2025 Years of 250 Delivering Forever Stamps
A pane of 20 interconnected United States “250 Years of Delivering” forever stamps illustrating an aerial view of a dedicated postal carrier on her route through a bustling town in all four seasons will be issued July 23 in Washington, DC.
Created by comic artist Chris Ware and co-designed with USPS art director Antonio Alcala, the pane is laid out in four rows of five stamps and commemorates 250 years of delivering mail by the nation’s postal service while highlighting the organization’s mission of “connecting individuals, communities and businesses through an ongoing exchange of ideas, information and goods … In snow, rain, heat and gloom of night, USPS reliably reaches us where we live and work,” according to a Postal Service news release.
Each of the new nondenominated (78¢) 250 Years of Delivering stamps features a single scene of sequential art “telling the story of a mail carrier’s journey as she walks her daily route” said the Postal Service, as “the story progresses through a year’s four seasons, from top-left to bottom-right.”
In a June 23 media advisory, the USPS said the first-day ceremony will be held at noon Eastern Daylight Time at USPS headquarters, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC. The ceremony is free to attend and will also include the release of the 32-page “Putting a Stamp on the American Experience” prestige booklet that features popular subjects commemorated by the U.S. stamp program. The booklet will include two sheets of a new nondenominated (78¢) stamp featuring the first postmaster general, Benjamin Franklin.
Each stamp in the pane of 20 presents a snapshot of a different time and place experienced by the postal carrier as she walks with her mail cart along her route delivering mail to customers in a busy town. …
Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd., one of two contract printers for the USPS, printed the new forever stamps in a quantity of 25 million stamps that were finished into 1.25 million panes of 20.
A plate number consisting of a “P” followed by four single digits is printed in the bottom two corners of the pane. Each digit represents one of the colors used to print the stamp: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. …
Two pictorial first-day cancels for the 250 Years of Delivering stamps are being offered by the Postal Service, one in black and the other in color. The black postmark is applied free, up to a quantity of 50, to most collector-submitted covers. There is a 5¢ charge for each additional postmark over 50.
The black postmark features a piece of paper, sticking up from an opened envelope, with “First Day of Issue” above “250 YEARS of DELIVERING” in bold text underneath. Further date and location details are at the bottom of the cancel.
The color postmark features “250 YEARS” in red text above “OF DELIVERING” in blue with “First Day of Issue” underneath, also in blue, between a horizontal red line above and blue line below. To the right is an illustration of the mail carrier shown on the pane, with her mail cart, placing mail in a mailbox. Date and location details are in blue at the bottom of the cancel.
The color postmark can be obtained by collectors on envelopes made from laser-safe paper. There is an order minimum of 10 envelopes with a fee of 50¢ per postmark. The Postal Bulletin provides additional ordering information. Both postmarks are also applied to first-day covers manufactured and sold by the Postal Service.
All requests for the 250 Years of Delivering first-day cancels must be postmarked by Nov. 23.
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.
Why choose StampResale.com?
- At StampResale, you will find a diverse range of U.S. stamps—including classic Forever Stamps, holiday-themed issues, commemorative stamps, and specialty collections—catering to needs ranging from everyday mailing and gift-giving to serious collecting.
We also frequently offer limited-time discounts, bundle deals, and exclusive promotions, providing you with a wider selection and greater value while guaranteeing the authenticity and quality of our stamps.
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