Calling Frank Sinatra “the first to personify American pop culture,” United States Postmaster General John E. Potter recently unveiled a new postage stamp to celebrate the life and work of the singer, actor and philanthropist. The stamp, good for first class postage rate of 42 cents, will be released on May 13 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Sinatra’s death in 1998. A ceremony to unveil a ten-foot replica of the stamp was held at the Beverly Hills post office on December 12, 2007, on what would have been Sinatra’s 92nd birthday. It was attended by Sinatra’s three children, Nancy, Tina and Frank Jr. “This would have been one of his happiest days,” said Tina Sinatra of the stamp, which was created in consultation with the family. Created by art director Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Arizona, and executed by artist Kazuhiko Sano of Mill Valley, California, the stamp depicts Sinatra in a jacket and tie, with his trademark fedora atop his head. Sinatra’s favorite color, blue, appears both in the background and, of course, in the vivid cobalt of his eyes, which gave him the nickname Ol’ Blue Eyes. The stamp also sports Sinatra’s signature. The same image will be used on the cover of Nothing But the Best, the new collection of Sinatra’s best work on the Reprise Records label, which he founded. The Postal Service will hold May 13 ceremonies in New York and Las Vegas in honor of the stamp, 120 million of which will be printed. One other entertainer, actress Bette Davis, will also be honored with a stamp in 2008, as part of the ongoing “Legends of Hollywood” series. The Sinatra stamp is not part of any series. Six years ago, Sinatra received another honor from the Postal Service when the post office in his hometown of Hoboken, New Jersey was renamed in his honor. He is also the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.