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.
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Route 66, Muhammad Ali, Phillis Wheatley, and the Declaration of Independence are all scheduled to appear on U.S. Postal Service stamps in 2026.
On Wednesday, October 29th, the USPS announced 19 stamp designs 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 the diverse individuals and communities who contributed to American history.
The stamps will be available for purchase at local post offices and the official USPS website throughout next year. Release dates for all designs have not yet been released.
Take a look at USPS’s 2026 stamps
The 19 stamps below do not represent the entire 2026 USPS stamp lineup. More stamps and release dates will be announced as the new year approaches.
4 cent angel trumpet
The 4-cent stamp, featuring a photo of the Angel’s Trumpet, follows low-denomination flower stamps released by the USPS in 2024, including 1-cent fringe tulips, 2-cent daffodils, 3-cent peonies, 5-cent red tulips, and 10-cent poppies and cornflowers. These stamps are sold in packs of 20 or coils of 10,000.
To create the 4-cent stamp, photographer Harold Davis created a backlist of flowers by combining multiple images taken from different exposures, according to a USPS news release.
muhammad ali
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.
The first Muhammad Ali stamp will be issued in Louisville, Kentucky on January 15, 2026.
love
The USPS 2026 Love stamps include four love bird designs inspired by mid-century American design and Japanese children’s books, according to a USPS news release. Design created by James Yang.
Colorado status
To celebrate Colorado’s 150th anniversary, the state will receive its own 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. The stamp will be first issued in Denver, Colorado on January 24, 2026.
Black Heritage: Phillis Wheatley
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 stamp features a portrait of Wheatley by artist Kerry James Marshall, according to a USPS news release. The stamp will first be issued in Boston on January 29, 2026.
Chinese New Year: Year of the Horse
The seventh stamp in the USPS Lunar New Year collection features a paper-cut horse mask created by artist Camille Chu, according to a USPS news release. The stamp will first be issued in Houston on February 3, 2026.
bruce lee
The Bruce Lee stamp features a black-and-white picture of Midkick, a Chinese-American martial artist commanded by Cam Mack. 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
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
The Lowrider stamp collection features 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 Pocket Change. The stamp features a photo of the vehicle taken by Philip Gordon and Humberto “Beto” Mendoza, according to a USPS news release.
Lowriders date back to the working class Mexican American and Chicano communities of the American Southwest in the 1940s.
sunflower
The 2026 Sunflower stamp was illustrated by Nancy Stahl, who has designed more than 40 USPS stamps, according to a news release.
a day at the beach
The “A Day at the Beach” stamp collection features four panels depicting popular beach day scenes, including looming sand castles and perched seagulls. The stamp features a vivid oil painting by Gregory Manchez.
figures of the american war of independence
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, the People pane features 25 people who helped shape American independence as we know it. The stamps feature portraits drawn by 13 contemporary artists.
Notable figures include John Adams, Elizabeth Freeman, Agwalondonwas, Thomas Jefferson, Deborah Sampson, and George Washington.
route 66
To commemorate Route 66’s 100th anniversary in 2026, USPS will release a collection of eight stamps featuring photos taken by David Schwartz along the Mother Road.
Bald Eagle: From hatchling to adult
Paying homage to America’s iconic bald eagle, this set of four bald eagle stamps depicts various stages of the bald eagle’s life. The stamps were illustrated by David Allen Sibley, according to a USPS news release.
american bison
The 2026 American Bison stamp is inset with artwork from the 1923 stamp, which also featured the American Bison. In addition to the 100-year-old stamp, the modern design features a photo of Tom Murphy, according to a USPS news release.
international peace
The 2026 International Peace Stamp features a photo of an origami crane folded by Sue DiCicco, founder of the Peace Crane Project. The crane was photographed by Sally Anderson Bruce, according to a USPS news release.
declaration of independence
Another stamp commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Declaration of Independence stamp, has “1776” written in red, white and blue feathers. The stamp was designed by Juan Carlo Pagan.
Sarah Orne Jewett
The 35th stamp in the Literary Arts series honors Sarah Orne Jewett, a founding figure in regionalism in American literature. The stamp features Mark Summers’ original portrait of Jewett depicting the Maine coastline, according to a USPS news release.
winter squirrel and chipmunk
The collection of four stamp designs, “Winter Squirrels and Chipmunks,” features photos of two chipmunks, one gray squirrel, and one red squirrel, according to a USPS news release.
Greta Cross is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Story ideas? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
