Gifts Of Friendship - Us/Japan Joint Issue

Although the US version of these stamps were announced previously...



I don't think anyone's posted the stamps being issued by Japan as part of this Joint Issue ... so here it goes (sorry for the poor quality, taken from a screenshot):



Presumably the US version of the Joint Stamp Issue will contain two stamps similar to the pair shown in the upper left of the image from the Japan issue (although all will be valid as US Forever stamps).

It would seem as though Japan is doing likewise with the bottom left pair of stamps showing the US version of the issue but denominated and valid only in Japan.

They remind me of an older set from the '60-70's era.

Issued 1966 to publicize President Johnson's " Plant for a more beautiful America" Sc 1318 Jefferson Memorial, Tidal Basin, and Cherry Blossoms did look quite similar. Sorry, don't have one handy, way to far past 1935 for me.

Don't forget that stamp was reprinted in 2012 as part of the Lady Bird Johnson Souvenir Sheet (the red circle and arrow in the example below shows the USPS microprinting):

In the past, Joint US issues, only US issue was valid for postage in US,
not other issuing country's issue. The other issuing country stamp(s)was only valid postage in their country and was not
valid postage in US.I do not see that changing. The hardest problem is getting a joint FDC cancel from each county.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_issue.
The 1960 Treaty of Amity & Commerce has not been officiallydeclared as a joint US/Japan Issue even though they had same theme ans shared same ink colors & issued about same time.

The Gifts of Friendship Stamps are now available for pre-order on the USPS Store's website:

https://store.usps.com/store/browse...d=buy-stamps

Note the format below:



What will be interesting to see is how many of the Press Sheets (without die cuts) get issued. They are available for pre-order at the link below for a relatively affordable $35.28 (6 panes of 12 stamps each) but no indication of exactly how many will be produced. In that only 12 stamps of the Press Sheet will contain each of the two Japanese designs, they could become a collectible depending on the quantity that gets issued.

https://store.usps.com/store/browse...p-collectors

These are only the US component of the US / Japan Joint Issues.
Where are the Japan issues that would make up the other component of a Joint Issue? Why hasn't USPS offered them( the other country's) along with the US as they have for past Joint Issue?

Here is Japan Post site. Ordering of stamps & FDC will begin about 2 weeks before issue date of April 10th, 2015.

https://translate.google.com/transl...l&edit-text=

Just a thought if memory serves: I believe that there would be a product offering for the Japan issue in the next Philatelic Issue to accommodate collectors for a set of both country issues. This was true with recent joint issues with Ireland & Sweden.

I'd like to order this from the US for shipment here, but I don't usually buy new issues from Japan, so it will be a one-off order. Is anyone aware of a new issue service that is taking orders for this item on a one-off basis from US customers? Thanks.

I just spoke to the USPS SFC and the rep informed me as of
now there is No intention of selling the Japan issued joint US/Japan issue stamps as they have done in the past with all the other joint issues. He also informed me they have been receiving many complaints about this as well as the low issue of press sheets and will be discussing in a large meeting tomorrow. This really does not make any "cents"?

Spoke to different rep from USPS in Kansas & was informed they would more than likely sell the Japan version sheetlet in a few weeks.

Japanese version of the sheetlet is now available for pre-order sales at the USPS Store:

https://store.usps.com/store/browse...p-collectors

Also, various FDOI cancelled Japanese and US issue combo covers, too:

https://store.usps.com/store/browse...p-collectors

The caveat, as I understand it, is that US policy will allow a US cancel to be applied to the Japanese stamps only if the US stamp is applied, too, and the single cancel strikes both the US and Japanese stamps.

Conversely, the Japanese policy is that only Japanese stamps may be postmarked by their cancellation.

So why does USPS only sell half of the Japanese sheet whereas the USPS issue can only be bought by the full sheet?
I despair sometimes...

Makes no sense to tear a very nicely designed Japan sheetlet in half and only sell the left half to us in US?



It destroys the true joint issue beauty!

I find this an entertaining mistake ... I never knew Japan Post stamps were "Made in the USA"!