Commentary: New stamps for 2019
By Jim Schuh
As a stamp collector (or accumulator), I find it fun to look at what stamps the U. S. Postal Service has in store for those of us who still use the mail system to send out greeting cards and bill payments.
True, it costs 55-cents to send a letter or card now, but it seems more personal and heartfelt to receive a mailing piece from a friend or relative than it does getting something via email.
The Postal Service marks significant events with new stamps. Most are attractive issues.
For example, 50-years ago this summer, the first U. S. astronauts landed on the moon’s surface on the Apollo 11 mission. If you, like me, are old enough to have that momentous event happen during your lifetime, you might recall the late Walter Cronkite narrating the landing on TV. There just aren’t many events that happen like the moon landing, and the Postal Service recently announced that it plans to commemorate the moon landing with two stamps to be issued July 19. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969.
One of the stamps will feature Astronaut Buzz Aldrin in a space suit and the other will depict the landing site in the Sea of Tranquility on the moon. The Postal Service is making an exception to its rule of not depicting living people on postage stamps – Buzz Aldrin is still with us. He’s 89.
The moon landing isn’t the only historic event that postage stamps will show on stamps. On May 10, the Postal Service will release three first-class stamps commemorating the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad at Promontory Point, Utah. Two of the colorful stamps depict steam engines of the day and the third shows the Golden Spike that was a prominent part of the ceremony.
Then get ready for Muppets, part two.
The Postal Service says it will issue 20 stamps depicting characters from the TV series “The Muppets” later this year.
I’ve always delighted in watching The Muppet Show on TV. You may have spent a little time eyeing the Muppets, too – especially with kids and grandkids. What always struck me about the show was how the loveable characters appealed to youngsters, but a good bit of the humor seemed to be for adults. That’s what kept me tuned in.
The Muppet stamps will depict many favorite characters, but some are missing from the upcoming issue – Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, the Swedish Chef and Statler and Waldorf, the two old geezers who heckled the show. Those Muppets were featured on stamps issued back in 2005 (when the letter rate was 37-cents.) But I’m glad they included Oscar the Grouch this time.
(The late Jim Henson developed the Muppets, but now, the characters are the property of the Walt Disney Company.)
The new panes of Moon Landing, Transcontinental Railroad and Muppets stamps will be a welcome addition to my stash. And I know I’ll be using plenty of them on the stuff I mail.
There’ll be several other new stamps this year, including four that pay tribute to military working dogs, four showing T. Rex and four spooky ones for Halloween. Enjoy.