PEOPLE, PLACES, POSTAGE
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.
Learn more.
The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum in Washington, DC, includes the world’s largest gallery dedicated to philately. For more information, go to postalmuseum.si.edu.
on Stamps
All 50 states have been commemorated on postage stamps. They are each honored in 50 year increments from their inception date.
in caves
No troglodytes here! The Stamp Fulfillment Service facility, located in Kansas City, MO, is located in a limestone cave 150 feet beneath the ground. It is the Postal Service’s only facility located underground.
The consistent, year-round temperatures and humidity levels in the caves allow the stamps to be maintained in mint-quality condition. The underground facility also keeps the inventory and employees safe from snow, flooding, winds and tornadic activity common in the Midwest.
African American on stamp
The first African American on a stamp was Booker T. Washington, 1940.
Native American on a stamp
The first Native American on a stamp was Pocahontas, 1907.
Hispanic American on a stamp
The first Hispanic American on a stamp was Adm. David Farragut, 1903.
woman on a stamp
The first American woman on a U.S. postage stamp was Martha Washington, 1902.
first Native American stamp
The first Native American featured on a U.S. postage stamp was Pocahontas in 1907.
printing technology
The Postal Service releases several stamps each year that highlight innovative stamp printing technologies.
In 2023, those stamps were:
a watercolor background and silver foil-stamped designs and typography creating a sophisticated look.
postage stamps
People once had to pay for the postage on the letters they received. That resulted in a lot of mail being returned because the recipient didn't want to spend the money. Prepaid postage stamps, introduced in 1847, solved this problem.
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.
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.
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.
and forever
The Postal Service’s first Forever stamp — the Liberty Bell — was issued on April 12, 2007, dedicated at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. By July of that year, 1.2 billion stamps had been sold.
Forever stamps are purchased at the current First-Class Mail postage price and remain valid for full postage no matter how prices change.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The “Pluto: Not Yet Explored” 29-cent stamp was part of a set of solar system stamps that were issued in 1991.
military veterans
We’re patriotic. The Postal Service employs nearly 73,000 military veterans, making it one of the largest employers of veterans in the country.
The organization has also issued more than 140 stamps honoring the nation’s military history, including the Service Cross Medals stamps.
CENTS
For 73 cents, anyone can send a letter, regardless of geographic location, to anywhere in the United States and its territories. (Stamp price effective July 14, 2024)
breast cancer research
The Breast Cancer Research semipostal has raised $95 million since 1998. More than 1 billion Breast Cancer Research stamps have been sold.
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.
Trademarks
The Sonic Eagle Logo, the trade dress of USPS packaging, the Letter Carrier Uniform and the Postal Truck and the following marks are among the many trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service: Click-N-Ship®, Deliver The Win®, EDDM®, ePostage®, Every Door Direct Mail®, Express Mail®, First-Class™, First-Class Mail®, First-Class Package International Service®, Forever®, Global Express Guaranteed®, IMb®, Informed Delivery®, Intelligent Mail®, Label Broker™, Parcel Select®, P.O. Box™, Post Office®, Pony Express®, Postal Inspection Service™, PostalOne!®, Postal Police®, #PostalProud®, Priority Mail Express International®, Priority Mail Flat Rate®, Priority Mail International®, Priority: You®, Registered Mail™, Standard Mail®, The Postal Store®, United States Postal Inspection Service®, United States Postal Service®, U.S. Mail®, U.S. Postal Inspector™, U.S. Postal Service®, USPS®, USPS BlueEarth®, USPS Mobile®, USPS Operation Santa®, USPS Tracking®, usps.com®, We are people delivering to people™, ZIP+4® and ZIP Code™. This is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service trademarks.
Non-Postal Trademarks
Dollar General®, Forest Stewardship Council®, How2Recycle®, McDonald’s®, National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, Starbucks®, Subway®, Sustainable Forestry Initiative®, The Climate Registry®.
Postal Facts 2024 provides the public with information about the U.S. Postal Service. The facts in this publication may be reproduced for the purpose of stating the fact itself, in a business, informational or academic context and the like, and in the body of text discussing factual subject matter relevant to the fact being presented. However, these facts may become outdated after publication and seeking the latest information is advised.
Produced by U.S. Postal Service Corporate Communications
© 2024 United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
© 2016-2024 United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
Trademarks
The Sonic Eagle Logo, the trade dress of USPS packaging, the Letter Carrier Uniform and the Postal Truck and the following marks are among the many trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service: Click-N-Ship®, Deliver The Win®, EDDM®, ePostage®, Every Door Direct Mail®, Express Mail®, First-Class™, First-Class Mail®, First-Class Package International Service®, Forever®, Global Express Guaranteed®, IMb®, Informed Delivery®, Intelligent Mail®, Label Broker™, Parcel Select®, P.O. Box™, Post Office®, Pony Express®, Postal Inspection Service™, PostalOne!®, Postal Police®, #PostalProud®, Priority Mail Express International®, Priority Mail Flat Rate®, Priority Mail International®, Priority: You®, Registered Mail™, Standard Mail®, The Postal Store®, United States Postal Inspection Service®, United States Postal Service®, U.S. Mail®, U.S. Postal Inspector™, U.S. Postal Service®, USPS®, USPS BlueEarth®, USPS Mobile®, USPS Operation Santa®, USPS Tracking®, usps.com®, We are people delivering to people™, ZIP+4® and ZIP Code™. This is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service trademarks.
Non-Postal Trademarks
Dollar General®, Forest Stewardship Council®, How2Recycle®, McDonald’s®, National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, Starbucks®, Subway®, Sustainable Forestry Initiative®, The Climate Registry®.
Postal Facts 2024 provides the public with information about the U.S. Postal Service. The facts in this publication may be reproduced for the purpose of stating the fact itself, in a business, informational or academic context and the like, and in the body of text discussing factual subject matter relevant to the fact being presented. However, these facts may become outdated after publication and seeking the latest information is advised.
Produced by U.S. Postal Service Corporate Communications
© 2024 United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
© 2016-2024 United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
