USPS celebrates 250th anniversary with stamp honoring first postmaster general
The United States Postal Service is celebrating its 250th anniversary with a special stamp featuring a familiar face.
scripps news
Several new stamps will be available next year and a dedication ceremony will be held by a select few.
In October, the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced the designs for 19 stamps that will be released in 2026. The stamp collection pays homage to the natural world, celebrates the 250th anniversary of the United States, and reflects on the diverse individuals and communities who contributed to American history.
USPS announced 10 release dates on Friday, December 12th. Of the 19 stamps originally announced in October.
New USPS stamp release dates for 2026
Starting in January, the following stamps will be available for purchase at your local post office and the official USPS website. Inauguration ceremonies are also planned for some facilities, and details will be announced later.
• angel trumpet: Friday, January 9th, Kenosha, Wis.
The 4-cent stamp featuring the Angel’s Trumpet photo follows the USPS’ release of low-denomination flower stamps in 2024, including fringe tulips for 1 cent, daffodils for 2 cents, peonies for 3 cents, red tulips for 5 cents, and poppies and cornflowers for 10 cents. These stamps are sold in packs of 20 or coils of 10,000.
To create the 4-cent stamp, photographer Harold Davis backlit the flower and combined multiple images with different exposures, according to a USPS news release.
• love:January 13th (Tuesday) No ceremony
The USPS 2026 Love stamps include four love bird designs inspired by mid-century American design and Japanese children’s books, the Postal Service said. Design created by James Yang.
• muhammad ali: Thursday, January 15th, Louisville, Kentucky
Muhammad Ali, the three-time world heavyweight boxing champion, will appear on a stamp set in 2026. The stamp features a 1974 Associated Press photo of Ali staring into the camera and his name, “Ali,” in all capital letters.
The designs on the stamps represent Ali’s career, including promotional posters, his movements in the boxing ring, and the chants that greeted him while traveling abroad, according to a USPS news release.
• Colorado status: January 24th (Sat) denver, colorado
To celebrate Colorado’s 150th anniversary, Colorado will be giving away its own unique stamp. The photo features a photo of the jagged mountains of the San Juan National Forest taken by the late nature photographer John Fielder, according to a USPS news release.
• Black Heritage: Phillis WheatleyThursday, January 29th, boston, massachusetts
The USPS’s 49th Black Heritage Stamp honors Phillis Wheatley, the first author of African descent to publish a book in the American colonies. The postal service said the stamp features a portrait of Wheatley by artist Kerry James Marshall.
• Chinese New Year: Year of the HorseTuesday, February 3rd houston texas
The seventh stamp in the USPS Lunar New Year collection features a paper-cut horse mask created by artist Camille Chu, the Postal Service said.
• bruce lee: Wednesday, February 18th Seattle, Washington
The Bruce Lee stamp features a black-and-white image of a Chinese-American martial artist, directed by Cam Mack, kicking the air. The stamp also features a bright yellow brushstroke in the background, referencing the yellow jersey worn by Lee in the 1978 film Game of Death.
• harriet powers: Saturday, February 28th, Washington, DC
The Harriet Powers stamp features a collection of four panes from the artist’s 1898 “Picture Quilt” depicting Biblical scenes and local folklore. Powers learned to sew while enslaved on a plantation near Athens, Georgia, according to a USPS news release.
• lowrider: March 13th (Friday) San Diego, California
The Lowrider stamp collection includes five classic cars: a blue 1946 Chevrolet Fleetline, a blue 1958 Chevrolet Impala, a red 1963 Impala, an orange 1964 Impala, and a green 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme named Pocket Change. The stamp features a photo of the vehicle taken by Philip Gordon and Humberto “Beto” Mendoza, USPS said.
Lowriders date back to the Mexican American and Chicano working class communities that lived in the American Southwest in the 1940s.
• sunflower: Saturday, March 14th, Strongsville, Ohio
The 2026 Sunflower stamp was drawn by Nancy Stahl, who has designed more than 40 USPS stamps, according to a news release.
Check out some of the other 2026 USPS stamps
The photos below are of the other nine stamps that were also announced in October. No additional details were provided, but USA TODAY contacted USPS for more information.
a day at the beach
figures of the american war of independence
route 66
Bald Eagle: From hatchling to adult
american bison
international peace
declaration of independence
Sarah Orne Jewett
winter squirrel and chipmunk
Greta Cross is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Story ideas? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or on Twitter @katecperez_.
