November 8, 2006

U.S. Postal Service to issue souvenir stamp

In 2007, the U.S. Postal Service will issue a souvenir sheet of two 84-cent international letter rate stamps to commemorate the International Polar Year 2007-2008. The stamps depict the aurora borealis and the aurora australis.

The souvenir sheet will be available online at http://www.usps.com/shop or by calling 1-800-STAMP-24. This souvenir sheet can be purchased by itself or as part of a booklet jointly issued by the US, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Preorders will be accepted through the phone number listed above beginning 1 February 2007.

The USPS is also issuing a pane of twenty 39-cent stamps entitled Polar Lights in 2007. The stamps on the Polar Lights pane are the same images featured on the IPY souvenir sheet.

In 1958, the US issued a three-cent stamp to commemorate the International Geophysical Year 1957-1958. This souvenir sheet is the first US issuance to commemorate an International Polar Year.