Postage
stamps
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.
Postal Facts - U.S. Postal Service
States
on Stamps
All 50 states have been commemorated on postage stamps. They are each honored in 50 year increments from their inception date.
STAMPS
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.
FIRST
African American on stamp
The first African American on a stamp was Booker T. Washington, 1940.
FIRST
Native American on a stamp
The first Native American on a stamp was Pocahontas, 1907.
FIRST
Hispanic American on a stamp
The first Hispanic American on a stamp was Adm. David Farragut, 1903.
1st AMERICAN
woman on a stamp
The first American woman on a U.S. postage stamp was Martha Washington, 1902.
1,400
murals and sculptures
More than 1,400 murals and/or sculptures from President Roosevelt’s New Deal Programs are in our Post Offices around the nation.
Five murals were featured on First-Class postage stamps in 2019
1907
first Native American stamp
The first Native American featured on a U.S. postage stamp was Pocahontas in 1907.
1903
1st Hispanic American stamp
The first Hispanic American featured on a U.S. postage stamp was Adm. David Farragut in 1903.
HOLOGRAPHIC
foil
In 2020, the Postal Service released several stamps that highlighted printing technologies that were new to the production of our stamps, including the Innovation stamps that used rainbow holographic foil.
What a great idea!
In 2020, the Postal Service released several stamps that highlighted stamp printing technologies.
- The “Lunar New Year: Year of the Rat” was the beginning of a new Celebrating Lunar New Year stamp series. The stamps had intricate gold foil on a crown, in the stamp artwork, as well as the stamp’s selvage.
- The “Let’s Celebrate!” stamp has three colors of foil throughout the circles giving a fun pop of shiny color like confetti.
- The “Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor” stamp used intricate intaglio printing for the flower on the ship’s hull. In intaglio printing, the design is engraved into the surface of a printing plate. Ink is forced into those depressions, and then paper is pressed into the depressions to receive the three-dimensional impression of the design.
- The “Innovation” stamps used rainbow holographic foil giving interest to the images.
- The “Thank You” stamps used gold foil in the words “Thank You” and in the accompanying floral design.
PREPAID
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.
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.
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.
ALWAYS
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.
STAMPS
supporting causes
The first "discretionary" semipostal stamp has raised more than $1 million for research into a cure for Alzheimer's disease since it was issued in 2017. More than 8.3 million Alzheimer's stamps have been sold to date.
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.
The second “discretionary” semipostal stamp, Healing PTSD, issued in 2019, to help raise funds for those diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. More than 9.6 million stamps have been sold to date, raising more than $962,000.
In addition to these new discretionary semipostal stamps, previously issued semipostal stamps support funds designated by Congress. They are: Breast Cancer Research (1998), Heroes of 2001 (2002), Stop Family Violence (2003) and Save Vanishing Species (2011).
13.7 billion
postage stamps printed
In 2020, 13.7 billion U.S. postage stamps were printed, and $736.1 million in stamps and stamp product orders were received by mail, telephone at 1-800-STAMP-24 and online at usps.com/stamps.
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.
73,000
military veterans
Veterans. 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.
55
cents
Affordability. For 55 cents, anyone can send a letter, regardless of geographic location, to anywhere in the United States.
$92 million
breast cancer research
The Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp has raised more than $92.2 million for breast cancer research since 1998. More than 1.07 billion stamps have been sold.
In addition, the Save Vanishing Species semipostal stamp has raised more than $6.1 million to support Multinational Species Conservation Funds since 2011. More than 54.7 million stamps have been sold.
