{"id":18900,"date":"2017-03-31T17:36:15","date_gmt":"2017-03-31T22:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/?p=18900"},"modified":"2017-03-31T17:36:15","modified_gmt":"2017-03-31T22:36:15","slug":"usps-celebrates-the-200th-anniversary-of-mississippi-statehood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/2017\/03\/31\/usps-celebrates-the-200th-anniversary-of-mississippi-statehood\/","title":{"rendered":"USPS celebrates the 200th anniversary of Mississippi statehood"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Happy Birthday Mississippi!<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n

Postal Service Issues New Forever Stamp Celebrating Mississippi Statehood\u2019s 200th Anniversary<\/h3>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Mississippi<\/strong><\/p>\n

GULFPORT, MS<\/strong>\u00a0– 3\/31\/17 – <\/span>The U.S. Postal Service today debuted a Forever stamp at a first-day-of-issue ceremony during the South Mississippi bicentennial celebration at Centennial Plaza commemorating the 200th anniversary of Mississippi statehood.<\/p>\n

The Mississippi Statehood commemorative Forever stamp is the latest addition to the Postal Service\u2019s Statehood series. The stamp features a photograph taken by Lou Bopp in 2009. It shows a close-up of a musician\u2019s hands as he plays his guitar.\u00a0Mississippi is the birthplace of many legendary blues artists who helped create a uniquely American genre of music, including B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley. Also, Mississippi is home to renowned writers William Faulkner, Richard Wright and Tennessee Williams.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thrilled to dedicate the Mississippi Statehood Forever stamp to honor a state that has been very instrumental to American ingenuity and the American spirit,\u201d said James P. Cochrane, chief customer and marketing officer and executive vice president, U.S. Postal Service. \u201cThis stamp represents the music, the mystery, the heart and soul of Mississippi. It is my hope that the 200th anniversary of Mississippi statehood, combined with this wonderful stamp, can begin a dialogue about what Mississippi has meant to the country and to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cochrane was joined at the dedication ceremony by Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant; Gulfport, MS, Mayor Billy Hewes; Fr. Michael O\u2019Connor; and Laura Lee Lewis, Miss Mississippi 2016.<\/p>\n

Also speaking at the ceremony were George Schloegel, retired chief executive officer, Hancock-Whitney Bank; Rev. Quintin Smith, Historical Baptist Church of Millington; Walt Grayson, writer and broadcaster, WLBT-TV; Jesmyn Ward, novelist; and Elizabeth Johnson, district manager, Mississippi District, U.S. Postal Service.<\/p>\n

In addition, musical tributes were performed by Jimmy \u201cDuck\u201d Holmes and the Pass Road Elementary fifth-grade choir.<\/p>\n

“As the Birthplace of America’s Music, the state of Mississippi is honored to be recognized by the United States Postal Service with this commemorative stamp on our 200th birthday,” said Governor Bryant. “We invite the world to join us as we celebrate our unique music, cuisine and culture all year long.”<\/p>\n

On Dec. 10, 1817, Mississippi became the 20th state in the union. Known as the Magnolia State, it is named for the river on its western border.<\/p>\n

Dozens of state and national parks, heritage areas, and historic landmarks offer visitors endless opportunities to sample the state’s charms, among them the Mississippi Blues Trail, where fans can learn about the roots of modern music. Museums and historic homes, opera and ballet, and film, food, music, and book festivals provide entertainment for almost any taste.<\/p>\n

Followers of the U.S. Postal Service\u2019s Facebook page can view video of the first-day-of-issue ceremony at\u00a0<\/span>facebook.com\/USPS<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/em>The public is asked to share the news on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtags\u00a0#MS200\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/strong>or\u00a0<\/span>#MississippiStamps<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Customers may purchase the Mississippi Statehood Forever stamp at\u00a0<\/span>usps.com\/stamps<\/a><\/em>, at the\u00a0<\/span>Postal Store<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>usps.com\/shop<\/em><\/a>, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724) and at Post Office locations nationwide. A variety of stamps and collectibles also is available at\u00a0<\/span>ebay.com\/stamps<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks<\/strong>
\nCustomers have 60 days to obtain first-day-of-issue postmarks by mail. They may purchase new stamps at Post Office locations, at the Postal Store\u00a0<\/span>usps.com\/shop<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>or by calling 800-782-6724. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others and place them in envelopes addressed to:<\/p>\n

FDOI \u2013 Mississippi Statehood Stamp
\nUSPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
\n8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
\nKansas City, MO\u00a0 64144-9900<\/p>\n

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for postmarks up to a quantity of 50. For more than 50, customers are charged 5 cents each. All orders must be postmarked by May 31, 2017.<\/p>\n

Ordering First-Day Covers<\/strong>
\nThe Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamps and stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly \u201cUSA Philatelic\u201d<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>catalog, online at\u00a0<\/span>usps.com\/shop<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:<\/p>\n

U.S. Postal Service
\nCatalog Request
\nPO Box 219014
\nKansas City, MO\u00a0 64121-9014<\/p>\n

Philatelic Products<\/strong>
\nThere are six philatelic products for this stamp issue:\u00a0<\/span>
\n474806, Press Sheet with Die-cut, $58.80.
\n474810, Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $11.95.
\n474816, First-Day Cover, $9.30.
\n474821, Digital Color Postmark, $1.64.
\n474824, Framed Art, $39.95.
\n474830, Ceremony Program, $6.95.<\/p>\n

Many of this year\u2019s other stamps may be viewed on Facebook at\u00a0<\/span>facebook.com\/USPSStamps<\/a><\/em>\u00a0<\/span>or via Twitter\u00a0<\/span>@USPSstamps<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Happy Birthday Mississippi! Postal Service Issues New Forever Stamp Celebrating Mississippi Statehood\u2019s 200th Anniversary GULFPORT, MS\u00a0– 3\/31\/17 – The U.S. Postal Service today debuted a Forever stamp at a first-day-of-issue ceremony during the South Mississippi bicentennial celebration at Centennial Plaza commemorating the 200th anniversary of Mississippi statehood. The Mississippi Statehood commemorative Forever stamp is the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18901,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking","last_archivepost"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18900"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18900\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18902,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18900\/revisions\/18902"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}