HIGHLANDS– If it could ring, it would resonate freedom and independence from using one or two-cent stamps to mail letters when stamp prices change in the future.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) today introduced its latest consumer innovation by dedicating the Forever Stamp next to the patriotic icon it depicts. Featuring the Liberty Bell image and the word forever, the Forever Stamp available nationwide today is good for mailing one-ounce First-Class Mail letters anytime in the future regardless of price changes.
We are making history this morning, said USPS Board of Governors Vice Chairman Alan C. Kessler. And what better place to make history than right here in Philadelphia the Cradle of Liberty, alongside the Liberty Bell.
The Forever Stamp will always be available at the price of a First-Class Mail stamp in effect at the time of purchase. To introduce the stamp to the public, the Postal Service is offering the stamp today at 41 cents.
Customers may use the stamp as soon as they wish, but stamp prices will not change until May 14. When prices change in the future, the Forever Stamp will sell at the new one-ounce, single-piece First-Class Mail price.
The first U.S. postage stamps appeared in 1847, Kessler added, referring to the five-cent Benjamin Franklin stamp that was good for mailing letters up to 300 miles, and the 10-cent George Washington stamp for delivery beyond that. Let history now record that the first Forever Stamp was dedicated on April 12, 2007, in the birthplace of American democracy and bearing the eternal symbol of American liberty.
There are no limits on customer purchases. The Forever Stamp will be available in booklets of 20 through http://www.usps.com, by calling 1-800-STAMP-24 and at Post Office retail counters nationwide.
Customers may also purchase the stamps from selected Post Office vending machines. Starting May 14, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and Automated Postal Centers will begin offering the Forever Stamp in sheets of 18. Also, many participating convenience stores, grocery stores, drug stores and other retailers have begin selling Forever Stamp booklets.
An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits 146 million homes and businesses, six days a week. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to cover its operating expenses. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $73 billion and delivers nearly half the worlds mail.