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Telling America’s story

Dec 21, 2021
2 min

Telling America’s story

Commemorative stamps are much more than attractive collectibles. They are small emblems of America at its best. In the coming 12 months, we will mark the creation of the National Marine Sanctuary System and the 50th anniversary of the passing of Title IX, the law that banned sex discrimination in education. We will also honor pioneering marine biologist Eugenie Clark, business titan Katharine Graham and sculptor Edmonia Lewis. Artist George Morrison, a founding figure of Nati

Celebrating Black Heritage

Mar 2, 2021
2 min

Celebrating Black Heritage

2021 Black Heritage stamps honor August Wilson “No one should think that Black history is confined to the month of February, when evidence to the contrary appears everywhere and in every month. Black History Month is not a token,” says Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, national president for the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). “It is a special tribute — a time of acknowledgement, of reflection and inspiration — that comes to life in real and

Sending love with USPS Love stamps

Feb 10, 2021
2 min

Sending love with USPS Love stamps

♥ Love ♥ Love ♥ Love ♥ Sending a card to a loved one or friend is a special way to declare your affection, friendship, gratitude or devotion. There is renewed enthusiasm for handwritten notes that express exactly how you feel. Love stamps add the perfect finishing touch to cards and letters to show thoughtfulness and care have been included, inside and out. In 1973, the U.S. Postal Service introduced a colorful stamp that, unwittingly, started a tradition that continues today

2020 Summer Stamps

Aug 19, 2020
2 min

2020 Summer Stamps

A variety of festive stamps for the summer “Thank you.” These are two of the most important words in our language, and quite possibly the most powerful words during difficult times. Thank You Forever stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service will add a touch of gratitude as you send notes, cards and letters of thanks to acknowledge a favor, an act of kindness, a job well done or gifts sent for any occasion. As miniature works of art, stamps celebrate the people, events and cul

2020 Stamp Outlook

Jan 10, 2020
2 min

2020 Stamp Outlook

New Stamps for 2020 The United States Postal Service’s stamp program has celebrated the people, events and cultural milestones that are unique to the history of our great nation – 2020 is no exception. This year’s selection offers excitement, pageantry and historic accomplishment. On Jan. 11, the Postal Service celebrates the Lunar New Year with the release of the Year of the Rat Forever stamp. This colorful stamp features a rat mask that calls to mind the elaborately decorat

US Postal Service Presents the 2019 Holiday Stamps

Oct 7, 2019
1 min

US Postal Service Presents the 2019 Holiday Stamps

Season’s greetings! The 2019 holiday shopping season is rapidly approaching. Don’t forget you’ll need a lot of stamps to mail those greeting cards and letters. Iconic images exhibited on this year’s collection of holiday Forever stamps depict the rich array of culture and festivities of the season, courtesy of the United States Postal Service. There are stamps for everyone to adorn your holiday cards and letters, ranging in subjects from Madonna and Child to Christmas carols,

Presidents on Postage Stamps

Jun 17, 2019
3 min

Presidents on Postage Stamps

The postage stamps of a nation are a picture gallery of its glories. — Postmaster General Arthur E. Summerfield, 1957 Presidential Postage Stamps On June 12, 2019, the U.S. Postal Service issued a Forever stamp honoring George H.W. Bush, our nation’s 41st president, who died on Nov. 30, 2018. Bush enlisted in the Navy when he turned 18 and became one of the youngest U.S. combat pilots to serve in World War II. Later, he made a career of public service. As president, he guided

Mail by Rail: History of the Transcontinental Railroad and US Mail

May 3, 2019
4 min

Mail by Rail: History of the Transcontinental Railroad and US Mail

History of the Transcontinental Railroad and US Mail On May 10, 2019, the U.S. Postal Service will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad with a set of Forever stamps. Construction of this railroad during the 1860s was the wonder of the age. Its completion was marked by the “Golden Spike Ceremony,” held when rail lines built by the Central Pacific Railroad Company from the west and the Union Pacific Railroad Company from the east

Black History is 365

Mar 8, 2019
2 min

Black History is 365

Black History is 365 The month of February is typically designated Black History Month. On Feb. 1, 1978, the U.S. Postal Service® joined in the celebration with the introduction of the Black Heritage® stamp series. The series began with the issuance of a 13 cent commemorative stamp honoring abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who was the first African American woman to be honored on a U.S. postage stamp. Unlike the denominated Tubman stamp, the Black Heritage stamp is now issued as

Art of Magic Stamps Cast Spell of Wonder and Illusion

Sep 21, 2018
3 min

Art of Magic Stamps Cast Spell of Wonder and Illusion

USPS Writer/Editor Michael Hotovy Art of Magic Stamps Cast Spell of Wonder and Illusion I never knew stamps could be so magical. I am not speaking about how one little piece of paper, affixed to the upper right corner of an envelope, allows my letter to interface with the collective technology and manpower that is the Postal Service™ — moving my letter to its destination within a matter of days or hours. No, I am speaking of how the Art of Magic Forever® stamps affected me in

How a Postage Stamp Saved My Life

Aug 14, 2017
4 min

How a Postage Stamp Saved My Life

I didn’t know it at the time, but 48 hours was all the time that I had left with the most extraordinary woman I had ever known. That woman was my mom. As I reflect back, the night before she died was no different than any other. But the next day and every day since, has never been the same. Mom had now been diagnosed with cancer for the second time in her life. The first time she would beat it, the second time, she wouldn’t. This time mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon canc

Wonder Woman Stamps Debut at New York Comic Con

Oct 21, 2016
2 min

Wonder Woman Stamps Debut at New York Comic Con

Postal Service Unveils Honorary Wonder Woman Stamps The 20-stamp pane celebrates Wonder Woman’s 75th anniversary and features four unique designs depicting the heroine during different eras of comic book history: Golden Age (1941–55), Silver Age (1956–72), Bronze Age (1973–86) and Modern Age (1987–present). Fans, including actress Lynda Carter who played Wonder Woman on the 1970s series, took to social media to express their excitement about the stamp release. During the even

Halloween Stamps Featuring Jack-o’-Lanterns issued by USPS

Oct 1, 2016
2 min

Halloween Stamps Featuring Jack-o’-Lanterns issued by USPS

USPS® Celebrates the Spirit of Halloween with new Jack-o’-Lanterns Stamps Halloween: falling leaves in crisp fall air, kids in costumes yelling “trick or treat”, jack-o’-lanterns, black cats, scarecrows and Halloween stamps on the letters in your mailbox. Wait…What? This fall, the U.S. Postal Service® will be celebrating a first – stamps dedicated to celebrating Halloween. The jack-o’-lanterns stamps issued on Sept. 29th give the American public a way to send holiday message

It’s Summertime: Time for New Summer Stamps!

Aug 3, 2016
3 min

It’s Summertime: Time for New Summer Stamps!

The Postal Service is releasing a series of stamps this summer that represent cultural icons, nature, and the four-legged family members we all love. Though the stamps are not related to one another, I thought it would be fun to show how each has a connection to summer. Who Wants Ice Cream? Nothing symbolizes summer more than cooling off with a cold, sweet treat. On June 30, we released the Soda Fountain Favorites stamps to honor classic soda fountain favorites. The stamps ce

Inverted Jenny

Jun 24, 2016
2 min

Inverted Jenny

Stolen Inverted Jenny returned at the NY World Stamp Expo. Keelin O’Neill of Ireland, who inherited the stamp from his grandfather; Keelin O’Neill of Ireland, who inherited the coveted stamp from his grandfather, addresses the crowd at a press conference with law enforcement and stamp officials at the Javits Center in New York City. For someone like me who’s used postage stamps all my life, and been closely related to them during my 27-year working life at the Postal Service,

The U.S. Postal Service Gears Up for the Highly Anticipated World Stamp Show

May 27, 2016
2 min

The U.S. Postal Service Gears Up for the Highly Anticipated World Stamp Show

It’s finally here—the 2016 World Stamp Show. What makes the World Stamp Show unique is that this stamp extravaganza only happens every 10 years. The show draws stamp collectors, dealers, stamp exhibitors and mail delivery organizations, including the U.S. Postal Service, to the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, where this mega-event is held. This year’s highly anticipated event and expo takes place May 28 –June 4 and is expected to draw between 250,000 and 300,000 visitor

Wedding Mail Tips and Tricks

Jun 19, 2015
2 min

Wedding Mail Tips and Tricks

Chances are, besides the holidays, you don’t send too many cards or letters at once. But that changes when it comes time for wedding invitations. While you may be turning to Pinterest for planning or Facebook to organize your wedding party get-togethers, research shows most couples still send classic paper invitations. Wedding-etiquette blog The Knot, for example, always suggests sending paper invitations, despite the size or formality of the wedding, since it helps makes the

New USPS.com Redesign

Dec 16, 2014
2 min

New USPS.com Redesign

Did you know our website USPS.com has had over 6 million visits in one day? And now, with its recent simplified redesign, visitors to usps.com will experience an improved look and feel, plus a streamlined design and structure. Best of all, information and applications can be found with fewer clicks on both desktops and tablets. Highlights of the USPS.com redesign include: • Streamlined design: in order to minimize clicks and focus on making transactions easier, we have reduce

Employee Story: $75,000 Stamps

Nov 13, 2014
2 min

Employee Story: $75,000 Stamps

$75,000 Stamps One of the most interesting items that I have sold in my postal career was a book of stamps. It was one of the American Treasures stamp booklets. It was the third series in the set and it featured paintings by Mary Cassatt. This may not seem very interesting, but what happened in the days following the sale was very exciting. One day a regular customer came in to the Springfield, WV, Post Office and wanted to purchase a book of stamps. I asked him if he wanted

Postcarditis

Oct 24, 2014
2 min

Postcarditis

In the first two decades of the 20th century, a craze for sending and collecting postcards swept the nation. A confluence of events created perfect conditions in the U.S. for the spread of “postcarditis,” as some journalists called the craze. First and foremost among the contributing factors was the Post Office Department’s creation of a national network of daily, free home delivery of mail. The Department first experimented with home delivery of mail in the countryside — cal

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