Postal Facts - U.S. Postal Service
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.
In 2018, the Postal Service released several stamps that highlighted printing technologies that were new to the production of our stamps, including the Frozen Treats stamps -- the first "scratch and sniff" stamp.
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. 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.
Stick the landing! In 1992, pressure sensitive self-adhesive stamps rolled out nationally. By 2005, 98 percent of all stamps were this type.
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.
Our first "discretionary" semipostal stamp has raised $726,000 for research into a cure for Alzheimer's disease.
16.5 billion
postage stamps printed
In 2018, 16.5 billion U.S. postage stamps were printed, and $625 million in stamp 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.
100,000
military veterans
Veterans. The Postal Service employs more than 100,000 military veterans and is one of the largest employers of veterans in the country.
Affordability. For 55 cents, anyone can send a letter, regardless of geographic location, to anywhere in the United States.
$89 million
for breast cancer research
The Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp has raised more than $89 million for breast cancer research since 1998. More than 1 billion stamps have been sold.
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.
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