NEW YORK -  MARCH 29, 2001 Stamp News Release Number: 01-030. The U.S. Postal Service today issued the Pan-American Inverts postage stamps at the Postal Stamp Mega-Event Show.

Nearly 100 years after the issuance of the originals, the U.S. Postal Service issued three reproductions of the 1901 Pan-American inverts on a sheet souvenir also featuring four reproductions of a "cinderella" that commemorated the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. A cinderella looks like a postage stamp but is not valid for postage.

In addition to the first day of issuance ceremony in New York, the public was also invited to a first day of sale event at 1 pm at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society in Buffalo.

On May 1, 1901, the opening day of the Pan-American Exposition held in Buffalo, NY, the Post Office Department (as it was known in 1901) issued a series of six bicolored stamps commemorating the exposition. The stamps celebrated the theme of transportation and were on sale from May 1 through Oct. 31, 1901. A limited number of the stamps were printed with inverted centers: the one-cent stamp depicting the steamship "City of Alpena," the two-cent stamp depicting the train "Empire State Express," and the four-cent stamp depicting an early electric automobile.

The 2001 reproductions of the 1901 Pan-American inverts feature the one-cent steamship, the two-cent train and four-cent automobile stamps. The three stamps have been printed in their original colors. Each of the stamp's center illustrations will be printed in black. The ship has a green border, the train stamp has a red border and the automobile stamp has a brown border.

The 2001 souvenir sheet also includes four reproductions of a cinderella that also commemorated the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. The design of the red and blue, diamond-shaped cinderella features a charging buffalo in the center, encircled with the words "Pan-American Exposition Buffalo." The addition of an 80-cent denomination makes each of the four cinderella reproductions official, international rate postage stamps.

A detail of the cover illustration from a 1901 souvenir guide also appears on the 2001 souvenir sheet. In the illustration, which also commemorated the Pan-American Exposition, an allegorical female representing unity among the Americas stands on top of a globe. In her left hand she holds a flag-half Canadian, half American-and her right arm rests on the back of a buffalo. The globe shows the Western hemisphere and includes the words, "Pan-American Exposition 1901. Buffalo, N.Y., U.S.A." An illustration of Niagara Falls appears in the background.

Richard Sheaff, of Scottsdale, Ariz., was the art director for the 2001 Pan-American Inverts stamp sheet.

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 the new stamps at their local post office, affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address an envelope (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to: POSTMASTER, PAN-AMERICAN INVERTS STAMPS JAF BUILDING PO BOX 2001 NEW YORK, NY 10116-9991.

Because the Pan-American Inverts contain lower value stamps (less than 34-cents), all covers submitted for first day cancellations must either be submitted in seven-cover complete sets, with each cover including one of the seven stamps from the pane, or have additional postage affixed to meet the First-class postage letter rate. Individual covers with lower value stamps not submitted as a part of a complete set of seven will be returned unserviced. NOTE: If submitting in sets of seven, customers must include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

After applying the first day of issue postmark, the Postal Service returns the envelope through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. Requests for first day of issue cancellation must be postmarked by April 28, 2001.