Wedding Mail Will Feature Familiar Rings by Peter Rexford on Creators.com

Recently

What's Wrong About No Memory of the Wright Brothers I've long contended that there are particular words that should never be used in the same sentence. For instance, "homemade" and "helicopter." Think about it. Curiously and conversely, there are now words that are entirely …Read more. New Dollars You Probably Know Nothing About You may be familiar with the phrase, "Not worth a red cent." It means something isn't worth anything. It's a valid adage because, for collectors, red cents have a much higher value than those that are brown in color. Brown pennies are …Read more. Collectibles Prove U.S. Couldn't be More Divergent It's no secret that the U.S. has long been referred to as "the land of opportunity." Most relate that to employment or entrepreneurial possibilities. That's true. But because of our tremendously diverse history and geography, I look at it …Read more. Dead Poets (or Not) Get Their Postal Due "We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to …Read more.

Wedding Mail Will Feature Familiar Rings

Depending on how much mail you send, you may or may not know that postal rates are going up. As of May 11, the new rate for mailing a First-Class letter is 44 cents — up from 42 U.S. cents. A lot of people gripe about this even though the rate for mailing a letter in the United States is still small compared to other countries around the world. But, pennies do add up very quickly.

In this, the traditional season of love and weddings, the opposite has traditionally been true. In the eternal hope that it will be a "once-in-a-lifetime experience," many people have tossed budgets aside and spend extravagant amounts on their or their children's nuptials. Be it elaborate gowns, cakes, venues or invitations, families have thrown caution to the wind and opened their wallets or vaults. That is until the economic downturn.

People are now watching even wedding pennies. Not so long ago, when some would announce their wedding, they used stamps on the invites created by private companies printed with their picture. It's a neat idea, but those stamps come with a hefty premium for inclusion of the visual, printing, etc.

Here's an alternative. Even with the current rate increase, brides and grooms in 2009 can still feature wedding-related images on their invites with two new stamps just issued by the Postal Service.

The 44-cent First-Class stamps feature a photo of two wedding bands resting on a small white pillow united by a ribbon of white silk. A second, two-ounce 61-cent First-Class stamp (for heavier invites) showcases a three-tiered wedding cake topped with white flowers. In the past, other stamps have included themes of "Love," but these are entirely targeted for weddings.

In addition to a nice wedding gift for a couple you may know, an affordable augmentation could be including an envelope of the stamp or stamps with a First Day of Issue cancel and the names of the bride and groom — all for just the cost of the stamps themselves.

To obtain a First Day of Issue cancel, purchase the newly issued stamps at a local post office, affix one or both to the envelope of your choice, and send that inside of a separate mailing envelope to: Wedding Stamps, Postmaster, Special Cancellations, P.O.

Box 92282, Washington, D.C. 20066-2282. You can also include a separate mailing envelope addressed back to you in which the canceled envelope(s) can be sent back for you to customize and give to a wedding couple you know.

The Red Book

One of the most frequent questions I'm asked is where to find data about the value of coins. With all that the Internet has to offer, curiously, such information is not readily available online.

For 63 years, what's known in the numismatic hobby as "The Red Book" has been the premier resource for coin prices. Printed by Whitman Publishing, the Red Book's official name is, "Guide Book of United States Coins." The constantly referenced volume lists every recognized U.S. coin produced since the late-1700s (and many colonial issues minted prior by individual states) all the way up to those being produced today. Edited by coin legend Kenneth Bressett it has long been the "go to" source for collectors.

Now in its 63rd edition, for the first time it's also being produced in a large-print format that is 45 percent larger than the regular edition. The nice part is that every photograph is also enlarged, and it includes all the content of the regular edition including prices, specifications and historical facts.

? Since its introduction in 1946, more than 22 million copies of the Red Book have been purchased, making it one of the best-selling nonfiction titles in U.S. history.

The new 2010 Red Book is now available at all major bookstores and hobby shops nationwide as well as online at www.WhitmanBooks.com. For purists, in addition to the large print edition the regularly produced Red Book is also still available.

One word of caution … the prices listed in the Red Book are those collectors can expect to pay when purchasing coins from a dealer. "Buy" prices dealers may offer are naturally a bit less. Still, it's one of the most available resources for a guide to the worth of a U.S. coin or entire collection.

Editor's Note: A JPEG visual of the new Wedding Rings stamp and the cover of the 2010 "Red Book" has been sent with this column.

To find out more about Peter Rexford and to read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.