The first Elvis stamp, issued in 1993, was famously decided by public vote: young Elvis versus older Elvis. Young Elvis won. This 2015 issue revisits the same era with a different image, adding a gold-foil facsimile signature that no previous Elvis stamp had carried.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Catalog Number: Scott #5009 / Michel #5188BA / Stanley Gibbons #5617

• Denomination: Forever (valued at 49¢ at time of issue)

• Date of Issue: August 12, 2015

• Printing Method: Offset Lithography with Microprinting ("USPS")

• Perforation: Serpentine Die Cut 11 (self-adhesive)

• Color: Black, Silver-Gray, and Gold Foil

• Subject: Portrait of Elvis Presley, after a photograph by William Speer

CONDITION ANALYSIS (Seller-Assessed)

• Status: Used

• Grading: Fine

• Postmark: Light inkjet cancellation consisting of multiple small dots and spray marks across the forehead, hair, and background. All major design features including the gold-foil signature and crown emblem remain clearly identifiable.

• Obverse: Portrait and gold-foil elements are intact and well-preserved. Surface contamination from the inkjet spray is consistent with automated postal sorting equipment and does not obscure the principal design.

• Reverse: Clean and white with no visible tears, thinning, or repairs.

• Centering / Margins: Good. Design is well-centered.

• Perforations: Serpentine die-cuts intact on all four sides. No evidence of trimming or artificial alteration.

  
  

HISTORY

Elvis Presley's first appearance on a U.S. postage stamp in 1993 was accompanied by a public vote - the only time the Postal Service had put a stamp design to a national referendum. Americans chose between a young Elvis and an older Elvis. Young Elvis won by a significant margin, and the resulting stamp sold 500 million copies, the highest-selling commemorative stamp in U.S. history at that time.

The 2015 issue, Scott #5009, returned to the same visual era - a black-and-white portrait of Elvis during his prime recording years, based on a photograph by William Speer. The design added an element absent from the 1993 stamp: a gold-foil facsimile of Elvis's signature on the right side, giving the issue a visual distinctiveness that set it apart from its predecessor. The stamp was issued on August 12, 2015, as part of the Music Icons series, which had previously honored Janis Joplin and Johnny Cash.

Forever stamps, introduced by the Postal Service in 2007, carry no face value denomination on their face, they are valid for the current first-class rate regardless of future increases. At the time of issue the rate was 49¢. This example is used and on its original liner, as is typical for self-adhesive stamps processed through automated mail systems.

STEVEN SAYS

The 1993 Elvis stamp sold 500 million copies because the public got to vote on the design. Young Elvis won. This 2015 version goes back to the same era and adds the gold signature. The Music Icons series is worth collecting as a set if you have a few of them already.