FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Media Relations
May 15, 2003 202-268-2155
Stamp Release No. 023
www.usps.com

SOUTHEASTERN LIGHTHOUSES SHINE ON NEW POSTAGE STAMPS

WASHINGTON— Starting in mid-June, the images of five lighthouses will shine beyond
the horizon on millions of envelopes and stamped postal cards sent from coast to coast when the
U.S. Postal Service continues its popular series of lighthouse commemorative stamps.

The Southeastern Lighthouse stamps will be issued June 13 at 10:30 a.m. at an official first day
of issue ceremony at the Tybee Island Lighthouse, Tybee Island, Ga. These five new postage
stamps pay tribute to the Southeastern lighthouses that have aided mariners since the early 18th
century. The event is free and open to the public. The 37-cent self-adhesive stamps will be
available in Tybee on June 13 and at post offices nationwide beginning June 14.

“Stamps have always celebrated important events and themes,” said Ralph J. Moden,
senior vice president, Government Relations for the U.S. Postal Service, and the stamp
dedicating official. “Stamps remind us of what is unique about our nation—our people, our
innovation, our heritage. With these stamps we commemorate five symbols of our maritime
heritage, the Southeastern lighthouses. Spanning the coast of the United States from Virginia to
southern Florida, these structures typify the beauty and colorful history of the structures that have
protected sailors along our shores.”

Expected to join Moden at the stamp dedication ceremony is Howard Koslow, stamp artist.

Featured on the new stamps are images of five lighthouses: Old Cape Henry, Cape
Lookout, Morris Island, Tybee Island and Hillsboro Inlet.

Located on the grounds of Fort Story in Virginia Beach, Va., Old Cape Henry
Lighthouse—the first lighthouse constructed by the U.S. government—began protecting the
southern mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in 1792. Today it is owned by the Association for the
Preservation of Virginia Antiquities and is open to the public.

Cape Lookout Lighthouse is located on Core Banks along Cape Lookout National
Seashore near Beaufort, N.C., and was first activated in 1859. Automated in the 1950s, the
lighthouse is owned and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. Plans are in place to transfer
ownership of the lighthouse to the National Park Service in 2003.

Located on Morris Island at the entrance to the harbor of Charleston, S.C., Morris Island
Lighthouse began operation in 1876 on the site of an earlier lighthouse established in 1767, but
was destroyed during the Civil War. It is owned by the state of South Carolina, which has leased it
to Save the Light, Inc., a nonprofit group dedicated to its protection and preservation.

Tybee Island Lighthouse was built in 1773 on Tybee Island east of Savannah, Ga. This
lighthouse continues to guide ships safely into Savannah Harbor. On Oct. 1, 2002, the U.S. Coast
Guard transferred ownership of the lighthouse and its grounds to the Tybee Island Historical
Society.

The Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse was built under government contract in Detroit, Mich., then
erected and inspected prior to being shipped in parts to its present location near Pompano Beach,
Fla. This octagonal, iron-skeleton tower was reassembled and activated in 1907.

These stamps feature five original acrylic paintings by artist Howard Koslow of Toms
River, N.J., based on recent photographs of the lighthouses. Designed by Howard E. Paine of
Delaplane, Va., the stamps contain Scrambled Indicia® hidden images that—when viewed through
the official U.S. Postal Service STAMP DECODER™—reveals the year dates in which the
lighthouses were built.

Scrambled Indicia® is a patented encoding process that scrambles, distorts, and
overlaps images and symbols that, when printed, will not be visible to the naked eye. The encoding
process can combine multiple images and make them appear as one. The images become clear
only when viewed through a specially manufactured decoder lens.

The Postal Service STAMP DECODER™ is a decoder lens manufactured especially for
reading hidden images and symbols in its selected stamp issues. On most stamps, the decoder
will need to be positioned horizontally to view the images. Some others may require turning the
decoder to a 15 degree angle to see the images.

In addition to the stamps, the following items will be available for purchase: a U.S. Postal
Service STAMP DECODER™ ($5.95); special Southeastern Lighthouse Matted Print Keepsake
($21.95) and Southeastern Lighthouse Stamped Postal Card booklet ($9.75) at Postal Retail
Stores, by calling toll free 1-800-STAMP 24 or by visiting the Postal Store at www.usps.com/shop.
To see the Southeastern Lighthouse stamps, visit the Postal Service Web site at
www.usps.com/communictions/news/stamps/welcome.htm and then select the news release
announcing the stamps.

Current U.S. stamps, as well as a free comprehensive catalog, are available toll free by
calling 1 800 STAMP-24. In addition, a selection of stamps and other philatelic items are available
in the Postal Store at www.usps.com/shop.

# # #

Since 1775, the U.S. Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail.
It is an independent federal agency that visits 140 million homes and businesses every day and is the
only service provider to deliver to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer
dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage,
products and services. With annual revenues of more than $66 billion, it is the world’s leading provider of
mail and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The Postal
Service delivers more than 43 percent of the world’s mail volume—some 203 billion letters,
advertisements, periodicals and packages a year—and serves 7 million customers each day at its
38,000 retail locations nationwide.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
stamps

Issue: Southeastern Lighthouses
Item Number: 454400
Denomination & Type of Issue: 37-cent commemorative
Format: Pane of 20 with header (5 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 13, 2003, Tybee Island, GA 31328
Designer: Howard E. Paine, Delaplane, VA
Art Director: Howard E. Paine, Delaplane, VA
Typographer: John Boyd, New York, NY
Artist: Howard Koslow, Toms River, NJ
Modeler: Donald H. Woo
Manufacturing Process: Gravure, with Scrambled Indicia ®
Printer: Sennett Security Products (SSP)
Printed at: American Packaging Corporation, Columbus, WI
Press Type: Rotomec, 3000
Engraver: Armotek Industries
Stamps per pane: 20
Print Quantity: 125 million stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor tagged, block
Adhesive Type: Pressure sensitive
Processed at: Unique Binders, Fredericksburg, VA
Colors: Magenta, Red, Yellow, Cyan, Black, PMS 3155 (Green)
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.41 in./21.336 x 35.814 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.99 x 1.56 in./25.148 x 39.624 mm
Pane Size (w x h): 5.93 x 7.50 in./150.81 x 190.50 mm
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “S” followed by 6 (six) single digits
Marginal Markings: “Ó 2002 USPS” · Plate Numbers in two corners · Price ·
Header
Catalog Item Number(s): 454420 Strip of 5 — $1.85
454430 Block of 10 — $3.70
454440 Full Pane of 20 — $7.40
454463 First Day Cover Set of 5 — $3.75
454401 Lighthouses VA Matted Keepsake — $21.95
454402 Lighthouses NC Matted Keepsake — $21.95
454403 Lighthouses SC Matted Keepsake — $21.95
454404 Lighthouses GA Matted Keepsake — $21.95
454405 Lighthouses FL Matted Keepsake — $21.95
454493 Full Pane w/FDC set of 5 — $11.15
454497 Panel — $8.75

TECHNICAL DETAILS
stamped postal cards

Issue: Southeastern Lighthouses
Item Number: 883300
Denomination & Type of Issue: 23-cent stamped postal card
Format: $9.75 stamped postal card booklet of of 20 (5 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 13, 2003, Tybee Island, GA 31328
Designer: Howard E. Paine, Delaplane, VA
Art Director: Howard E. Paine, Delaplane, VA
Typographer: John Boyd, New York, NY
Artist: Howard Koslow, Toms River, NJ
Engraver: N/A
Modeler: SSP
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Sandy Alexander
Printed at: Sandy Alexander, Clifton, NJ
Press Type: 8/c Heidelberg Speedmaster CD102
Cards per Set: 20
Print Quantity: 55,000 booklets (1,100,000 cards)
Paper Type: International Paper
Adhesive Type: N/A
Processed at: Unique Binders, Fredericksburg, VA
Colors: Magenta, Red, Yellow, Cyan, Black, PMS 3155 (Green)
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Card Size (w x h): 6 x 4.25 in./152.40 x 107.95 mm
Booklet Size (w x h): 6.75 x 4.25 in./171.45 x 107.95 mm
Plate Size: 30 cards per revolution
Plate Numbers: N/A
Marginal/Backside Markings:
Front: “Southeastern Lighthouses” 20 STAMPED POSTAL CARDS,
5 DESIGNS $9.75”
Back: Descriptive text “© 2003 USPS”
Catalog Item Number(s) 454466 Stamped cards — $9.75
Postal Store Item no. 883301 Stamped cards — $9.75

HOW TO ORDER THE FIRST DAY OF ISSUE POSTMARK

Customers have 30 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new
stamps at their local post office, by telephone at 800-STAMP-24, and at the Postal Store Web site at
www.usps.com/shop. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes
(to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to: SOUTHEASTERN
LIGHTHOUSES COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS, POSTMASTER, 102 SOUTH CAMPBELL AVE, TYBEE
ISLAND GA 31328-9991
After applying the first day of issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the
mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by July 13, 2003.

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