CULVER CITY, Calif. — It's been almost four years since beloved game show host Alex Trebek passed away from Stage IV pancreatic cancer. Beginning in July, the United States Postal Service is honoring the Jeopardy! host's life and place in television history with a new set of postage stamps.
Pre-orders are being taken now in advance of the July 22 release of the Alex Trebek stamps. At the current market rate, the 20-stamp sheet will cost $14.60. They are the postal service's "Forever stamp," meaning they can be used in perpetuity, even if rates for first-class stamps go up, with no additional postage required.
The sheet features a photo of Trebek standing before the iconic "Jeopardy!" game board on the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Hollywood. The stamps are arranged to look like their own game board. Four categories are featured on the sheet: Entertainment, Game Show Hosts, Famous Alexes, and Forever Stamps.
All 20 stamps feature the same "clue," printed in the show's classic font ("Korinna," for those who were wondering), which reads "This naturalized U.S. citizen hosted the quiz show "Jeopardy!" for 37 seasons."
The correct response, "Who is Alex Trebek?" is written upside-down in the lower frame of each stamp, next to the words "Forever USA."
The post office is also offering a stamp affixed to a #6 envelope, pre-canceled with a special digital color watermark marking the stamp's first day of issue. That collector's item will run you $2.13 according to today's prices.
The current syndicated version of Jeopardy! is entering its 40th year, with the program's format celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.