The Stamp Collectors Corner

The media has been covering the death of Michael Jackson now for several weeks.  Ones of the stories that had been reported by major media outlets is that Reverend Al Sharpton is calling for a Michael Jackson national day of mourning and that a postage stamp be issued by the United States Postal Service.  All this before poor Mr. Jackson has even been buried.  Sorry, Mr. Sharpton, you will need to wait awhile to have that postage stamp even considered here in the United States!

Even though Michael Jackson was a fabulous performer; there are rules that must be followed when it comes to being graced upon our nation’s stamps.  Proposals will not be considered until three years after the death of a person, unless it is a US President.  Stamps cannot be issued sooner than five years after the death a person and are usually issued in conjunction with their birthday.  You can find a complete listing of the rules of the Citizen’s Stamp Advisory Committee at the United States Postal Service.

It should also be noted that, even if the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee recommends that a commemorative stamp be created, the ultimate decision lies with the United States Postal Service.  With the success of the Elvis postage stamp however, I am sure at some point we will all see a United States Michael Jackson postage stamp at some point too.

Stamp Center does have some Michael Jackson postage stamps that are issued from Guinea if you would like to add those to your collection.