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Collect the first 176 Years of United States Stamps! Click here to get started!
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2018 USPS Stamp IssuesLearn everything you need to know about First Day Covers and how to order them by visiting our First Day Covers page including an updated First Day Cover Ordering Calendar, complete with ordering addresses and deadlines. TBD = To Be Determined; PSA = Pressure-sensitive Adhesive; A Forever stamp is always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate when used on a one-ounce envelope. Stamp Issues:
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Stamp Issues 2018 |
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Hanukkah The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah will be celebrated with a new stamp issued jointly with Israel Post. Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the second century B.C. after it was reclaimed from armies that desecrated the sanctuary. The stamp features a Hanukkah menorah created using Jewish folk art papercutting techniques. Tradition relates that during the Temple rededication—Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for “dedication”—the oil needed to light the lamps, although only enough to burn for one day, miraculously burned for eight days until new oil could be pressed. Celebrations include the ritual lighting of the hanukiah, the nine-branched menorah used only during Hanukkah. Eight branches hold candles representing each of the eight nights and days of Hanukkah; the ninth, the shamash or “servant,” is used to light the other candles. Behind the menorah is a shape reminiscent of an ancient oil jug. Additional design elements include dreidels—spinning tops—and a pomegranate plant with fruit and flowers. In 2018, Hanukkah runs from sundown December 2 to sundown December 10. |
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Sparkling Santas The Postal People have announced for October release a set of stamps that are bound to be a hit as the USPS will “ring in the 2018 holiday season with four Sparkling Holidays stamps featuring character-rich close-ups of Santa Claus.” The Santa images are from Haddon Sundblom paintings created for The Coca-Cola Company holiday advertisements that ran from the 1940s through the early 1960s. Over the years Sundblom, a commercial artist, depicted a very traditional looking Santa in a variety of poses, four of which were used for the stamps. Click for USPS News: Better Be Nice! (The Coca Cola Santas Are Coming) |
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Sparkling Santa Souvenir Sheet In addition to the Sparkling Santas stamps the USPS also will issue a Souvenir Sheet that includes the basic design of one of the stamps, within an expanded-design pictorial margin. The stamp on the souvenir sheet does vary in the placement of the USA, Forever and the lack of the year date that is in the upper right on the stamp, shown in the stamp above in the singles feature for comparison purposes with the stamp in the souvenir sheet. The design elements are intended to be reminiscent of the graphic style of the first half of the 20th century. Important note: The souvenir sheet will only be sold through usps.com or by calling 1-800-STAMP24. |
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Kwanzaa With this new stamp, the Postal Service celebrates Kwanzaa with the seventh stamp since 1997 designed for the annual Pan-African holiday that takes place over seven days from December 26 to January 1, and brings family, community and culture together for many African-Americans. The most recent previous Kwanzaa stamp was issued in 2016. As opposed to previous indistinguishable images, this new stamp depicts a family adorned in a mixture of western and traditional clothing, paying tribute to the holiday’s focus on the contemporary African-American experience while also drawing on African roots.The family is gathered around a kinara (candleholder), the warm light from seven candles illuminating their faces. Several other important Kwanzaa symbols sit on the table—a few ears of corn, various fruits and vegetables, the unity cup and a straw mat on which everything is placed. Created in 1966, Kwanzaa draws on African traditions, deriving its name from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” meaning “first fruits.” |
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Madonna and Child by Bachiacca The 2018 Madonna and Child Forever rate stamp features a detail of Bachiacca’s oil-and-gold-on-panel painting that dates from the early 1520s, showing the Christ child clutching a bouquet of jasmine, a symbol of divine love. Five centuries ago, Francesco d’Ubertino Verdi (1494–1557), the Italian Renaissance painter known as Bachiacca, proved himself to be a versatile and popular Florentine artist. Today, his work still vividly evokes the timeless traditions of Christmas. This painting is part of the Jack and Belle Linsky Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. |
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Hot Wheels Since the inception of Hot Wheels, Mattel has produced thousands of varieties of cars. The issue celebrating Hot Wheels’ 50th anniversary, will feature 10 of the most outrageous to their car designs. Arranged in diagonal rows, the pane shows the Hot Wheels cars speeding al ong a bright orange track. Each stamp has the name of these vehicles in one of the top corners: Top row (left to right): |
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Birds in Winter Birds in Winter celebrates four of winter’s winged beauties: the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), the northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), the blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata), and the red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus).
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Honoring First Responders One stamp that is expected to draw more attention, and mail use, than most will be the “Honoring First Responders” single that recognizes the men and women—including firefighters, law enforcement officers, and emergency medical service professionals—who respond to critical situations with skill, dedication and uncommon bravery. The digital illustration on this stamp is a symbolic scene that shows three first responders in profile, as they race into action. From left to right, the first figure is a firefighter carrying an axe, the second is an EMS worker, with the EMS Star of Life visible on her cap, upper arm and emergency bag, and the third figure is a law-enforcement officer shining a flashlight toward unknown danger ahead. The dark background and signs of smoke (in what appears to be a shade of bronze in around the figures) suggest the wide range of situations that demand the immediate attention of a first responder. Instead of the usual USPS Marketing or regional manager representing the USPS at these ceremonies, the dedicating official for the First Responders stamp will be Guy Cottrell, Chief Postal Inspector, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. |
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John Lennon (Music Icons series) This stamp honors singer and songwriter John Lennon (1940–1980), a rock ’n’ roll hero successful both as a founding member of the Beatles and as a solo artist. Although issued as part of the Postal Service’s Music Icons series, his influence goes well beyond his music and continues decades after his death. The September 7 date fits with the design of the stamp and “Imagine,” the song he wrote and the album by that name, which was issued on September 9, 1971. The stamp features a photograph of John Lennon taken by rock-and-roll photographer Bob Gruen in August 1974. The original black-and-white photograph has been treated in gradations of color. The stamp pane is designed to resemble a vintage 45 rpm record sleeve. One side of the pane includes the stamps and brief text about Lennon’s legacy. A black-and-white photo of Lennon seated at his white piano appears on the reverse. Taken by photographer Peter Fordham, the original photograph was used to promote Lennon’s 1971 solo album, “Imagine.” |
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Global Poinsettia For the first time since 2014, the USPS is releasing a new Global Forever Holiday Stamp. Picturing a bright red Poinsettia, this stamp can be used to mail a 1-ounce letter to any country where First-Class Mail International service is available. As with all Global Forever stamps, this stamp will have a postage value equivalent to the price of the single-piece First-Class Mail International 1-ounce machineable letter in effect at the time of use. These stamps can also be used domestically. At present, they would pay $1.15 in postage. Tens of millions of poinsettia are sold during the Holiday season. The stamp art features an overhead view of a poinsettia to capture the beauty of the green leaves, the red bracts and the yellow flowers in the center of the plant. The new Global Forever stamps are being issued in self-adhesive panes of 10. |
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U.S. Airmail P.O.D. Service Stamp This red airmail stamp is the companion to the blue version issued May 1. While the blue stamp honors the Army pilots who initiated the world’s first regularly scheduled airmail service, this red stamp commemorates the 100th anniversary of the beginning of airmail delivery through the U.S. Post Office Department, which began August 12, 1918. After four months of the mail being flown by the Army, all flight operations were taken over by the USPOD’s Aerial Mail Service on August 12, 1918. Flight operations were moved to the College Park Air Field, thus the choice of College Park for the First Day of Issue for this stamp. |
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Dragons The Dragons stamps will be issued during the APS Stamp Show, to be held August 9-12 in Columbus, Ohio. The four designs present a green fire-breathing dragon towering over a medieval-inspired castle; a purple dragon with orange wings and sharp black armor on its back snaking around a white castle; a black dragon with green wings and green armor on its back swooping past a ship on the sea; and a wingless orange dragon weaving its way around a pagoda. The Postal People tell us, "Throughout history and across the globe—from Europe to the Middle East to Asia to the Americas—people have enjoyed tales of mythological creatures. Though these legendary animals vary in shape, size and color, they’re most often described as lizard-like with four legs, sharp claws, scales, wings and spiky tails. The wingless orange dragon weaving its way around a pagoda is inspired by creatures found in Asian art, architecture, folk religion and ancient lore. European folklore inspired the dragons on the purple dragon with orange wings and sharp black armor on its back, and the green fire-breathing dragon."
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The Art of Magic The Postal Service celebrates the art of magic with this pane of 20 stamps featuring digital illustrations of five classic tricks magicians use to amaze and delight audiences: a rabbit in a hat (production), a fortune teller using a crystal ball (prediction), a woman floating in the air (levitation), an empty bird cage (vanishing), and a bird emerging from a flower (transformation).
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World War I: Turning the Tide With this stamp, the Postal Service pays tribute to the sacrifice of American soldiers and millions of supporters on the home front who experienced World War I. Entering World War I (1914–1918) in its later stages, the United States helped turn the tide of war in favor of the Allies. |
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Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? For nearly 50 years, the call “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” has summoned the animated Great Dane wherever help is needed. The USPS, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, is now calling on Scooby to appear on a new Forever stamp. Of additional significance, the stamp is part of a campaign highlighting Scooby’s new social responsibility initiative, Scooby-Doo DOO GOOD. His role in this effort is fitting, as Scooby has solved mystery after spooky mystery since his 1969 debut. Three generations of fans have now embraced Scooby-Doo and the “meddling kids,” as his friends are often called by the villains unmasked at the conclusion of each Scooby-Doo mystery. The stamp pictures Scooby helping out by watering a blossoming plant in a flowerpot—a simple act symbolizing a component of the “Doo Good” campaign’s to provide young people with tools and activities geared toward enriching the environment. The campaign, launching this year in partnership with generationOn, the youth division of Points of Light, also focuses on helping the hungry and acting as animal allies. |
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O Beautiful With the release of O Beautiful, the Postal Service commemorates the beauty and majesty of the United States through images that correspond with one of the nation’s most beloved songs, “America the Beautiful.” From Wikipedia we learn “America the Beautiful…lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates…In 1893, at the age of 33, Bates, an English professor at Wellesley College, had taken a train trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to teach a short summer school session at Colorado College. Several of the sights on her trip inspired her, and they found their way into her poem, including the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago…the wheat fields of America’s heartland Kansas, through which her train was riding on July 16; and the majestic view of the Great Plains from high atop Pikes Peak.” I don’t see Chicago in any of the designs, but there certainly are many sites that would be appropriate for “America the Beautiful.” Click for USPS News: O Beautiful Design Details Announced |
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$25 Federal Duck Stamp & Junior Duck Stamp (not postage stamps) The 2018-2019 Duck stamp features Bob Hautman's acrylic painting of a pair of mallards in flight. This is Bob Hautman's third Federal Duck Stamp contest win. The new stamp is valid from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019. In addition to being required by waterfowl hunters age 16 and older, it also is popular with conservationists and collectors. Duck stamps are not postage stamps; they are conservation revenue stamps. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) produces the Federal Duck Stamp, which raises about $25 million each year. FWS states that 98 percent of the purchase price goes directly to help acquire and protect wetland habitat and purchase conservation easements for the National Wildlife Refuge System. The $5 Junior Duck stamp was designed by Rayen Kang of Johns Creek, Ga. with an acrylic painting of an emperor goose. |
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Statue of Freedom, Dollar Denominated Stamps The $1, $2 and $5 Statue of Freedom dollar-denominated stamps that will be released on June 27 at APS Headquarters in Bellefonte, Pa. will replace the odd “Waves” stamps that were designed more for security than for design considerations. Working from the USPS news release: “These three designs feature the head of the statue that tops the United States Capitol dome, in a modern interpretation of an engraved vignette originally created for a 1923 stamp (the $5 Head of Freedom Statue on Scott 573). The stamps were printed in intaglio—a process that is used when counterfeiting is a particular concern. |
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Frozen Treats The Frozen Treats stamps showcase whimsical watercolor illustrations. The release date fits with the season, as Americans enjoy cool, refreshing ice pops on hot Summer days. Modern frozen treats are available in many varieties. Ice pops are made by large manufacturers, home cooks, and artisanal shops. In recent years, frozen treats containing fresh fruit such as kiwi, watermelon, blueberries, oranges, and strawberries have become more common. In addition, flavors such as chocolate, root beer, and cola are also popular. The Postal People also have announced that the Frozen Treats will be the first Scratch & Sniff U.S. stamps, and “will add the sweet scent of summer to letters of love, friendship, party invitations and other mailings.” (They did not mention, but we will, that like most ice pops, they also will be sticky—on the gum side, of course.) |
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Flag Act of 1818 With this stamp, the Postal Service marks the 200th anniversary of the Flag Act of 1818, which gave us the basic design of the current American flag: 13 stripes symbolizing the original 13 colonies and one star for each state in the union. The stamp release in Appleton, Wis. will part of the festivities during the oldest Flag Day Parade in the USA. USPS News: Flag Act FD Part of Oldest Flag Day Parade “Why Appleton?” I turned to Wikipedia and found two connections. First, like other towns across the USA, Appleton has an annual Flag Day Parade. In fact, it is the oldest, but what sets this parade apart also is that the . . . Continue reading: USPS News: Flag Act FD Part of Oldest Flag Day Parade |
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Sally Ride America’s first woman in space, Dr. Sally Ride was a member of the crew of Space Shuttle Challenger STS-7 in 1983. She inspired the nation as a pioneering astronaut, brilliant physicist, and dedicated educator, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. “Sally Ride’s history-making journey has made it easier for young girls to dream of one day being an astronaut, an engineer, a physicist or a mathematician. Today, girls don’t just dream. Because of trailblazers like Sally Ride, they have been empowered to do!” said U.S. Postal Service Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President Kristin Seaver. Tam O’Shaughnessy, co-founder and executive director of Sally Ride Science at U.C. San Diego and Ride’s widow, added “Sally started collecting stamps when she was a girl, and she continued to do so her whole life—especially stamps of the Olympics and space exploration. Sally would be deeply honored to have her portrait on a U.S. stamp.” |
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U.S. Airmail Army Pilots Stamp The airmail stamp being issued on May 1 in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of regular airmail service will be the first of two identical design stamps to be issued this year. This first stamp in blue commemorates the pioneering spirit of the brave Army pilots who initiated the world’s first regularly scheduled airmail service. An identical stamp, printed in red, will be issued later this summer to commemorate the beginning of airmail delivery through the U.S. Post Office Department, which began in August 1918. USPS to Honor Army, P.O.D. Air Service Centennials [PDF Document] |
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Peace Rose Peace Rose celebrates one of the most popular roses of all time. The peace rose revolutionized hybrid tea roses with its unique coloring, hardiness, and disease resistance. The stamp art features a detail of a photograph of the rose’s blossom, its creamy yellow petals touched by pink at the edges. The stamp was dedicated at the Gardens of the American Rose Center. April 21 also was the closing date of one of the oldest festivals in the South, Holiday in Dixie, which was held April 13-April 21 in Shreveport. The stamp release also serves as the kick-off to the annual Spring Bloom Festival and precedes National Peace Rose Day on April 29. |
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STEM Education These stamps celebrate the role of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in keeping the United States a global leader in innovation and providing new opportunities for all Americans to learn and explore the world. Each of the four stamps features a collage of faces, symbols, drawings, and numbers that represent the complexity and interconnectedness of the STEM disciplines. In 2015 the Department of Education established the Committee on STEM Education and explained, “The United States has developed as a global leader, in large part, through the genius and hard work of its scientists, engineers, and innovators. In a world that’s becoming increasingly complex…it’s more important than ever for our youth to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to solve tough problems, gather and evaluate evidence, and make sense of information…subjects collectively known as STEM.” |
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Mister Rogers Fred Rogers (1928–2003) was known as a beloved television neighbor to generations of children. His groundbreaking public television series “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” inspired and educated young viewers with warmth, sensitivity and honesty. Filmed in Pittsburgh and first distributed nationally in 1968 by a predecessor of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the program was innovative and unlike anything on television for children at that time. Each episode of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” began with its host welcoming the audience into his television house. While singing “Won't You Be My Neighbor?” Rogers always put on his trademark cardigan, changed into sneakers and then introduced the day’s topic. He discussed many of the experiences of growing up, delicately covering everything from sharing and friendship to difficult subjects like anger, fear, divorce and death. The stamp also pictures King Friday XIII, a Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood puppet character hailing from “The Neighborhood of Make-Believe.” |
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Illinois Statehood This stamp celebrates the 200th anniversary of Illinois statehood. The first Europeans to visit Illinois were the French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette in 1673, but the region was ceded to Britain after the French and Indian War. After the American Revolution, Illinois became a territory of the United States, and achieved statehood on December 3, 1818. The stamp art features an outline of the state map with a series of yellow beams that are meant to look like rays of a rising sun. In similar fashion, the Postal People tell us “the yellows and blues symbolize the dawning of a new day as the state joins the Union. Stars, representing the first 20 states, grace the top of the stamp. The rising sun symbolizes the 21st star.” Illinois artist Michael Konetzka designed the stamp and created the artwork. The stamp is available from the Postal Service online sales and phone outlets. Although other Post Offices may order them, they are being distributed automatically only to Post Offices in Illinois. |
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Bioluminescent Life The Bioluminescent Life stamps were issued in Fort Pierce, Fla., home to ORCA, the Ocean Research & Conservation Association. ORCA’s CEO and Senior Scientist is Dr. Edith Widder, who took the photographs that appear on seven of the stamp images. Seen on the full pane, accessible here, and referring to the first two columns from the left, the stamp images picture the following bioluminescent life-forms: The selvage—or area outside the stamps—features a transparent deep-sea comb jelly (Gregory G. Dimijian photo), surrounded by images of the firefly squid (Danté Fenolio photo). Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps and selvage from existing photographs. |
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U.S. Flag U.S. stamps picturing the American flag in full color have been available to the public almost continuously since 1957. The first U.S. Flag stamp of 2018 is this new definitive. It is one of two Flag stamps scheduled for 2018—the other being a commemorative stamp celebrating the bicentennial of the Flag Act of 1818. Mailers like to use Flag stamps on their mail, as it is thought they have a better chance of being opened; however, most volume mailers use non-denominated stamps to pay a base fee, 5¢ for example, then pay the remaining postage by check or balance transfer. So this Forever First Class rate stamp scheduled to be issued at the ASDA Winter Show in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. will be used mostly by small businesses and individuals. |
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Lena Horne (Black Heritage) Lena Horne is included in the USPS Black Heritage series as a trailblazer in Hollywood for women of color when in fact, her fame and her contributions were much broader. As a performer her 70-year career was capped by a one-woman show, “Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music,” which ran for more than three hundred performances on Broadway and then on tour across the United States. And as an activist, her defense of the civil rights of all Americans led to her being blacklisted during the infamous era of McCarthyism and the Red Scare. The stamp features a photograph of Lena Horne taken by Christian Steiner in the 1980s, with an added background reminiscent of Horne’s “Stormy Weather” album. |
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Byodo-In Temple (Priority Mail) This Priority Mail stamp features a colorful illustration of the Byodo-In Temple, a popular tourist attraction in Hawai‘i.
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Sleeping Bear Dunes (Priority Mail Express) — January 21 | Kansas City, MO | PSA pane of 4 stamps Click to see larger image. With this Priority Mail Express stamp, the Postal Service celebrates the Sleeping Bear Dunes, a national park in Michigan that takes its name from a Native American legend. |
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Meyer Lemons The 2¢ Meyer Lemons stamp is the latest in the current Fruits low value definitives series. The Meyer lemon is native to China, and is thought to be a cross between a true lemon and either a mandarin or common orange. It was introduced to the U.S. in 1908, but in the 1940s it was discovered that a majority of the Meyer lemon trees being cloned were symptomless carriers of a virus that had killed or rendered useless millions of citrus trees all over the world. Most of the Meyer lemon trees in the U.S. were then destroyed, after which a virus-free selection was developed in the 1950s and certified and released in 1975 by the University of California as the ‘Improved Meyer lemon’.” |
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Love Flourishes (Love series) Love Flourishes, the latest stamp in a series that goes back to 1973, features a fanciful garden of colorful flowers surrounding the word “Love” in cursive script. The First Day of Issue site is Creativation, the annual Craft & Hobby Association convention that brings together the global creative products community from designers to manufacturers, some of whom may want to incorporate postage stamps in their designs. The flowers on the stamp include stylized roses, peonies, and dahlias in pink, coral, and yellow, with pale blue-green berries and gold fronds and leaves. |
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Year of the Dog Forever Stamp (Celebrating New Year series) The Lunar New Year begins February 16, 2018 and ends February 4, 2019. In the Lunar New Year cycle, the Dog symbolizes caring, loyalty and honesty. The Year of the Dog stamp is the 11th of 12 stamps in the current Celebrating Lunar New Year cycle. The artwork focuses on some of the common ways the Lunar New Year holiday is celebrated. It depicts an arrangement of lucky bamboo. On the red paper to the right, the Chinese character fu—meaning good fortune, rendered in calligraphy—is a common decoration on doors and entryways during Lunar New Year festivities. |
| Stamp images provided by the United States Postal Service. Copyright © 2018 USPS. All Rights Reserved. |
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