U.S. # 5010-11

2015 49¢ 2016 World Stamp Show

First-Class Mail

Once in each decade, the United States hosts an international stamp show. In 2016, an eight-day celebration of stamp collecting will be held in New York City’s Jacob Javits Center. Nearly one quarter of a million people are expected to attend.

Over 294,000 square feet of the center – an area equal to more than five football fields – is reserved for the show. Some of that space will be filled with an estimated 200 stamp dealers, over 50 postal bureaus, and approximately 3,800 frames of competitive exhibits. A Court of Honor featuring some of the world’s greatest stamp rarities is among the show’s most highly anticipated exhibits.

Dozens of events promoting philately will be held during the show. Auctions, youth activities, seminars, and First Day of Issue ceremonies for U.S. and foreign stamps are scheduled throughout the exhibition. Organizers plan to offer a free “Stamps in Your Attic” evaluation service. And collectors will be able to join some of the many philatelic organizations that will be represented at the show.

While World Stamp Show-NY 2016 ends after just eight days, collectors will have had a memorable experience. They will have seen great rarities, shared stories, and enjoyed reveling in the hobby they love with fellow stamp enthusiasts from around the world.

Michael Dyer and art director Antonio Alcalá designed the 2016 World Stamp Show stamps. The intricate pattern on these stamps is meant to resemble classic 19th-century engraved stamps and banknotes. The top of the mint sheet reads “Join us for a Wonderful Week at World Stamp Show – NY 2016,” while the text on the back of the sheet has details about the show.

Value: 49¢ 1-ounce first-class letter rate

Issued: August 20, 2015

First Day City: Grand Rapids, MI

Type of Stamp: Commemorative 

Printed by: Ashton Potter

Method: Offset printing in sheets of 120, with 6 panes of 20 

Perforation: Serpentine Die Cut 10 ¾

Self-Adhesive

Quantity Printed: 12,000,000 stamps

The first international stamp exhibition held in America took place in 1913, though there were no stamps issued to mark the occasion. The U.S. Post Office was better prepared for the second exhibition in 1926, when they issued the famed White Plains Sheet, U.S. #630. Click here to read more about the International Stamp shows held in the U.S. and the stamps issued to accompany them.