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March 17, 2009

Economy cuts U.S. stamp program

You know things are bad when the USPS is talking about cutting mail service to five days a week from six and says it will delay three stamp issues announced for this year.
The cut in delivery days might or might not happen, but the stamp issues will definitely be delayed, according to the March 23 issue of Linn's Stamp News, a weekly philatelic newspaper.
On hold for now are the Edward Hopper stamp in the American Treasures series originally planned for Aug 6, the Angel with Lute stamp planned for October and the fourth set of the Flags of Our Nation series planned in September.
All the stamps could be issued next year, Linn's said and quoted Roy Betts, a Postal Service spokesman, as saying the decision was "driven by the economy."
The Flags of Our Nation coils are part of a multiyear program, and it's not clear what the decision to delay the fourth set will do to the program.
The year's schedule still includes several holiday stamps: a Madonna and Child Christmas stamp, four Winter Holidays stamps, and stamps for Eid, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.