Postage stamps are miniature works of art designed to reflect the American experience. They highlight heroes, history, milestones, achievements and natural wonders. There’s a story behind every stamp.
stamp collecting app
There's a Postal Service stamp app - the only official U.S. stamp collecting app. Also, the Guide to U.S. Stamps is now offered in a digital format.
postage stamps
People once had to pay for the postage on the letters they received. Prepaid postage stamps were introduced in 1847.
Prepaid postage stamps
Until the mid-19th century, people usually 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 woman honored on stamp was Martha Washington in 1902. The first Native American featured on a stamp was Pocahontas in 1907. The first African American featured on a stamp was Booker T. Washington in 1940.
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.
and forever
The first Forever stamp, issued in 2007, was an image of the Liberty Bell. 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
Our first "discretionary" semipostal stamp, released in 2017, is raising funds for research into a cure for Alzheimer's disease.
Supporting causes in the public interest
Semipostal stamps are First-Class Mail stamps sold at a price above the cost of a regular stamp and raise funds for designated causes.
Our first “discretionary” semipostal stamp, released in 2017, is raising funds for research into a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
It’s the first of five stamp subjects — at the discretion of USPS — to be issued over a 10-year period, with each stamp on sale for no more than two years.
In addition to these new discretionary semipostal stamps, previously issued semipostal stamps support funds designated by Congress.
postage stamps printed
In 2017, 19 billion U.S. postage stamps were printed, and $436 million in stamp and stamp product orders were received by mail, telephone at 1-800-STAMP-24 and online at usps.com/stamps.
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.
to breast cancer research
The Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp has raised more than $86.7 million since 1998. More than 1 billion stamps have been sold. The stamp is scheduled to remain on sale until December 2019.
Other congressionally mandated semipostal stamps have included Heroes of 2001 and Stop Family Violence. The Save Vanishing Species semipostal stamp remains on sale and has raised more than $4.3 million since 2011.
Trademarks
The Eagle Logo, the trade dress of USPS packaging, the Letter Carrier Uniform and the Postal Truck and the following word marks are among the many trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service®:
Certified Mail®, Click-N-Ship®, Every Door Direct Mail®, Express Mail®, First-Class™, First-Class Mail®, Forever®, Global Express Guaranteed®, gopost®, Intelligent Mail®, Metro Post®, Parcel Select®, PO Box™, Post Office™, PostalOne!®, Postal Police®, Postal Service™, Premium Forwarding Service® , Priority Mail®, Priority Mail Express®, Priority Mail Express International®, Priority Mail Flat Rate®, Priority Mail International®, Priority: You®, Registered Mail™, Return For Good®, 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 Tracking®, USPS.COM®, ZIP + 4®, and ZIP Code™. This is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service trademarks.
Postal Facts provides the public with information about the Postal Service. The facts in this publication may be reproduced for the purpose of stating the fact itself, and in a business, informational, 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.
Special thanks to the Postal Facts 2018 editors:
Sue Brennan, Ilze Sella, Megan Plummer, Ashley Holmes Mullenix, Tatiana Roy, Carl Walton
Website design by:
Scott Tracy
Visit about.usps.com for more information.
Produced by Corporate Communications
© 2016-2018 United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
Trademarks
The Eagle Logo, the trade dress of USPS packaging, the Letter Carrier Uniform and the Postal Truck and the following word marks are among the many trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service®:
Certified Mail®, Click-N-Ship®, Every Door Direct Mail®, Express Mail®, First-Class™, First-Class Mail®, Forever®, Global Express Guaranteed®, gopost®, Intelligent Mail®, Metro Post®, Parcel Select®, PO Box™, Post Office™, PostalOne!®, Postal Police®, Postal Service™, Premium Forwarding Service® , Priority Mail®, Priority Mail Express®, Priority Mail Express International®, Priority Mail Flat Rate®, Priority Mail International®, Priority: You®, Registered Mail™, Return For Good®, 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 Tracking®, USPS.COM®, ZIP + 4®, and ZIP Code™. This is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service trademarks.
Postal Facts provides the public with information about the Postal Service. The facts in this publication may be reproduced for the purpose of stating the fact itself, and in a business, informational, 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.
Special thanks to the Postal Facts 2018 editors:
Sue Brennan, Ilze Sella, Megan Plummer, Ashley Holmes Mullenix, Tatiana Roy, Carl Walton
Website design by:
Scott Tracy
Visit about.usps.com for more information.
Produced by Corporate Communications
© 2016-2018 United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
