USPS announces first stamps of 2013
Christmas came early for philatelists across the nation. Perhaps feeling generous in the holiday spirit, the U.S. Postal Service recently announced the first two stamps that are set for issue in 2013, giving stamp enthusiasts a sneak preview. However, one thing they won't have to wait for is address verification software.
With its newest stamps, the USPS decided to commemorate a couple memorable anniversaries. The first stamp announced is one honoring the Emancipation Proclamation's 150th anniversary. Signed into law in 1862 during the Civil War, the landmark decree freed the slaves in Confederate states and remains a defining moment in both the career of Abraham Lincoln and the country's own history.
The USPS said it would be taking pre-orders for the stamp, which is designed to resemble a newspaper of the era. In fact, a USPS blog post said the agency worked on the design with Hatch Show Print in Nashville, Tennessee, one of the oldest working letterpresses in America.
The other product the USPS announced is a stamp celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Love Series. Next year's incarnation will harken back to the days of yore by depicting a letter sealed in a red wax emblem with a heart.
The first stamp in the Love Series had actually very little romantic connotation, unlike its sensitive 2013 counterpart. The stamp, issued in 1973, was instead an interpretation of Robert Indiana's famous "Love" sculpture that is most notable for residing in a Philadelphia park.