Tulip Blossoms
First Day of Issue Date: April 5, 2023
First Day of Issue Location: Woodburn, OR
Image Assets
Stamp Brief
Each fall, millions of gardeners bury bulbs in the earth, eagerly anticipating the rewards that springtime will bring. Months later, thick green leaves poke through the soil, soon revealing their payload: tulip blossoms in spectacular variety from prim to ostentatious. These new stamps from the U.S. Postal Service feature closeup views of 10 different tulips in a rainbow of colors.
A member of the lily family (Lilliaceae), the tulip (genus Tulipa) originated as a wildflower in Central Asia. There, despite the dry, rocky environment, these tulip ancestors were able to survive because they could draw nourishment from the bulb. Over time, traders carried them west along the Silk Route to Persia, where cultivation of them is thought to have begun in the 10th century. By the 16th century, tulips were all the rage in Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire (now Istanbul, Turkey). The name “tulip,” in fact, derives from a Turkish version of the Persian word for “turban,” an allusion to the flower’s shape.
After diplomats in Constantinople shipped bulbs home to western Europe, the Dutch developed effective ways to cultivate and market the flower. The tulip trade remains an important part of their nation’s economy 400 years later.
Dutch immigrants brought tulip bulbs to America, perhaps as early as the 1600s. The flower has become a dazzling part of the landscape here, and we now import more than one billion bulbs per year. Tulips can be grown in most of the country, outside of the Deep South, and gardeners can choose among almost endless varieties.
Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with existing photographs by Denise Ippolito.
Tulip Blossoms will be issued as Forever® stamps in booklets of 20, as well as coils of 3,000 and 10,000. These Forever stamps will always be equal to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.
First Day of Issue Ceremony
First Day of Issue Date: April 5, 2023
First Day of Issue Location: Woodburn, OR
Stamp Art Director
Greg Breeding
Greg Breeding studied design and typography at Virginia Commonwealth University, graduating with a bachelor's degree in fine arts. He began his career by working as a designer for several nonprofits. In 1992 Breeding co-founded Journey Group, a design firm where he currently serves as the president.
In addition to his work at Journey, Breeding has taught design courses internationally for nonprofits. Breeding has received numerous industry awards from Print’s Regional Design Annual, Communication Arts, the Society of Publication Designers, and the Florida Magazine Association.
Breeding's first stamp as art director for the U.S. Postal Service was the 2012 issuance, The War of 1812: USS Constitution. “I'm interested in creating art for the public good,” Breeding says, “and honoring a person or event on a stamp highlights and celebrates what's positive in our culture.”
Breeding lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with his wife, Lyndee.
Products
Book of 20 Stamps
Each fall, millions of gardeners bury bulbs in the earth, eagerly anticipating the rewards that springtime will bring. Months later, thick green leaves poke through the soil, soon revealing their payload: tulip blossoms in spectacular variety from prim to ostentatious. These new stamps from the U.S. Postal Service feature closeup views of 10 different tulips in a rainbow of colors.
Digital Color Postmark
Mysterious and captivating, tulip blossoms have captured the hearts and imaginations of people worldwide. Enjoy their beauty with this set of 10 Tulip Blossoms Digital Color Postmark First Day Covers. Each #6 ¾ envelope in the set is affixed with a Forever® stamp cancelled with an official First Day of Issue postmark.
Millions of gardeners bury bulbs in the earth each fall, eagerly anticipating the rewards that springtime will bring. These new stamps from the U.S. Postal Service feature closeup views of 10 different tulips in a rainbow of colors.
The postmark includes the stamp name surrounded by whimsical, hand-drawn tulips, plus the date and location of stamp issuance: April 5, 2023, Woodburn, OR 97071.
First Day Cover (Booklet format)
Mysterious and captivating, tulip blossoms have captured the hearts and imaginations of people worldwide. Enjoy their beauty with this set of 10 Tulip Blossoms First Day Covers. Each #6 ¾ envelope in the set is affixed with a Forever® stamp cancelled with an official First Day of Issue postmark.
Millions of gardeners bury bulbs in the earth each fall, eagerly anticipating the rewards that springtime will bring. These new stamps from the U.S. Postal Service feature closeup views of 10 different tulips in a rainbow of colors.
The standard four-bar cancellation marks the date and location of the stamp issuance: April 5, 2023, Woodburn, OR 97071.
First Day Cover (Coil format)
Mysterious and captivating, tulip blossoms have captured the hearts and imaginations of people worldwide. Enjoy their beauty with this set of 10 Tulip Blossoms First Day Covers. Each #6 ¾ envelope in the set is affixed with a Forever® stamp cancelled with an official First Day of Issue postmark.
Millions of gardeners bury bulbs in the earth each fall, eagerly anticipating the rewards that springtime will bring. These new stamps from the U.S. Postal Service feature closeup views of 10 different tulips in a rainbow of colors.
The standard four-bar cancellation marks the date and location of the stamp issuance: April 5, 2023, Woodburn, OR 97071.
Notecards
Delight your friends and family with hand-written notes on these colorful notecards featuring photographs of delicate tulip blossoms. The cards are produced using a special soft-touch finish, giving them a velvety-soft feel akin to a flower petal.
The set includes 10 notecards, 10 envelopes, and 10 Tulip Blossoms stamps.
Framed Stamp
Mysterious and captivating, tulip blossoms have captured the hearts and imaginations of people worldwide. Celebrate their beauty with this new 14.5"(W) x 11.5"(H) framed piece, which features a photographic image of a spectacular array of tulips and includes one mounted Forever® stamp along with the First Day of Issue details.
Showcased in a classic black frame, the piece also includes a clear dust cover, protective felt bumpers, and a sawtooth hanger on the back for easy display.
Stamp Ceremony Memento
Mysterious and captivating, tulip blossoms have captured the hearts and imaginations of people worldwide.
Celebrate the coming of spring with this beautiful Tulip Blossoms Stamp Ceremony Memento.
This new collectible contains the First Day of Issue Ceremony Invitation, the First Day of Issue Ceremony Program, a set of 10 Digital Color Postmark First Day Covers, and a booklet of 20 Tulip Blossoms Forever® stamps.