RUMOR NOT TRUE! POSTAL SERVICE WILL CONTINUE BLACK HERITAGE STAMP SERIES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts: Frances Frazier 202-268-2898
February 6, 2004 Web Site: www.usps.com
Stamp News Release Number: 04-009



WASHINGTON - The Postal Service is committed to honoring African Americans on stamps and will continue to do so.

Recent newspaper articles and fast spreading Internet rumors stating that the U.S. Postal Service will discontinue its long-standing Black Heritage stamp series are totally untrue, as is the allegation that the Postal Service has directed that current stamps be destroyed. 

"This rumor is totally false," said Executive Director of Stamp Services David Failor. "In fact, on Jan. 20, we issued the Paul Robeson commemorative stamp, the 27th in our popular Black Heritage series." 

Currently, two Black Heritage series stamps are available - Paul Robeson and Thurgood Marshall. "If a local Post Office has sold out of these stamps and hasn't had a chance to reorder, customers can easily and quickly order the Black Heritage series stamps online at The Postal Store (www.usps.com/shop) or by phone at 800-STAMP24," added Failor.

Facts about the Black Heritage series:

The Black Heritage stamp series is one of the most popular of the Postal Service's U.S. commemorative stamp series. As a result of customer demand for the stamps, the Postal Service recently began producing a higher-than-average quantity.

It is not the policy of the Postal Service to destroy stamps while they remain available for sale. Generally, commemorative stamps are available for sale for about a year after they are issued.

The Black Heritage series began in 1978 with a stamp honoring American abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Each fall, the honoree for the following year is announced.

Since 1775, the U.S. Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. An independent federal agency, the Postal Service makes deliveries to about 140 million addresses every day and is the only service provider to deliver to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of more than $66 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mail and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. Moreover, today's postage rates will remain stable until at least 2006. The U.S. Postal Service delivers more than 43 percent of the world's mail volume - some 203 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year - and serves seven million customers each day at its 38,000 retail locations nationwide.