card envelopes printed with a silhouette of a butterfly indicate the need for an additional 20 cents postage — or the use of this butterfly stamp. The butterfly stamp may also be used to mail envelopes with irregular sizes and shapes.

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Five new stamps from the U.S. Postal Service celebrate the beauty — and popularity — of ferns.

A favorite with gardeners and florists, ferns range from tiny moss-like plants to giants as tall as trees. The ferns featured on the stamps are five of the approximately 380 different species found in North America.

Each of the five stamps depicts a close-up photograph of a different species of fern. The shapes and textures of the fronds stand out against a stark white background, highlighting the placement of the leaflets along each fern's stem. The name of each fern — autumn fern, Goldie's wood fern, soft shield fern, Fortune's holly fern, or painted fern — is placed vertically in capital letters along one edge of the stamp.

Art director Phil Jordan chose the five images from among dozens of existing pictures by photographer Cindy Dyer. After Dyer isolated the fronds in her photos, providing a white background, Jordan tightened the focus on each to fit within the stamp borders. He rotated some of the fronds to provide visual interest and oriented them in relation to one another to form a unified whole.

These stamps add elegance to envelopes and are an exquisite continuation of the U.S. Postal Service's tradition of offering stamps that feature beautiful plants.

The Ferns stamps are being issued in self-adhesive large coils of 3,000 and 10,000, which are designed to be used by businesses. This year the U.S. Postal Service will make large coil stamps available as Forever® stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce rate.