Fact source: Stamp Services

New printing technologies for stamps

USPS
STAMP

printing technology

The Postal Service releases several stamps each year that highlight innovative stamp printing technologies.

* | Tags: Innovation Stamps USPS Fact #512 | April 17, 2024

In 2023, those stamps were:

  • The Lunar New Year — Year of the Rabbit stamp, part of the Celebrating Lunar New Year stamp series, had intricate gold and teal foil in the stamp artwork and selvage.
  • The Endangered Species stamps showcased photographs of 20 endangered animals found within the 50 states and U.S. territories, as well as two North American species living near U.S. borders. The stamps were printed with a matte and spot gloss.
  • The Thinking of You stamps featured whimsical artwork and stickers with messages of encouragement for use on envelopes.
  • The $10 Floral Geometry stamp included a watercolor background and silver foil-stamped designs and typography creating a sophisticated look.

 

First woman to be featured on stamp, 1893

1893

first woman on stamp

The first woman to appear on a U.S. postage stamp was Queen Isabella in 1893. The first American woman honored on stamp was Martha Washington in 1902.

* | Tags: History Stamps USPS Fact #337 | April 19, 2024

The support of Queen Isabella was essential to Columbus’s expedition. Though the subject of the 1-dollar stamp suggests that Queen Isabella sold her jewels to fund Columbus’s expedition, in reality the Queen offered limited financial support. However, her decision to endorse Columbus’s voyage in the name of Spain made the discovery of the “New World” possible.

The portrait of Queen Isabella on the 4-dollar stamp is the first portrait of a woman to appear on a US postage stamp.

Pressure sensitive self-adhesive stamps

LICK

no more

Stick the landing! In 1992, pressure-sensitive self-adhesive stamps rolled out nationally. By 2005, 98 percent of all stamps were this type. Today, all stamps are sticky.

* | Tags: Stamps USPS Fact #336 | April 19, 2024

Stamps supporting causes in public interest

STAMPS

supporting causes

Semipostal stamps are First-Class Mail stamps sold at a price above the cost of a regular stamp to raise funds for designated causes. The dollar amounts below represent the funds we have transferred to the causes listed.

* | Tags: Stamps USPS Fact #334 | April 19, 2024

Supporting causes in the public interest.

Semipostal stamps are First-Class Mail stamps sold at a price above the cost of a regular stamp to raise funds for designated causes. The dollar amounts below represent the funds the Postal Service has transferred to the causes listed.

  • The Breast Cancer Research semipostal has raised nearly $95 million since 1998. More than 1 billion Breast Cancer Research stamps have been sold.
  • The Save Vanishing Species semipostal has raised more than $7.6 million since 2011.  Nearly 66 million Save Vanishing Species stamps have been sold.
  • The Alzheimer’s semipostal has raised nearly $1.5 million since 2017. More than 11 million Alzheimer’s stamps have been sold.
  • The Healing PTSD semipostal has raised more than $1.9 million since 2019. More than 17 million Healing PTSD stamps have been sold.

Stamps Printed

USPS
13.7 billion

postage stamps printed

In 2023, 13.68 billion U.S. postage stamps were printed, and $3.96 billion in stamps and stamp product orders were received by mail, telephone at 1-800-STAMP-24 and online at usps.com/stamps.

* | Tags: Stamps USPS Fact #333 | April 19, 2024

Postage stamps are miniature works of art designed to reflect the American experience. Stamps highlight heroes, history, milestones, achievements, and natural wonders. There’s a story behind every stamp.

Stamp made a flyby of Pluto

USPS
OUTER SPACE

postage stamp

Out of this world! A postage stamp was inside the New Horizons spacecraft that made a flyby of Pluto in July 2015. That's the farthest distance traveled by a postage stamp - more than 3 billion miles. So noted by the Guinness World Records.

* | Tags: Fun facts Innovation Stamps USPS Fact #332 | April 19, 2024

The “Pluto: Not Yet Explored” 29-cent stamp was part of a set of solar system stamps that were issued in 1991.