2024 The Underground Railroad Stamps
2024 Underground Railroad
• Honors the countless people who made their way to freedom or helped others reach freedom through the Underground Railroad
• Pictures 10 individuals associated with the Underground Railroad
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Value: 68¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: March 9, 2024
First Day City: Church Creek, Maryland
Quantity Issued: 20,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Panes of 20
Watermark: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag Applied
Why the stamps were issued: To commemorate the Underground Railroad and the many people who helped slaves or former slaves escape the South.
About the stamp designs: Each pictures a sepia-toned portrait of a man or woman who escaped slavery and/or helped others escape. Each stamp also includes eight lines of text which read: BLACK/WHITE; COOPERATION; TRUST/DANGER; FLIGHT/FAITH; COURAGE/RISK; DEFIANCE/HOPE; UNDERGROUND; RAILROAD/USA. On the reverse side of the pane of 20, there is a map picturing routes taken on the Underground Railroad from the South to North. The reverse side also includes a list of people pictured on the stamps plus biographical information on them. Designed by Antonio Alcalá using existing images.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek, Maryland.
History the stamps represent: The Underground Railroad was a secret highway that ferried Black Americans to freedom before and during the Civil War. According to John Rankin, the network was named “because they who took passage on it disappeared from public view really as if they had gone into the ground.”
Those who worked on the Underground Railroad played several roles. “Conductors” were responsible for leading escaped slaves to “stations” which consisted of safe houses owned by free Black Americans or White abolitionists (often Quakers). These “station masters” risked it all to help former slaves find their freedom, as, in many cases, the law required fugitives be returned to their enslavers. Station masters used their own money to provide food, clothing, and even medicine to their “passengers.” Some churches and other groups donated money and supplies, too.
Due to the nature of its work, the Underground Railroad did not have any maps or printed guidelines advertising it. It was all dependent on word of mouth and trusting that each person who knew about it would keep its workings a secret. Codes were also established to help relay information in a safer way.
In 2024, the US Postal Service issued 10 stamps picturing men and women who helped operate the Underground Railroad. To the Black Americans who fought to escape the inhumanity of slavery, the people running the Underground Railroad were real-life saints.
Frequently Asked Questions
How it works?
A Forever® stamp is for sending domestic mail weighing up to 1 oz via First-Class Mail®.
Purpose: Send letters and cards up to 1 oz (approximately 4 sheets of regular, 8-1/2" x 11" paper in a rectangular envelope)
within the U.S., including U.S. territories and military bases overseas.
Value: Always valid for the First-Class Mail 1 oz rate, even if postage rates increase. Visit First-Class Mail and Postage to view
current rates.
Other Uses: Pair this stamp’s value with other postage to meet mailing costs when additional postage is required.
Use the Retail Postage Calculator to determine the exact cost of your mail.
Why is "FOREVER" crossed out in the image?
So the lines in your picture:
- It does not mean that the stamp has expired;
- It does not mean that you cannot continue to use it;
- Nor a postmark;
- It's just an artificial anti-copying line added to the display image.
Note: If the physical stamp you receive actually has this crossed line printed on it, be cautious. It may be a display sample, a replica or a fake stamp, rather than a normal usable stamp.
What are the common types of stamps, and how do they differ?
- Forever Stamp: Valid for standard domestic letters within the U.S. These stamps typically do not bear a fixed face value; they remain valid for mailing a standard one-ounce letter at the current rate, even if postage prices increase in the future.
- Global Forever Stamp: Primarily used for standard international letters or postcards sent from the U.S. to other countries. The main difference between this and a standard Forever Stamp lies in its scope of use and postage value.
- Postcard Stamp: Designed specifically for domestic postcards that meet USPS size standards; the postage rate is typically lower than that for standard letters.
- Additional Ounce Stamp: Used to cover the cost of weight exceeding the first ounce; these are usually used in conjunction with a Forever Stamp or other stamps.
- Two-Ounce and Three-Ounce Stamps: Suitable for heavier letters, greeting cards, wedding invitations, or multi-page documents, eliminating the need to combine multiple stamps to cover the required postage.
- Fixed-Value Stamps: These stamps display a specific monetary value (e.g., 1¢, 5¢, or other amounts) and are primarily used to make up postage differences or in combination with other stamps.
- Commemorative and Thematic Stamps: Typically issued to mark historical events, cultural or artistic themes, holidays, notable figures, animals, or natural landscapes. While suitable for regular mail, these stamps are also popular among collectors due to their unique designs and limited release periods.
It is important to note that a stamp's theme and its postage class can overlap; for example, a holiday-themed stamp might also be a Forever Stamp. When purchasing, check for markings such as FOREVER, GLOBAL, POSTCARD, ADDITIONAL OUNCE, or a specific face value to confirm the stamp's intended use.
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