After a year of virtual events, the first public U.S. first-day ceremony took place May 17 in Virginia.

Also this week, an overview of Stampboards.com, the chat board and forum run primarily by Australian collectors, and a word search featuring U.S. stamp subjects that begin with the letter N.

The images on the U.S. 1999 Extreme Sports stamps started as photographs of living people.

Unlike other coil stamps of the period, this issue is difficult to successfully fake by trimming the perforations.

The new information applies to previously announced 2021 U.S. stamp issues.

The largest annual stamp show in the United States is scheduled for Aug. 12-15 at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., a Chicago suburb.

The United States Postal Service has added two wintertime stamp issues to its 2021 stamp program: A Visit From St. Nick and Otters in Snow.

Gordon Morison was well-known and highly regarded among philatelists in the United States, and around the world.

Several entries commented on stamp cancellations, offering two different approaches that play off the current cancel culture.

An in-person first-day ceremony will be held at the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, 8 Yogi Berra Drive, Little Falls, N.J.

The U.S. Postal Service has titled the nondenominated (55¢) stamp Go For Broke: Japanese American Soldiers of WWII.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing produced several designs for a Blood Plasma stamp, but none were officially approved.

The tracking information can only be seen through eBay and not through the United States Postal Service’s website.

Also this week, first-day cover collectors cheer the return of first-day ceremonies and stamp shows, and a philatelic history lesson about the tragic Armenian genocide.

A panel of five judges picked Margaret McMullen’s painting for the top honor from among 53 entries in this year’s National Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest.

Are these owner’s marks? Expertizing marks? Or something else entirely?

One of the less often-seen counterfeits is the 4¢ Abraham Lincoln stamp of the 1954-68 Liberty series.

The votes from online and mail-in ballots were combined to calculate this year’s winners.

What do these Scott numbers signify? In short, each stamp’s listing in an upcoming edition of the 2022 Scott catalogs.

Also this week, a recap of first quarter 2021 results for United States graded stamps, and a guided tour of Syria’s beautiful 1930-36 pictorial postage stamps.