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Collect the first 176 Years of United States Stamps! Click here to get started!
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2026 USPS New Stamp IssuesAll are First Class Forever Rate stamps unless indicated. For each of these issues, the deadline is 120 days after the issue date. All stamps are Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) unless indicated otherwise. TBD = To Be Determined Stamp Issues:
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Current Stamp Releases for 2026 |
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June 25 - Summer Sunset, Non-denominated, Non-profit stamp A nondenominated, nonprofit rate stamp for bulk mailings by nonprofit organizations features local artist Rachael Cassiani’s oil painting of a sunset in Menemsha, a small fishing village in the town of Chilmark, Mass. Menemsha Public Beach in Chilmark is universally recognized as the premier sunset-watching destination on Martha’s Vineyard. Facing true west over the Vineyard Sound, it delivers an unobstructed horizon view that traditionally draws a large crowd and a spontaneous round of applause when the sun dips below the horizon.
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June 9 - Ralph Lauren Icons Forever Rate Stamps 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. |
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May 28 - North American Soccer, at Boston World Expo |
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May 27 - International Peace Forever Stamp, at Boston World Expo 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. |
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May 26 - Global / Postcrossing Forever Stamps, at Boston World Expo 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.
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May 25 - American Bison Forever Stamp, at Boston World Expo 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. |
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May 24 – Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, at Boston World Expo The Mister Rogers stamp issued in 2018 is the winner of the “Encore” voting to determine the most popular stamp issued by the USPS in the recent past. When in 2018, the run of 12 million stamps sold out in just a few weeks. In the encore voting, which was conducted over a 10-week period in 2025, the Mr. Rogers stamp again proved its popularity, winning over the other 24 candidates by a wide margin. With that victory, the Mister Rogers stamp was re-issued at Boston World Expo along with a new, four-image Mister Rogers souvenir sheet. 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.” The original stamp features Walt Seng’s photograph of Rogers in a red cardigan and includes King Friday XIII, a puppet character hailing from “The Neighborhood of Make-Believe.” To mark the occasion, Noyes also designed a Mister Rogers souvenir sheet with four new stamps, featuring additional images by Seng with other characters from the “Neighborhood”. |
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May 23 - Treasures of the Revolutionary Era Forever Stamps, at Boston World Expo Ten compelling objects from the era, offers a vivid connection to the symbols and stories that helped shape the United States.
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May 14 - Bald Eagle Forever Stamps: Hatchling to Adult 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.” |
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May 5 - Route 66 Forever Stamps 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.
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April 24 - Day at the Beach Forever 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.”
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April 18 - Happy Birthday Forever Stamp 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. |
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April 10 - Figures of the American Revolution Forever Stamps 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. |
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March 14 - Sunflowers Forever Stamp 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. |
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March 12 - Lowriders Forever Stamps 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. |
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February 28 - Harriet Powers Forever Stamps 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.
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February 24 - Crab Nebula (Priority Mail) 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.
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February 24 - Galaxy Pair (Priority Mail Express) 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. |
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February 18 - Bruce Lee Forever Stamp 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.
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February 3 - Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse Forever Stamp 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.
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January 9 - 4-cent Angel’s Trumpets Definitive Stamp 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. |
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January 13 - Love Forever Stamps 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. |
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January 15 - Muhammad Ali Forever Stamps, Two similar designs 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.
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January 24 - Colorado Statehood Forever Stamp 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.
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January 29 - Black Heritage: Phillis Wheatley Forever Stamp 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. |
Future Stamp Releases for 2026 |
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July 4 - Declaration on Independence Forever Stamp 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. |
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July 11 - Barbie Forever Stamps Created by Mattel, Inc., and introduced in 1959, Barbie quickly became an icon and symbol of limitless possibilities for generations of children. 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. Per the USPS announcement, in that role, 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. The original Barbie Doll was introduced on March 9, 1959. At that time, she was identified as being 19 years old. Depending on your perspective, that would make a 19-year old 86 in 2026. Alternatively, a March 9, 1959 ‘newborn’ would be 67. According to the Social Security Administration, “for someone born on March 9, 1959, the Full Retirement Age (FRA) is 66 and 10 months, which was reached in January 2026. On that basis, [Barbie] is eligible for a 100% monthly benefit, though [she] can still delay until age 70 for higher payments.” Barbie has appeared before on a U.S. stamp, shown as part of the Celebrate the Century series, as part of the 1960s pane, which would have been the era when she took off as an iconic symbol for generations to come. |
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August 7 – Diagonal U.S. Flag Forever Rate stamped envelope Available in different sizes, with a charge for the envelope, the latest stamped envelope features a red-white-and-blue digital image of a detail of the U.S. flag. Bryan Duefrene, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp image. |
Stamp image coming soon!
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Ralph Lauren Flag Definitive A 2026 U.S. Flag mail use stamp will feature a detailed photograph of a knitted interpretation of the U.S. flag taken from Ralph Lauren’s iconic Flag Sweater. It will be available in panes, booklets and coils in a smaller, definitive format for widespread mail use. |
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August 21 - Sarah Orne Jewett Three Ounce Rate Stamp 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”. Per Wikipedia, In 1901, local author Sarah Orne Jewett set her historical romance The Tory Lover at the Hamilton House in South Berwick. Built about 1785, the Federal style mansion is now a museum operated by Historic New England, which also owns the Sarah Orne Jewett House, built in 1774 overlooking Central Square.” |
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September 12 – U.S. Coast Guard Academy Forever The Postal Service continues its tradition of honoring American military academies with a stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Antonio Alcalá, an art director and stamp designer for USPS, drew inspiration for this stamp from the academy’s long tradition of training cadets on the ocean. The stamp features photographs — courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard — of the USCGC Eagle, the academy's primary training vessel since 1946, and USCGC Bertholf, the Coast Guard's first national security cutter. |
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September 18 – Winter Wreath International First Class rate Useful for mailing a 1-ounce letter to any country in which First-Class Mail International service is available, the new holiday Global stamp features a snowy, decorated wreath, a wintertime symbol associated with the festivities of the season. Showcasing a soft color palette, the wreath was created from artificial branches and craft-store materials by photographer Natalia Kostikova, who painted the decorative ornaments and sprayed the wreath with baking soda to simulate snow. The stamp was designed by Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS. |
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September 19 – Christmas Cookies Forever rate, 4 designs Since 1962, contemporary Christmas stamps have added cheer to holiday cards and letters. This year’s issuance celebrates a favorite holiday pastime: baking and decorating Christmas cookies. Featuring four sugar cookies, each with distinct decorations, the stamps were designed by Kyrie Johnson — who also baked the cookies — and Greg Breeding, a USPS art director. Sarah Cramer Shields was the photographer. |
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September 23 – Kwanzaa Forever rate This stamp, the 11th Kwanzaa stamp issued by USPS, honors the pan-African holiday observed by millions of Americans each year from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Featuring a digital illustration of a father holding his young daughter, the artwork incorporates two of the seven Kwanzaa symbols: the gift (zawadi) held by the daughter and the unity cup (kikombe cha umoja) held by the father. USPS art director Antonio Alcalá and artist Cannaday Chapman made the color scheme change to lime green, pink and yellow from that of the official Kwanzaa holiday and flag, which is black, red and green. The 111th Annual Conference of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, founders of Black History Month, will be held Sept. 23 in Norfolk, VA. |
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September 25 – Squirrels & Chipmunks in Winter Forever Stamps 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.” |
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September 29 – Hanukkah This year, the Postal Service issues its ninth Hanukkah stamp honoring the eight-day Jewish holiday observed by millions of people in the United States and around the world. The new stamp features a digital illustration of a dreidel that reflects both artist Lisa Perrin’s Jewish heritage and Eastern European folk-art traditions. “I hope that people who celebrate Hanukkah will be excited to see a new and colorful stamp for the occasion,” Perrin said. “The dreidel is used as part of a game and has a playful connotation — I hope it makes people smile!” The stamp was designed by Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS. |
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October 2 – Christmas: Madonna and Child This year’s traditional Christmas stamp features “The Virgin and Child Enthroned,” a Netherlandish painting that dates from around the year 1500 and has been attributed to an artist known only as “The Master of the Embroidered Foliage.” Scholars believe this distinctive painting, with its large central figure of Mary in red garments and an array of background details, was created in a workshop by several artists and assistants, as was common practice at the time. The painting is in the collection of the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA. The stamp was designed by Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS. |
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Oct.ober 6 – Know the Facts About Fentanyl (semipostal), For years, fentanyl has fueled a national crisis that has deeply affected families and communities — but with growing awareness, improved resources and greater access to treatment and recovery support, progress is being made. With this semipostal stamp, USPS will raise funds to advance research and promote awareness to combat this ongoing epidemic while providing a message that encourages hope, healing and recovery. Net proceeds will be distributed to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the semipostal with an original illustration from Whitney Sherman. The National Institute on Drug Abuse is based in Bethesda. |
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October __–Diwali , date TBD Among the most important holidays on the Hindu calendar, the annual autumn festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil. Diwali is usually observed over five days; in 2026, the main day of the festival will be Nov. 8. This second Diwali stamp issued by USPS features a rangoli, a vibrant floor pattern traditionally made from materials such as colored rice powder, chalk and flower petals and believed to bring good luck. Photographed by Bijay Dixit, the rangoli was created by artist Sangita Bhutada, a native of India and longtime resident of the Houston area who has been a practitioner of this ancient folk art for nearly 30 years. The stamp was designed by Jennifer Arnold, and William J. Gicker was the art director. |
| Stamp images provided by the United States Postal Service. Copyright © 2026 USPS. All Rights Reserved. |
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