Stamps from the USA

donderdag 1 januari 2026

2026

In a ceremony at the Main Post Office in New York City, the USPS today honored the nation’s 250th anniversary with American Icons, a collection of 13 commemorative stamps. The pane features 13 photographs selected by legendary American designer Ralph Lauren, from his archive and other visuals that have inspired him. The images reflect the unique fabric of the nation, representing freedom, independence, equality, opportunity and the pursuit of happiness.

Twelve of the 13 stamps include the “American Icons” title. In the center of the pane, surrounded by blue denim and framed by the other 12 stamps, a 13th stamp shows a knit flag designed by Ralph Lauren with text that reads “1776 to 2026” along with the “American Icons” title.

The text at the top of the selvage reads “American Icons CURATED BY RALPH LAUREN” and the bottom row reads “Celebrating 250 Years of the United States of America.”

In celebration of the issuance, a licensed commemorative capsule collection debuted at select Ralph Lauren retail stores globally, and on RalphLauren.com. The capsule includes the 2026 U.S. Flag stamp reimagined as Ralph Lauren’s iconic American Flag Sweater, a classic Polo Shirt and a Ball Cap.

Fred Rogers was born on March 20, 1928, in Latrobe, Pa. Envisioning the potential for creating quality programming for children, Rogers helped found the educational television station WQED in Pittsburgh in 1953, where he co-produced “The Children’s Corner,” a 1-hour show for which he was musical composer, organist and puppeteer. Shortly after hosting a 1963 Canadian daily children’s television show, “Mister Rogers,” he began to produce a half-hour version of the show for WQED. The following year, several East Coast public television stations aired the program, which was later renamed “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

Created by Mattel, and introduced in 1959 as “The Original Teenage Fashion Model,” Barbie quickly became an icon and symbol of limitless possibilities for generations of children. From surgeon to astronaut, paleontologist to soccer player, sign language teacher to music star, Barbie fans can dream big and explore a huge range of possibilities.

During more than 65 years as a staple of imaginative childhood play, the best-selling doll of all time has represented more than 250 careers. For this issue, Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, collaborated with Mattel on the design of the stamps and pane. To best showcase the dolls and their career attire, the stamps employ a rarely used format, a third taller than the usual vertical commemorative stamp. Kessler says the team approached the project “with a spirit of fun,” using bright, energetic shades — predominantly the famous “Barbie Pink” — to evoke a feeling of joy.

The stamps will be released during the 2026 National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention in Austin, Texas.

Four triangular stamps, Postcrossing has inspired more than 805,000 people in more than 200 countries and territories to send more than 85 million postcards to eager recipients around the world.

With millions playing at the youth level, the U.S. co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup could reshape the future of soccer in the United States.

Ten compelling objects from the era, offers a vivid connection to the symbols and stories that helped shape the United States.

For the first time since 2021, the Postal Service will issue a stamp designed especially for birthday invitations, cards, letters and packages. “I am excited that we are issuing new Happy Birthday stamps. Many customers have submitted ideas for occasion-specific stamps such as these and we are pleased to be able to fulfill this request from the public,” said Lisa Bobb-Semple, USPS stamp services director. Lisa Congdon designed the stamp using her own artwork. The project was art directed by Greg Breeding.

Summer Sunset is a new nondenominated, nonprofit-price stamp intended for bulk mailings by authorized nonprofit organizations. The stamp features local artist Rachael Cassiani’s oil painting of a sunset in Menemsha, a small fishing village in the town of Chilmark, MA, on Martha’s Vineyard. “Sunsets are universally appealing,” said Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS who designed the stamp. “A postage stamp that celebrates looking out over a body of water at the end of a summer day seems to fit well for a nonprofit organization.”

The Year of the Horse runs from February 17, 2026 to February 5, 2027. USPS will honor the Year of the Horse with the seventh stamp in the current Lunar New Year series. Lunar New Year–also referred to as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival–is one of the most widely celebrated cultural holidays in the world. Beginning in 2020, the Postal Service introduced its latest Lunar New Year stamp series, the third in the organization’s history. This collection features paper-cut masks by artist Camille Chew depicting each of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp using a photograph of the mask by Sally Andersen-Bruce. The Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse stamp will be issued Feb. 3 in Houston.

This issue offers the public an attractive stamp for mail use and pays homage to the sunflower, prized by both gardeners and pollinators as a dependable source of nectar and seeds for birds, bees and butterflies. Illustrator Nancy Stahl, who has created more than 40 stamp designs for the Postal Service, says she used as few colors as possible to enhance the brilliance of the sunflowers within the small frame of the stamp. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp using Stahl’s original digital art.

This booklet of 20 stamps features three of winter’s most spirited small mammals: two eastern chipmunks, an eastern gray squirrel, and an American red squirrel. The designs capture the resourcefulness and adaptability that help these animals thrive when temperatures drop. From busy foragers to cozy hibernators, they remind us that winter can be full of charm. “When you see the booklet as a whole, the animals’ faces popping up from the snow has a playful effect,” explains Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS who designed the issuance. “The stamps are fun and uplifting. I hope they make people smile, especially in the heart of winter.”

The 35th stamp in the Literary Arts series honors Sarah Orne Jewett (1849-1909), a lifelong resident of Maine and a foundational figure in American literary regionalism. Her strong female characters have led to a renewed interest in her work, which includes hundreds of short stories as well as novels, poetry and essays. Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp using an original portrait of Jewett by Mark Summers, with the Maine coast as background, broken by a large ray of sunshine that evokes a scene from her best-known novel, “The Country of the Pointed Firs” (1896).

The Postal Service celebrates the 100th anniversary of Route 66, the legendary highway that originally stretched about 2,400 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. Dubbed “The Mother Road” by author John Steinbeck, Route 66 forever changed how Americans travel and became a symbol of freedom and adventure. The pane of 16 stamps includes photographs by David Schwartz from each of the eight states Route 66 passes through, with each one repeated twice. The selvage features a photo by Schwartz of the open road rolling through hills in Crookton, Ariz., along the longest continuous drivable stretch of Route 66 in the state.

The 49th Black Heritage stamp commemorates Phillis Wheatley (circa 1753-1784), the first author of African descent in the American Colonies to publish a book. As an enslaved woman with an education and prominent social connections, Wheatley occupied a unique and remarkable place in Colonial Boston, and is often called “the mother of African American literature.” Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp with a portrait of Wheatley by internationally acclaimed artist Kerry James Marshall. The Phillis Wheatley stamp will be issued Jan. 29 in Boston.

Known as “The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) was a three-time world heavyweight boxing champion. He challenged the best fighters in the world–and the world itself. As a boxer, activist and humanitarian, he defied expectations to become a globally celebrated cultural icon. The stamps feature a 1974 Associated Press photo. The name “ALI,” alternating top to bottom, suggests aspects of his career: promotional posters, his legendary movement in the ring, and the chants that greeted him when he traveled the world.

As the issue was intended to focus on aspects of his career, instead of using the same image as a boxer for both, much better would have been an image of his inspiring lighting of the Olympic Torch for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, as he battled against Parkinson’s disease.

Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps. The Muhammad Ali stamps will be issued Jan. 15 in Louisville, KY.

Low and slow: that’s the lowrider. Outfitted with smaller-than-factory wheels, a fancy paint job and a special hydraulic system, these customized automobiles trace their roots to the 1940s-era working-class Mexican American/Chicano communities of the American Southwest. Five models grace the stamps: a blue 1958 Chevrolet Impala named Eight Figures; an orange 1964 Impala named the Golden Rose; a green 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme named Pocket Change; a blue 1946 Chevrolet Fleetline named Let the Good Times Roll/Soy Como Soy; a red 1963 Impala named El Rey. The Gothic-style typography and the pinstriping on the stamps and pane evoke the detailed decoration that is a hallmark of the most celebrated lowrider cars. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps using photographs by Philip Gordon and Humberto “Beto” Mendoza.

Inspired by both mid-century American design and Japanese children’s book illustrations, James Yang created the art for this year’s Love stamps. His illustrations show pairs of stylized birds in a colorful world in which hearts appear, like love itself, in sweet and surprising ways. Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps.

Celebrating the goal of international peace, this stamp features a photograph of an origami crane–a global symbol of hope, peace and healing. The crane was folded by artist and Peace Crane Project founder Sue DiCicco and photographed by Sally Andersen-Bruce. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp.

Quiltmaker Harriet Powers (1837-1910), who learned to sew while enslaved on a plantation near Athens, Georgia, stitched works that are celebrated as masterpieces of American folk art and storytelling. Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps and pane (the size of which has not been announced), using details from Powers’ 1898 “Pictorial Quilt,” with its biblical scenes and depictions of local lore.

The buffalo’s epic story has played an enduring role in shaping America’s identity. Honoring our national mammal while saluting historic philately, this unique stamp features a contemporary photograph of a bison, inset with artwork evoking a 1923 stamp issued when the species was beginning to rebound from near extinction. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp using Tom Murphy’s existing photograph and artwork from the century-old stamp, now printed in intaglio.

Commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States, this pane pays tribute to 25 individuals whose ideas, leadership and sacrifices were vital to achieving American independence and shaping the new nation. Representing a range of roles and perspectives, from political thinkers and military leaders to writers, diplomats and everyday citizens, the honorees reflect the collective effort that defined the Revolution. Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the pane, which features original artwork by 13 contemporary artists.
We will wait for additional information from the USPS on each individual and why some of them were included.

As the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Postal Service pays tribute to the document that gave voice to America’s founding ideals with a design that transforms the importance of that document into a minimalist poster. Designed and created by Juan Carlos Pagan, the stamp art features a typographic treatment of “1776,” the year the declaration was adopted. Each numeral takes the shape of a feather quill pen, a nod to the instruments used to sign the nation’s founding document. Pagan worked under the direction of Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS.

This stamp celebrates America’s continued exploration of deep space with a breathtaking image captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. One of the most frequently observed celestial bodies, the Crab Nebula is one of the brightest remnants of an exploded star in the night sky. Located 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus, Webb captured this new Crab Nebula image in vivid infrared detail revealing previously unseen features that contribute to our broader understanding of stellar life cycles. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed this and the Galaxy Pair stamp using photos courtesy of NASA.

In 2026, Colorado will be honored with a stamp for its 150th anniversary. Renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and the awe-inspiring beauty of the Rocky Mountains, our 38th state joined the Union 100 years after the United States declared independence from the United Kingdom. The Colorado Statehood stamp features a photograph of Jagged Mountain, located in the Weminuche Wilderness area of the San Juan National Forest. Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp with an existing photograph by Colorado nature photographer John Fielder (1950-2023). The Colorado Statehood stamp will be issued Jan. 24 in Denver.

While some people may disagree with the USPS description of Bruce Lee as “the first Asian leading man in American film”, it is accurate to state that Chinese American martial artist, actor and filmmaker Bruce Lee (1940-1973) captivated audiences with his skill, charisma and screen presence and inspired generations of fans. In the innovative design the stamp artwork by Kam Mak features a painting of Lee executing his iconic flying kick. It is set against what Antonio Alcalá, the art director for USPS who designed the stamp, calls “a calligraphic yellow brushstroke,” a reference to the iconic yellow tracksuit Lee wore in “Game of Death.” On the right side of the stamp, BRUCE LEE and USA FOREVER are printed vertically and angled to appear as if Lee’s kick were breaking them in half.

Since the early days of the republic, these magnificent raptors have appeared on numerous stamps. For a new take on this American icon, the Postal Service will issue a pane of stamps featuring realistic illustrations of bald eagles at different stages of life. Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps using original paintings by ornithologist and illustrator David Allen Sibley. “While the bald eagle is known to virtually all Americans as our national bird, few people know much about them,” says Sibley. “Showing the series of life stages in these stamps is a simple and visual way to emphasize that the familiar adult eagle has already lived through a series of transitional plumages, finding food, migrating and surviving all of life’s challenges. I hope these stamps spark curiosity and a greater appreciation for the lives of eagles.”

Ever since the Transportation Series of the1980s and 1990s the Postal People have struggled to find a popular theme for its low value definitives. As if they don’t have enough floral issues each year, this 4-cent stamp follows the 2024 release of other low-denomination flower stamps: the 1-cent Fringed Tulip, 2-cent Daffodils, 3-cent Peonies, 5-cent Red Tulips and 10-cent Poppies and Coneflowers. To create these images, photographer Harold Davis backlit the flowers on a lightbox and combined multiple photographic exposures, resulting in a luminous, transparent look. Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed these stamps.

For millions of Americans, the beach is the ultimate vacation. Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, says these stamps were inspired by her annual summertime trips to beaches in New England. “These little snapshots are reminiscent of those experiences–a break from busy lives and demands throughout the year,” she says. Noyes was drawn to the vitality and “fresh, bold spontaneity” that Gregory Manchess brings to the oil paintings shown on the stamps. “He captures the essence of the subject, even at a very small scale,” she says. “Greg has managed to make these scenes instantly recognizable with just the right amount of visual information.”

woensdag 1 januari 2025

2025

Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29, 2024, at the age of 100 will have his stamp issued October 1 on what would have been his 101st birthday. From his origins in small-town Georgia, Carter came to the White House as an outsider who represented a new generation of progressive Southern politicians and was inaugurated as the 39th president on Jan. 20, 1977

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Humanitarian Elie (1928-2016), was a survivor of Nazi concentration camps whose dozens of works bore witness to the Holocaust and whose resilience and compassion continue to be a source of inspiration. Instead of bearing a specific denomination, this issue is a Forever issue for 2-ounce mail. The design is based on a 1999 black-and-white photograph of Wiesel by Sergey Bermeniev. Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp.

The contemporary Holiday issue, titled Holiday Cheer, consists of four new designs in a booklet of 20 stamps that will be issued on September 13 in Washington, D.C., to usher in the holiday season. The designs consis of a trio of amaryllis flowers, a holly wreath, an evergreen branch decorated with fruit, and cardinals perched on mistletoe.
The images were created using a collage technique with gouache and acrylic paint on background paper from a vintage gardening book. The shapes for each image were then cut out and pasted onto an archival cotton board. Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps with original artwork by Denise Fiedler.

Duck stamps are not postage stamps. The Fish and Wildlife Service produces the Federal Duck Stamp, which sells for $25. Waterfowl hunters age 16 and older are required to purchase and carry the current Federal Duck Stamp. Many non-hunters, including birdwatchers, conservationists, stamp collectors and others, also purchase the stamp in support of habitat conservation. Additionally, a current Federal Duck Stamp can be used for free admission to any national wildlife refuge that charges an entry fee.

Since 1934, sales of this stamp have raised more than $1.2 billion to protect over

6 million acres of wetlands habitat in the National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Barbara Pierce Bush (1925-2018), wife of George H. W. Bush, the 41st president, was first lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993, and mother of George W. Bush, the 43rd president. Born in New York City, the future first lady grew up in Rye, NY, and attended boarding school in South Carolina. At 16, she met her future husband, George H.W. Bush, at a Christmas dance in Connecticut, where he was on holiday break from a Massachusetts boarding school.

With this issue, the Postal People celebrate 250 years of operation, from the many years as the Post Office Department starting on July 26, 1775, and since July 1, 1971 as the United States Postal Service.

The pane of 20 stamps by cartoonist Chris Ware invites the public to spot a fun array of familiar postal items and icons while following a mail carrier on her rounds through four seasons of the year. From top to bottom on the pane, the horizontal strips go from Spring through Summer, Fall and then Winter.

The liner, or backing, of the “Delivering” pane describes the journey of the carrier, along with ‘treasure hunt’ images on the pane.

This issue recognizes the appointment of Benjamin Franklin as the first postmaster general after the the Second Continental Congress established a postal system for the United Colonies.

From May 23 through May 30, 2026, the world capital of stamp collecting will be Boston, host of the Boston 2026 World Expo, the 12th international philatelic exhibition of the United States. To build anticipation and commemorate this confluence of art, history and international goodwill, two intaglio-printed stamps will highlight the special role of Boston in the American Revolution as we prepare to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed these stamps with digital illustrations by Dan Gretta featuring the Old North Church and a “midnight rider” on horseback in Colonial garb.

The familiar symbolism of a Marine Corps emblem appears on this stamp to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps. First established during the Revolutionary War as the American colonies fought for independence, the Marine Corps is respected worldwide as an elite fighting force, prepared to face any challenge and prevail in the conflicts of the 21st century. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp.

This stamp celebrates the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. Established by the Continental Congress in 1775, the Army is now a global force with a clear purpose: to fight and win America’s wars. Featuring the military service mark of the U.S. Army against a white background, the stamp was designed by Antonio Alcalá, an art director for the USPS.

First established during the Revolutionary War as the American colonies fought for independence, the U.S. Navy is now at the forefront of cutting-edge technology that safeguards the maritime interests of the United States, ensuring economic prosperity and the freedom of the seas. Featuring the emblem of the Navy against a white background, this stamp celebrates the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp.

One of the most influential public intellectuals in modern U.S. history, William F. Buckley Jr. (1925–2008) defined the conservative movement of the mid-20th century and was one of its most recognizable spokesmen. Author of more than 50 books, Buckley founded National Review, one of the nation’s leading conservative publications, and hosted the Emmy Award–winning public affairs television program Firing Line for more than 30 years. Original art by Dale Stephanos features a portrait of Buckley, created by hand with graphite and charcoal on hot-press watercolor paper, then refined digitally. Greg Breeding, an art director for the USPS, designed the stamp.

Goodnight Moon is an American children’s book written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. First published in 1947, “Goodnight Moon” remains a favorite bedtime story for families everywhere. By celebrating everyday rituals rather than fantasy, this iconic picture book revolutionized children’s publishing. In 1945, the idea for Goodnight Moon appeared to Margaret Wise Brown in a dream. The characters in Goodnight Moon are depicted as rabbits because illustrator Clement Hurd was better at drawing rabbits than humans. Goodnight Moon had poor initial sales, from about 1,500 copies in 1953 to about 800,000 copies annually in 2007. By 2017 it had cumulatively sold an estimated 48 million copies and has been translated into at least fifteen other languages.

SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. Each episode chronicles the adventures of the perpetually optimistic and generous main character SpongeBob SquarePants and his aquatic friends in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. Only a month after its TV premiere in 1999, the show became the highest-rated and most viewed animated Saturday morning program that year, beating Pokemon. Its popularity made it a multimedia franchise and the highest rated Nickelodeon series. SpongeBob SquarePants has won a variety of awards including six Annie Awards, eight Golden Reel Awards, four Emmy Awards, two BAFTA Children’s Awards, and a record-breaking twenty-one Kids’ Choice Awards. A Broadway musical based on the series opened in 2017 to critical acclaim.

Marking the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War, the stamps remember based on five watercolor paintings depict scenes of five battles alongside photos of battle sites. Four of the five battles immediately connect with prior U.S. issues, most more than once. Those are Lexington & Concord, Bunker Hill, Saratoga, and Yorktown. The other is identified as the Battle of Trenton on the stamp. More familiar than the Battle itself, is General George Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware River, which is dramatized on a Bicentennial 1976 pane of five 24¢ stamps. Preliminary to the Battle itself, Washington crossed the Delaware on the night of December 25-26, to lead his troops in the Battle that began the morning of December 26.

Recreational fishing attracts more than 55 million anglers to America’s lakes, rivers, and oceans each year–and lure designs for different environments are part of its growing appeal. These stamps using photos by Sarah Cramer Shields show five lures considered icons of the sport. A 1991 set featured five Fishing Flies.

Powwows

Features an extremely high-definition image of a spiral galaxy 32 million light-years from Earth. The image, captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, helps researchers update their models of star formation and allows them to better understand the origins of our universe.

Features a second image captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, this stamp shows a star cluster approximately 1,000 light-years from Earth. Hidden within the cloud of celestial dust are floating brown dwarfs–objects too small to be stars but larger than most planets. Studying these brown dwarfs will help scientists explore how star-formation processes operate for very small masses.

Useful for mailing a 1-ounce letter to any country in which First-Class Mail International service is available, this stamp carries with it a bit of history. The colorful compass rose was drawn in a school geography notebook by Lucia Wadsworth, the aunt of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, when she was 10 years old. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp.

These two stamps depicting stylized, minimalist scenes of mountains and a beach are for use on business mail. Mail with stamps affixed is thought to more likely be opened than mail with printed indicia. In similar fashion, the goal is to create designs that will not offend mail recipients; thus the “minimalist” designs. The stamps feature screen prints by DKNG Studios made from vector illustrations, and were designed by Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS.

Covering almost 2,200 miles of footpath along one of Earth’s most ancient mountain ranges, the century-old Appalachian National Scenic Trail is within easy reach of large metropolitan areas of the East Coast. The Appalachian Trail is maintained by a network of volunteer clubs, led by the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy. This pane of 15 stamps includes a photographic view from each of the 14 states along the Maine-to-Georgia trail with an additional stamp showing stretches of trail through dense forest. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps with images from various photographers.

Offering whimsical, eye-catching designs for letters and cards, these 10 stamps show baby wild animals from across the United States, with visual elements suggesting the habitat or behavior of each one. Tracy Walker designed and created the artwork by digitally layering colored shapes on solid backgrounds. Greg Breeding provided art direction.

An icon of American television, Betty White (1922–2021) shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades — including roles on “The Golden Girls” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” The comedic actor, who gained younger generations of fans as she entered her 90s, was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals. Dale Stephanos created the digital illustration based on a 2010 photograph by Kwaku Alston. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp.

In recent years, the Black Heritage series has celebrated a man one year and a woman the next. The 2025 issue, the 48th stamp in the series, will honor Allen Toussaint (1938–2015), the virtuoso pianist, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger and producer responsible for scores of hits across multiple genres. Designed by Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, the stamp features a photograph taken by Bill Tompkins in New York City in 2007.

Radiating warmth, vitality and cheer, dahlias are beloved additions to backyard gardens and formal venues alike. This issuance includes 10 close-up photographs of dahlia blossoms available in booklets of 20 stamps and coils of 3K and 10K stamps. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps using photographs by Denise Ippolito.

This new Love stamp celebrates the universal experience of love with a work by artist Keith Haring (1958–1990). With a deceptively simple and now-iconic style, Haring’s work is instantly recognizable. This stamp features Haring’s 1985 Untitled drawing. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, believes that this drawing makes for an ideal new stamp in this popular series. “The non-specificity of the figures allows a variety of people to see themselves in this stamp,” Alcalá says. “Partners getting married, celebrating an anniversary, siblings sending each other a heartfelt greeting, or even party planners setting a positive tone for their event.”

This new stamp for irregularly sized envelopes features a luna moth (Actias luna), considered one of the most beautiful moths in the United States. Artist Joseph Scheer created this composite image by using a high-resolution scanner with extended focus to capture multiple layers of a preserved moth. Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp.

New stamped-card designs are issued every few years for customers who want to send postcards with postage already included. The latest features an illustration of a two-masted sea vessel based on a photo of a 2014 replica of the 1923 schooner Columbia. Libby VanderPloeg was the artist and Antonio Alcalá provided art direction.

Conveniently available in many formats, this stamp continues a long tradition of honoring the Stars and Stripes. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp with a photograph by Doug Haight.

Evoking the colorful sights of a seasonal walk in the woods, the photographs on five new postcard stamps depict leaves on trees found in the United States. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps.

Offered in booklets of 20, these five stamps feature photographs of iconic winter landscapes from around the country. Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps using images from various photographers.

This is the sixth stamp in the current Lunar New Year series, where each entry features a mask, calling to mind the decorated masks used in the dragon or lion dances often performed during Lunar New Year parades. For Year of the Snake, designer Camille Chew constructed a three-dimensional snake mask out of hand-printed paper, then cut, scored and folded it into shape. After the front was embellished with acrylic paint and additional paper elements, the back was covered with a layer of papier-mâché. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp from a photograph of the mask by Sally Andersen-Bruce.