USA Forever FDC

USA FDC
Name: Forever - Liberty Bell (2009 Edition)
Date of Issue: 07 August 2009

In 2007, the U.S. Postal Service issued the Forever stamp, which will always be valid as First-Class postage on standard envelopes weighing one ounce or less, regardless of any subsequent increases in the First-Class rate. The stamp art depicts the Liberty Bell, which is perhaps the most prominent and recognizable symbol associated with American independence. Over the years, the historic significance of the bell's message has transcended our national borders, and today the Liberty Bell is an international icon of freedom. Replicas of the Liberty Bell exist in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

Comment: If you check the colors of two stamps carefully, you can find these are two varieties. Yes, Please check the year-date 2009 carefully, The copper one is printed by Ashton Potter and the black one is printed by Avery Dennison.

USA Flags FDCs

USA FDCs
Name: Flags of Our Nation (3rd Series)
Date of Issue: 06 August 2009
Kentucky
This is a navy blue flag with the state seal in the middle; the seal shows two friends with the words "United We Stand" above them and "Divided We Fall" below them. Snapshot art features horses and the state's Bluegrass region.

Stars and Stripes
The 13 horizontal stripes represent the 13 original colonies; the 50 stars represent the 50 states. Snapshot art depicts the "amber waves of grain" of "America the Beautiful," by Katharine Lee Bates.
Maine
The coat of arms on the Maine flag includes a "husbandman, resting on a scythe" and a "seaman, resting on an anchor" on either side of a shield featuring a moose and a pine tree. Snapshot art also includes a moose.

Louisiana
The state coat of arms at the center of the flag depicts the state bird, a pelican, feeding its young. Snapshot art shows brown pelicans in flight.
Massachusetts
The flag holds the state coat of arms, which features a Native American holding a bow in his right hand and an arrow in his left hand; the arrow points downward as a symbol of peace. Snapshot art shows seabirds in flight, with sailboats in the background.

Maryland
The colors and patterns on this state flag are from the coats of arms of two of Maryland's founding families: the Calverts (yellow and black) and the Crosslands (red and white). Snapshot art shows a red-winged blackbird in a cattail marsh.
Minnesota
The flag design incorporates the state seal, state flower, state name, and important dates in state history. Snapshot art features a grain elevator on a riverbank with swans in the foreground.

Michigan
At the center of the flag is the state coat of arms; the word "TUEBOR" can be translated as "I will defend." Snapshot art shows vessels commonly seen on the Great Lakes.
Missouri
The flag has three broad horizontal stripes of red, white, and blue; centered on the white stripe is the state coat of arms, surrounded by a blue band containing 24 stars. Snapshot art features a paddle wheeler on a river.

Mississippi
In the flag's red union is "a broad blue diagonal cross" emblazoned with 13 stars and bordered with white; the field has three bars of blue, white, and red. Snapshot art shows black bears in a wooded area.

USA Grand Teton FDP

USA FDP
Name: Grand Teton National Park, WY
Date of Issue: 28 June 2009

Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park. The park is named after the Grand Teton, which, at 13,770 feet (4,197 m), is the tallest mountain in the Teton Range.

The name "Tetons" originally was intended to describe several hills near the town of Arco, Idaho. They were named by a French trapper who thought that they resembled the female body. (Ergo tétons, the French word for "nipples" or "teats".) Many years later the name was mistakenly applied to the mountains of present day Grand Teton National Park due to the poor map-making and map-reading standards of the time.

Grand Teton National Park was established on February 26, 1929. The park covers 484 square miles (1,250 km2) of land and water.

There are nearly 200 miles (320 km) of trails for hikers to enjoy in Grand Teton National Park. More...

Comment: Because this is an airmail stamp, so my friend sent this FDP from the airport post office.

USA Simpsons FDP

USA FDP
Name: The Simpsons
Date of Issue: 07 May 2009

Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson, The Simpsons stamps have been personally designed by series creator Matt Groening. Winner of 24 Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award and a multitude of other accolades, this historic series starring the five family members is the longest-running primetime comedy in television history.

Comment: The complete set has 5 stamps, my friend glued 2 on this postcard, left one is Lisa Simpson and the right one is Bart Simpson. He told me he sent 2 postcards to me, but I have only received 1 piece so far. Jesus!

USA Year of the Ox FDC

USA FDC
Name: Year of the Ox
Date of Issue: 08 January 2009

Art director Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, MD, worked on the new series with Mak, who now lives in Brooklyn. They focused on some of the common ways the Lunar New Year Holiday is celebrated. To commemorate the Year of the Ox (Jan. 26, 2009 - Feb. 13, 2010), they chose a lion head of a type often worn at parades and other festivities. Dancers wear such heads, often made of papier-mâché and bamboo, as they perform for delighted crowds. Kam's 16" x 9.5" stamp illustration was originally created using oil paints on a fiberboard panel.

"The lion dance painting on the Year of the Ox stamp took me two and a half months to create," Mak explained. "I chose the lion dance because it is an important tradition that dates to the Han Dynasty in welcoming the new year. As a child growing up, the lion dance was always and still is the most anticipated event for me. I always have a preference for the green and black lion created in the style of the Fut San region of southern China. It was a joy painting the lion with all the intricate pattern and details on its head. I also chose to have the lion leaping off the stamp to signify it as ferocious and brave-hearted - two personality traits characteristic to this lion. I hope the Year of the Ox stamp will scare away evil spirits and bring everyone good luck for the New Year."

Comment: I should thank my US friend who helps me to continue the Lunar New Year self-painting FDC series. He has made it for me since the Year of the Rat (2008).

2009 Year of the Ox
Canada FDC
China Stamp, Sheetlet II, Booklet.
Hong Kong Stamps FDC, Minisheet FDC, Souvenir Sheet FDC, Pre-stamped Postcard.
Indonesia Stamps FDC, Souvenir Sheet FDC.
Singapore Stamps FDC, Souvenir Sheet FDC.
Taiwan Stamps FDCs, Souvenir Sheet FDCs, Pre-stamped Postcards.
USA FDC

USA Alzheimer's FDC

USA FDC
Name: Alzheimer's
Date of Issue: 17 October 2008

According to the Alzheimer's Association, every 71 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer's disease. For these individuals and their families, the significance of this moment cannot be underestimated as it marks the beginning of a devastating descent into memory loss. For the person with Alzheimer's, interaction with the caregiver means everything.

Experts estimate that more than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease. People suffering with Alzheimer's have trouble carrying out daily activities. The disease initially affects the parts of the brain that control language, thought and memory. It is the most common form of dementia among older people. To help recognize the warning signs, the Alzheimer's Association has developed a list of the 10 common symptoms of Alzheimer's disease: 1. Memory loss; 2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks; 3. Problems with language; 4. Disorientation to time and place; 5. Poor or decreased judgment; 6. Problems with abstract thinking; 7. Misplacing things; 8. Changes in mood or behavior; 9. Changes in personality; 10. Loss of initiative.

Since the mid 1950s, the Postal Service has released a variety of social awareness stamp on important issues such as Sickle Cell disease, Mentoring, Organ and Tissue Donation, Adoption, Amber Alert and Jury Duty.

The stamp ceremony takes place during the dedication of the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute's new $30 million research facility. In 1999, Senator John D. Rockefeller IV and his family established the Institute on the campus of West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. It is the only non-profit, independent Institute in the world exclusively dedicated to the study of human memory and memory disorders. Its mission is to expand and advance the scientific research of memory and memory disorders for purposes of prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The Institute strives to move basic research out of the laboratory and into the hands of physicians and patients through innovative partnerships and new business models.

Comment: Although the Alzheimer's stamp was cancelled twice, but I totally accept it. It's natural and proves this FDC is a real posted First Day Cover from USA. Well done Jay!!

USA Elk Envelope

USA Stamped Envelope
Name: Elk - American Scenes Series
Date of Issue: 16 August 2008

On August 16, 2008, in Hartford, Connecticut, the Postal Service™ issued a 42–cent, Elk definitive stamped envelope. The envelope, designed by Carl T. Herrman of Bethany Beach, Delaware, goes on sale nationwide August 16, 2008.

The envelopes, printed by Ashton Potter USA, went on sale May 2, 2008, and were originally printed by flexography. A new print process (offset lithography) is now being used.

Comment: My friend sent 3 first day letters to me from Hartford in 3 consecutive days. but all of cancellations on these letters are different, it has value for research, who knows their difference?

USA Sunflower Aerogramme

USA Stamped Aerogramme
Name: Sunflower - Definitive Series
Date of Issue: 15 August 2008

This 2008 definitive stamp features a close–up of a sunflower (Helianthus annuus) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The photograph is by Eddie Hironaka, and the sunflower is one of the many modern ornamental varieties. The radiant beauty of sunflowers has long inspired photographers, painters, and poets, as well as gardeners, floral arrangers, and countless other admirers.

Comment: It was called "Premium Stamped Stationery" on USPS website. one of sunflower stamp was pre-stamped on this stationery, and the other was glued on this stationery. I think this one is like aerogramme. Am I right?

USA Albert Bierstadt FDC

USA FDC
Name: Albert Bierstadt - American Treasures Series
Date of Issue: 14 August 2008

Albert Bierstadt (January 8, 1830 - February 18, 1902) was a German-American painter best known for his large landscapes of the American West. In obtaining the subject matter for these works, Bierstadt joined several journeys of the Westward Expansion. Though not the first artist to record these sites, Bierstadt was the foremost painter of these scenes for the remainder of the 19th century.

Bierstadt was part of the Hudson River School, not an institution but rather an informal group of like-minded painters. The Hudson River School style involved carefully detailed paintings with romantic, almost glowing lighting, sometimes called luminism. More...

On August 14, 2008, in Hartford, Connecticut, the Postal Service™ issued a 42–cent, Albert Bierstadt commemorative stamp, designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, DC.

For this eighth issuance in the American Treasures stamp series, art director Derry Noyes used "Valley of the Yosemite", an 1864 oil–on–paperboard painting by Albert Bierstadt. It belongs to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Comment: The issue city of this set was in Hartford, Connecticut. My friend sent this FDC from Hartford, but I don't know whether they hadn't used a first day cancellation, because this FDC was only cancelled by local postmark.

USA Trunk Bay FDC

USA FDC
Name: St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Date of Issue: 16 May 2008

This is part of the Scenic American Landscapes series. It features a photograph of Trunk Bay in the Virgin Islands National Park on the northern coast of St. John. St. John is known for its beautiful beaches, abundant plant life, and the coral reefs along its coast.

Comment: USPS had changed their new postage rating since 12th May, 2008. The one ounce First-Class Mail® International (except: Canada, Mexico) had risen from 90 cents to 94 cents. This is the first 94 cents stamp, I must thank my friend Jay who sent this FDC from the U.S. Virgin Islands, far from the US mainland. He also sent a First Day Postcard to me.

USA Year of Rat FDC

USA FDC
Name: Year of the Rat
Issue date: 2008 January 9th

Millions of people around the world will celebrate the Year of the Rat beginning February 7, 2008. The rat is the first of twelve animals associated with the Chinese lunar calendar. People born in the Year of the Rat are said to be industrious, adaptable, and ambitious. The Year of the Rat ends on January 25, 2009.

The Lunar New Year is celebrated primarily by people of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan, and Mongolian heritage in many parts of the world. In the United States as elsewhere, the occasion is marked in various ways across many cultures. Parades, parties, and other special events are common. Festive lanterns—in red for luck—are common decorations at such celebrations, where they are frequently hung in rows.

The stamp design incorporates elements from the previous series of Lunar New Year stamps, including an intricate paper–cut design of a rat and the Chinese character—drawn in grass–style calligraphy—for "Rat".

2008 China Year of the Rat Stamp Minisheet Booklet
2008 Hong Kong Year of the Rat FDC Minisheet FDC Imperf. S/S FDC
2008 Indonesia Year of the Rat FDC S/S FDC
2008 Japan Year of the Rat Lottery S/S FDC
2008 Singapore Year of the Rat FDC Minisheet FDC
2008 Taiwan Year of the Rat FDCs Pre-stamped Postcards
2008 Thailand Year of the Rat FDC Minisheet FDC
2008 USA Year of the Rat FDC
2008 Vietnam Year of the Rat FDC

USA Gerald Ford FDC

USA FDC
Name: Gerald Rudolph Ford
Issue date: 2007 August 31st

Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. (July 14, 1913 – December 26, 2006) was the 38th President of the United States (1974–1977), and is, to date, the only person to occupy that office who had been elected neither to the presidency nor the vice-presidency. Ford was the first person appointed to the vice presidency under the terms of the 25th Amendment, and, after serving as the 40th Vice President (1973–1974) of the United States for less than a year, became President upon Richard Nixon's resignation. Prior to 1973, he served for over eight years as the Republican Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; he was first elected to Congress in 1948 from Michigan's 5th congressional district.

In foreign policy, the Helsinki Accords marked a move toward detente in the Cold War, even as the former ally South Vietnam was invaded and conquered by North Vietnam; Ford did not intervene, but did help extract friends of the U.S. At home, the economy suffered from inflation and recession. Ford came under intense criticism for granting a preemptive pardon to President Richard Nixon for his role in the Watergate scandal. In 1976, Ford narrowly defeated Ronald Reagan for the Republican nomination, but ultimately lost the general election to Democrat Jimmy Carter.

After experiencing health troubles and being admitted to hospital four times in 2006, Ford died on December 26 of that year, aged 93.

Gerald Ford Infromation in Wikipedia.com