USPS First Look - Ferns

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

http://uspsstamps.com/stamps/ferns

For whatever reason the announcement has been taken down by the USPS with the following notation when clicking on the link provided:

Strange, wonder why they took the page/announcement down? Wonder why they would have removed the page but left the image up? (The image in my original post is linked directly to the USPS site since I was not sure about copyright.)
don

I like it. I think ferns look cool.

I'm just not excited about them at all.
Tom

I like them too. I always have liked Ferns and wondered why the P.O. never put them on stamps before.

I think they may compliment an envelope nicely. These would've been great had bills or others gotten stamps and not just a little presort box without even a postmark.
It's great mail doesn't have postmarks anymore, now everyone gets away with holding my bills 5 days before mailing, but that's another rant.

By making many calls, all over I discovered the USPS Item number for strip of 25 PNC Fern coil stamps is 790803. I ordered 4 rolls (25 ea) this morning from USPS Stamp Fulfilment Service this morning so I know it is correct. The CPN is on every 30th stamp so I am not sure how the work out 25 but they claim a CPN will be on each roll.

Thanks for the update. I understand the 790803 order number is for the strip of 25 from the 10K coil.

It is being reported elsewhere that there could also be an order number 790003 which would be for a strip of 25 from the 3K coil.

At this point, I'm not sure if there is any discernable difference between the two "varieties". According to the Postal Bulletin's Technical Specs, the stamps are identical. However, if it keeps with tradition, typically the 3K coil would have backnumbers only 4 digits long, whereas the 10K coil would have backnumbers 5 digits long.

Granted, that's not much of a collectible variety and it likely won't be listed in the Scott Catalog, but for those interested in such details, it could be that the variety will exist.

For anyone so interested, the original announcement of the Ferns stamps was taken down from the USPS Stamps website because they were originally introduced as "Forever" stamps, but were later changed to denominated 49-cent stamps.

This was the original posted image (which will not be issued):



And the revised stamp issue (which will be issued in the 49-cent denomination):



As you can see, the stamp designs are identical, the only changes made to the final design were the placement of the lettering/denomination as "USA 49".

Latest infor about 49 cent Ferns coils:

http://about.usps.com/postal-bullet...info_013.htm

Fern coil stamps: USPS has announced "Later this year, large coils will also be made available in the Forever® format for added convenience to business mailers." USPS Bulletin 22381 Jan 23,2014.

I read that, but actually, the phrase about the "large coils will also be made available in the Forever format..." can be read two different ways.

It has left open the idea that the "Forever" format stamp for large business mailers may be of a different design; not necessarily being the "Ferns" issue. So it could be the Ferns stamp will be re-issued as "Forever" stamps ... then again, maybe not.

It's all speculation, rumor and guesswork until the USPS formally makes an announcement.

Incidentally, I understand that Linn's is reporting that the Ferns stamps will be "spaced" on its paper backing and not die cut together as shown in the illustration. I believe this has to do with ease of application by automated mailing equipment that typically use those large volume coils.

I have just confirmed the items #'s to order the strips of 25 49 cent Fern PNC stamps by actually ordering thur USPS Stamp Fulliment Services:
790803 is from roll of 10,000 PNC strip/25
790003 is from roll of 3,000 PNC strip/25

I noticed that the online USPS store is now selling 2 strips of 10 for $9.80 as well as a strip of 25 for $12.25. Usually one does not see this for large coils.

Although that may be true, if you go to the USPS Store's website and click on the 46c Star Coil or 46c Kaleidoscope Coil, both are available for order in "2 strips of 10" as well. (Incidentally, the 1c Bobcat Coil of 10K is on backorder, which I found interesting.)

Anyway, going back to the Ferns stamp, there have been several recent comments on USPS Facebook from those interested in this issue for ordering in smaller quantities. It seems the USPS may be responding to those requests by making them readily available for order on their website. (Anything to gain additional revenue.)