Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-19
NEWS
Four-Cent
Flag Stamp
Due JuIy4
BY BELMONT FAIRIES

80
in natural colors will be is
sued here July 4.
1t will be produced on the
Bureau of Engraving and
Printing's new Giori press,
which is capable Of printing
in two or three colors from q
single recess-engraved plate.
Extensive experimental work
with the new press over the
last three months resulted in
widespread rumors in mid
April that q flag stamp would
be released on Independence
Day.
Two factors delayed a final
decision at that time. Postal
officials wanted to use the
stamp to inaugurate the new
4-cent flrst-class letter rate,
which they hoped Congress
would put in effect on July /,
and bureau officials were not
completely convinced that the
new press could produce multi
color stamps in the huge guam
titles required.
With the postal rate legisla-
ton making satisfactory prog
ress in Congress. the Post Of
flee Department has decided
to go ahead with the Accent
denomination.
The print order Is only 40
million. one-third the usual
l20-million figure for q Scent
commemorative. Unless the
rate Is raised. this will be more
than enough. since for all
practical purposes the stamp
will have only philatelic usage,
although one stamp could be
used on postcards to foreign
countries and two to make up
the Scent foreign first-class
letter rate.
The basic color Of the new
stamp is blue, with red used
only for the red stripes in the
nag. The design is essentially
the same as the 3-cent version
used earlier on an experiment
tai plate given a trial run on
the new press.
The attractive multicolor
stamps Of other countries usu-
ally are produced by a photo
gravure process. Bureau and
postal officials have been look
ing for an efiicient method of
printing multicolor stamps
without sacrificing the artistic
and security values Of intaglio
printing. They now believe
they have found the answer
in the Giori press.
Designed by the Giori Or.
ganization Of Lausanne, Swift
zerland. the press was manu-
featured by Koenig und Bauer
AG in Wurzburg. Germany.
1t Is a sheet-fed rotary type
which prints on pregummed
paper. The various colors are
applied by separate rollers cut
out to ink the plate in the
desired pattern.
Addressed envelopes for first
day cancellation, with money
order to cover the cost of the
stamps. should be sent to the
Postmaster. Washington Is.
D. c. An enclosure Of medium
weight should be placed in
each envelope and the fiap
either turned in or sealed. The
outside envelope to the Post.
master should be Endorsed
"First-Day Covers"
Steel Industry Centennial
First-day ceremonies for the
steel centennial Scent COM
memorative will be held
Wednesday morning in New
York during opening sessions
Of the American Iron and Steel
Institutes general meeting at
the Waldorf Astoria.
Postmaster General Sum-
merneld and other high postal
ofdcials are expected to attend.
Ben Fairless. president Of the
institute. will represent the
steel industry.
New York Postmaster Robert
H. Schaffer has authorized a
special rubber stamp cachet
which will be applied when
requested. First-day covers
with engraved cachets will be
handled as usual.
The steel stamp is getting
an extensive and highly pro-
fessional promotion. Hill and
Knowlton. Inc, public rela-
tons counsel for the institute.
has prepared elaborate infor-
nation kits for newspapers,
the philatelic press and steel
company publications. Film
clips will 60 to 200 television
stations for use Wednesday,
and q feature Aim in the "In-
dtistrv IN parad en series will