The Grand Island Ice Caves Priority Mail Express stamp is pictured. The stamp will be released on Jan. 18. The Munising Post Office at 220 Elm Ave., will have a first-day-of-issue cancellation along with first day covers.(USPS graphic)

MUNISING — The Grand Island Ice Caves Priority Mail Express will be released on Jan. 18.

There will be not be a national first-day-of-issue ceremony, offcials said, but the Munising Post Office at 220 Elm Ave., will have a first-day-of-issue cancellation along with first day covers.

According to a USPS press release, Priority Mail Express is the fastest domestic service, with limited exceptions; available 365 days a year, with a money-back guarantee and delivery shipping to most U.S. addresses, including PO Boxes.

The Postal Service celebrates the winter beauty of the Grand Island Ice Caves in Lake Superior located near Munising. Grand Island is marked by massive sandstone bluffs.

Impressive in any season, the bluffs are especially dramatic in winter when lake water seeps into the crevices and caverns, forming magnificent ice curtains and icicles that hang like stalactites from ceilings.

The stamp art features a colorful illustration of how one of these ever-changing ice caves might appear from the inside looking out toward the west at sunset. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with original art by Dan Cosgrove.

In the release, Munising Postmaster Stacy Ashbrook said: “We are very excited to have a stamp representative of our region available for our customers to purchase.”

A single stamp of the Grand Island Ice Caves Priority Mail Express stamp can be purchased for $26.35, Ashbrook said. For the special occasion, the Munising Post Office will be open from 10 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Jan. 18.

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through The Postal Store at usps.com/shop, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide. Information on ordering first-day-of-issue postmarks and covers is at usps.com/shop.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.