Commemora

(a) Description. tive stamps are postage stamps issued in limited quantities to focus attention on historical places, events, or personages. Widespread use of these stamps by the American public is encouraged by the Department in order that our ideals, progress, and heritage, as reflected in our stamps, are carried throughout the world. They do not displace regular stamps of like denomination, but are provided on request, if available.

(b) Commemorative stamp supplies. Postmasters shall carefully evaluate the demand for new stamp issues and shall forward a separate requisition for adequate stocks in accordance with notices which appear in the Postal Bulletin, so that stock will be available at all post offices on the day following official firstday sale. Regional distributing offices shall make certain stamps are supplied to post offices in time to permit sales the day after the official first-day sale.

(c) Sale of commemorative stamps. Commemorative stamps will be sold to meet the public demand until supply is exhausted, as follows:

(1) Philatelic window service. In post offices where full or part-time philatelic window service is provided, the sale of plate numbers and marginal markings shall be restricted according to the instructions outlined by the Philatelic Sales Agency. When notice is published in Postal Bulletin of removal of a stamp from sale in the Philatelic Sales Agency, the item will be immediately withdrawn from the philatelic window of post offices and the stock sold for regular postage purposes.

(2) Plate number blocks. Plate number blocks are the stamps (usually requested in blocks of four) located on one corner of a sheet of stamps with a plate number printed on the margin. Stamp clerks must not remove plate number blocks in advance from a large number

of sheets for the benefit of individual purchasers. Plate blocks may be laid aside, however, as sheets are broken for regular sale purposes and may be sold as an accommodation to local stamp collectors.

(3) Outside sales of commemorative stamps. Postmasters shall not accept mail orders for postage stamps from patrons outside the limits of the area served by their post office, and any such requests shall be returned to the sender calling attention to the services provided by the Philatelic Sales Agency, Post Office Department, Washington, D.C., 20260.

[26 F.R. 11567, Dec. 6, 1961]

The

(a) Establishment and purpose. Philatelic Sales Agency was established on November 25, 1921, to make available to stamp collectors United States postage stamps of selected quality. Stamps sold by the Agency are the best available, having been selected for good centering, and freedom from tears and other flaws.

(b) Stamps available. In addition to stamps of the ordinary series, the Agency has for sale commemorative, airmail, special delivery, special handling, postage-due, and migratory-bird hunting stamps. To get a list of items available for sale, send a self-addressed stamped envelope with your request to the Philatelic Sales Agency, Post Office Department, Washington, D.C., 20260. The list is revised when a new stamp is announced or an old one withdrawn.

(c) Order for stamps. (1) All stamps are for sale at face value plus postage and handling charges listed below, for mail orders where domestic rates apply:

ering envelopes. Address orders to Philatelic Sales Agency, Post Office Department, Washington, D.C., 20260.

(d) Remittance. Remittance should be by money order, cashier's check, or certified check payable to Philatelic Sales Agency. Postage stamps, and foreign or mutilated money are not acceptable. If cash is sent, it is suggested that the letter be registered.

[26 F.R. 11567, Dec. 6, 1961, as amended at 28 F.R. 3345, Apr. 5, 1963]

§ 35.3 New stamp issues.

(a) Notification. Issuance of new stamps is announced by notices displayed in the lobbies of post offices, and through the press and philatelic periodicals.

(b) First-day sale. A post office selected because of some historical connection with the person or event commemorated is authorized to have exclusive sale of a new stamp on its first day of sale. All other post offices may sell the stamp the following day.

(c) First-day covers. (1) First-day covers are envelopes bearing a new stamp canceled on its first day of sale with a special die reading First Day of Issue, and a pictorial cancellation adding an interpretation of the meaning of the stamp, as illustrated below. If a first-day cancellation of a new stamp is desired, send addressed envelopes to the postmaster in the city where the new stamp is to be placed on sale, with remittance to cover the cost of stamps. (See § 35.2(d).)

(2) Cover envelopes should be of ordinary letter size and each must be properly addressed. Place an enclosure of postal card thickness in each envelope, and either turn in the flap or seal it. Endorse the envelope, enclosing the covers to the postmaster, First-Day Covers. Put a pencil notation in the upper right corner of each cover to show the number of postage stamps to be stuck there.

(3) With orders for first-day covers, do not include requests for uncanceled stamps.

(4) The Philatelic Sales Agency does not service first-day covers. [26 F.R. 11568, Dec. 6, 1961]

§ 35.4 Cancellations for philatelic pur

poses.

(a) How stamps are canceled. Postmasters will cooperate with stamp collectors by furnishing clean and legible postmarks, and they will give special attention to mail bearing an endorsement that it is of philatelic value or to a request for a light cancellation. Stamps must be canceled sufficiently to protect the postal revenue but this should be accomplished without excessive defacement, and with a minimum number of impressions.

(b) Plain cards or slips of paper. Postmarks will not be placed on plain

slips of paper or plain cards submitted for philatelic or other purposes.

(c) Picture post cards (maximum cards). Picture post cards with the stamp stuck on the face of the card rather than on the address side are known as maximum cards. Postmasters may cancel these cards and hand them back to the person presenting them. Maximum cards are considered to be collectors' items and must be given special care in cancelling.

Post

(d) Preparation requirements. cards, postal cards, and envelopes submitted for philatelic or other purposes must bear complete addresses, and postage at the applicable rate, to be postmarked. See § 36.5(a) of this chapter for postage on mail to be canceled with a special cancellation. After they are postmarked they may be either dispatched or handed back to the person presenting them. This paragraph does not apply to any arrangements made by the Department under §§ 35.3 and 35.5.

(e) Holding the mail. Postmasters will not hold mail to comply with patron's requests that the mail be postmarked on a particular date, except as provided for under §§ 35.3 and 35.5.

(39 U.S.C. 2507, 2508) [26 F.R. 11568, Dec. 6, 1961, as amended at 27 F.R. 2687, Mar. 22, 1962]

§ 35.5 Inaugural covers.

(a) First flights—(1) Cachets authorized. (i) The Post Office Department recognizes events such as new air service by applying cachets on inaugural covers. Official cachets of distinctive commemorative design are authorized, by publication of a notice in the Postal Bulletin, if notification is received from the carrier at least 20 days before the scheduled date of new service.

(ii) Cachets are authorized for:

(a) All stop points on a new airmail route.

(b) New stop points on an existing route or on an additional segment.

(c) Events of national aviation interest.

(a) Terminal points. Cachet will be applied to covers dispatched on the actual inaugural flight.

(b) Intermediate points. Cachet will be applied to covers dispatched to the actual inaugural flights in each direction. If service is inaugurated in only one direction, cachet will not be used when service is established in the other direction at a later date.

(3) Preparation of covers. (i) Covers must be individually addressed to a post office.

(ii) Covers must bear postage at the airmail letter rate.

(iii) Each envelope should contain a uniform enclosure of the approximate weight of a postal card to assure a good impression.

(iv) A space should be provided on the address side, at least 4 inches to the left of the right end of the envelope and 12 inches to the left of the innermost stamp to permit a clear impression of the postmark.

(v) A clear space 21⁄2 by 21⁄2 inches must appear to the left of the postmark and address area for application of the cachet. If this clear space is not provided, the cachet will not be applied.

(4) Submission of covers. (i) Send the items for inaugural cachets under cover to the postmaster or superintendent, airport mail facility, at the point where service is to be inaugurated. Envelope enclosing items for cachet should bear endorsement "First Flight Covers" or "Philatelic Mail".

(ii) Include a letter requesting the holding of the covers for the inaugural service and stating the cachet desired.

(iii) Indicate directional service desired, if applicable. (See subdivision (i) of paragraph (a) (5) of this section).

(5) Compliance with collectors requests—(i) Directional covers. Requests of collectors for dispatch in a particular direction will be complied with to the greatest extent practicable. No directional service for events of national aviation interest.

(ii) Point-to-point covers. Requests of collectors for point-to-point covers will not be observed. Request that a dispatching office send one each of several covers to each stop point will not be honored.

(iii) Direction not specified. In the absence of specific requests, covers will be dispatched on the actual first flight, regardless of direction.

(iv) Incomplete instructions. If the collector's request is not clear, covers will be dispatched in accordance with the judgment of the dispatching office.

(v) Color of ink. Requests for the use of a color of ink other than that authorized by the Post Office Department cannot be complied with. The authorized color of ink will be used in applying the cachet to all covers.

(vi) Position of cachet. Cachets will be applied legibly and neatly to left portion of address side of cover. Cachets will not be applied to:

(a) Covers for immediate return to sender; covers must receive dispatch on first flight.

(b) Covers bearing a previous official or unofficial cachet.

(c) Covers lacking sufficient clear space for application of cachet without obscuring the address.

(d) Double postal or post cards intended for return reply purposes.

(e) Covers received after first flight. (f) Covers on which postage is not fully prepaid.

(g) To anything other than an inaugural cover.

(vii) Backstamping. All inaugural covers will be backstamped at a designated post office and forwarded to address destination. Requests for additional or special backstamping will not be honored.

(b) First highway post office trips— (1) Announcement of service. The Post Office Department recognizes events such as new HPO service by applying special postmarks to inaugural covers. A notice that new service will be established is published in the Postal Bulletin when the decision to establish service is made, far enough in advance of the beginning date so that the notice will reach most subscribers in time to permit them to send covers for dispatch on first trips.

(2) Special postmark. No official cachets are applied to first-trip covers, but when time permits procuring distinctive first-trip postmarking stamps for each trip, impressions of them are used to postmark all covers carried on the first trips.

(3) Preparing covers. Prepare covers as described in paragraph (a) (3) of this section, except postage will be at the first-class rate.

(4) Submitting covers. Send firsttrip covers to the postmaster at the

(a) Loan exhibits. The Post Office Department has a set of valuable stamp exhibit frames which are available for display at stamp exhibitions and conventions. These are sent upon request to national and international exhibits as well as to the conventions of the larger stamp societies. Requests should be addressed to the Director, Division of Philately, Post Office Department, Washington, D.C., 20260.

(b) Philatelic exhibit. The Office of the Special Assistant to the Postmaster General maintains a comprehensive exhibit of United States postage stamps, containing die proofs of all domestic stamps since 1847. There are also approximately 40,000 stamps of other countries in this exhibit, from every postal administration in the world. Equipment used in the production of postage stamps, such as a plate and transfer roll, is shown to illustrate methods of manufacture. Philatelic publications are on file for the benefit of students and collectors. [26 F.R. 11569, Dec. 6, 1961] § 35.7 Stamp publication.

The Department issues a publication (POD-9 rev.) entitled "Postage Stamps for the United States 1847-1963", containing reproductions and information of interest to collectors on all U.S. stamps issued from 1847 through the John James Audubon commemorative stamps, issued December 7, 1963.

[30 F.R. 14929, Dec. 2, 1965]

[26 F.R. 11569, Dec. 6, 1961, as amended at 30 F.R. 6436, May 8, 1965]

(3) Period of time. The special cancellation may not be used longer than 6 months, plus the duration of the event.

(4) Cost. The sponsor must pay the cost of manufacturing the special cancellation die hub and any costs incurred in adapting canceling machines for its use or for installing the hub. The cost of a die hub is usually $55 to $65. The organization or persons assuming the cost of manufacturing the die hub are billed by the manufacturer.

(a) Requirements for use-(1) When. (i) Permission for use of special cancellations is granted for advertising purposes in the following cases only:

(b) Wording. The space available for the wording is shown in the illustration below. The wording must be limited to 3 lines of not more than 20 letters, numbers, or spaces each, so that the wording may be in type large enough to be legible. The wording must relate direct to the event. Illustrations or designs should

(a) Where the event to be advertised is for some national purpose for which Congress has made an appropriation; or (b) Where the event to be advertised is of general public interest and importance, to endure for a definite period of time, and is not to be conducted for private gain or profit.

(ii) Special cancellations are not authorized for:

(a) Events of interest primarily to a particular local group.

(b) Fraternal, political, religious, commercial, or trade organizations.

NEW

YORK

MAR 1.

AM

1964 N..Y.

U.S. CUSTOMS 175th ANNIVERSARY 1789 - 1964

not be used because of the limited space available on the die hub.

(c) Application (1) Where to apply. If the event to be advertised meets the conditions in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, submit the application in writing to the postmaster at the post office where the cancellation die hub is to be used, so that the postmaster can furnish the Department certain necessary information.

(2) When to apply. The application should be submitted to the postmaster at least 2 months before the date the cancellation die hub is to be placed in operation.

(3) Information needed. The application must provide the following information:

(i) Complete description of the event to be advertised, including evidence that