History, Animals and Natural Beauty Are
Featured
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Postal Service today
announced many of the stamps it will issue in 2024.
"As always, our stamp program features a broad array of subjects
and designs. Stamps are miniature works of art and often tell a
story that highlights our American culture, our people or an
important point in our history," said Lisa
Bobb-Semple, acting Stamp Services director for USPS.
"Stamps also allow us to show what's important to us as we
carefully select which stamp adorns our mailpieces. The 2024 stamps
were designed to offer the American public a broad array of choices
for those looking to collect stamps or send a special message."
This is a partial list, with more to be revealed in the weeks
and months ahead. All stamp designs are preliminary and subject to
change.
Lunar New Year ∙ Year of the Dragon
The
fifth of 12 stamps in the latest Lunar New Year stamp series
celebrates the Year of the Dragon. Calling to mind the elaborately
decorated masks used in dances often performed in Lunar New Year
parades, this three-dimensional mask depicting a dragon is a
contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk art
crafts created during this auspicious time of year. The dragon mask
design incorporates colors and patterns with symbolic meaning.
Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp and
pane with original art by Camille
Chew.
Love
The 2024 Love stamp features a stylized bird in
flight bearing a message of love in its beak. Made of four
geometric shapes shown against a rich red background, the white
bird carries a pink envelope sealed with a red heart. Antonio
Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed this stamp with an
original digital illustration by Katie
Kirk.
U.S. Flags
The Postal Service continues its tradition
of celebrating the U.S. flag with these stamps, available in
booklets of 20 and in coils of 100, 3,000 and 10,000. Four stamps
feature the flag majestically waving at different times of the day.
While the shapes and colors of the clouds change, the sun is always
shining on Old Glory. Shown from a low-angle perspective, the flags
draw attention upward, toward the magic of the sky. Illustrator
Laura Stutzman painted the designs
using gouache on illustration board. Ethel
Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps.
Constance Baker Motley
The 47th stamp in the Black Heritage series honors Constance Baker Motley (1921–2005), the first
African American woman known to have argued a case before the
United States Supreme Court and the first to serve as a federal
judge. The stamp features a portrait of Motley created by
Charly Palmer. The stenciled
circular shapes create a subtle crowning effect, and the heavy
brushstrokes and scratches add texture to the acrylic-on-canvas
work. Stenciled curlicues embellish the lower background and
continue onto Motley's black dress. Derry
Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp.
$1 Floral Geometry
In
2024, a new Floral Geometry stamp, denominated at $1, will be available for purchase. The stamp
will complement the similarly designed $2 and $5 stamps
issued in 2022 and the $10 stamp
issued in 2023. The stamps lend an elegant and contemporary
appearance to packages, large envelopes and other mailings. The
stamp art features a series of overlapping geometric shapes that
mimic the symmetry of floral patterns found in nature. The
watercolor background and the glimmer of the foil-stamped design
and typography create a sophisticated look. This stamp will be
issued in panes of 10. The stamps were designed and created by the
firm Spaeth Hill. Antonio Alcalá served as art director for
USPS.
Pillars of Creation (Priority Mail)
Captured by the
James Webb Space Telescope, this extremely high-definition infrared
image shows the magnificent Pillars of Creation formation within
the Eagle Nebula. By assigning color to various wavelengths, the
digitized image allows us to see a landscape otherwise invisible to
the human eye. Red areas toward the end of the pillars show
burgeoning stars ejecting raw materials as they form, while the
relatively small red orbs scattered throughout the image show newly
born stars. Greg Breeding, an art
director for USPS, designed the stamp with an image provided by the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European
Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency and the Space Telescope
Science Institute.
Cosmic Cliffs (Priority Mail Express)
This remarkable
image from the James Webb Space Telescope is a digitally colored
depiction of the invisible bands of mid-infrared light emitted by
the Cosmic Cliffs of the Carina Nebula. Red and yellow flares
scattered throughout the cliffs show developing and newly born
stars. The orange-and-brown clouds in the lower third of the image
are swirls of dust and gas. Additional stars, in our Milky Way and
in distant galaxies, appear in the blue and black regions above and
beyond the nebula. Greg Breeding, an
art director for USPS, designed the stamp using an image provided
by NASA, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency and
the Space Telescope Science Institute.
Low Denomination Flowers (1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 cents)
A new series of low
denomination stamps will debut in 2024. Each stamp will showcase a
different flower design: 1-cent
fringed tulip, 2-cent daffodils,
3-cent peonies, 5-cent red tulips and 10-cent poppies and coneflowers. Photographer
Harold Davis combines innovative
technology with digital painting and photographic techniques to
arrive at his unique floral designs. These stamps will be available
in panes of 20 and coils of 10,000. Ethel
Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps.
Save Manatees
The Save Manatees stamp will be issued
to create awareness about the threats posed to this beloved marine
mammal. Human vigilance is crucial for its protection — both to
minimize motorboat strikes and to maintain the aquatic plants on
which the manatee feeds in the warm coastal waters in and around
Florida. The stamp art is a
digital rendering of a manatee placidly lolling near the surface of
the water. Derry Noyes, an art
director for USPS, designed the stamp and booklet cover using
illustrator Nancy Stahl's original
graphic design.
Underground Railroad
From the time slavery was
introduced to the Colonies until it was abolished in 1865, enslaved
people tried to escape. This stamp issuance commemorates the
Underground Railroad, as their resistance efforts became known. The
pane of 20 stamps features 10 sepia-toned portraits of men and
women who escaped slavery and/or helped others escape: Catharine Coffin, Frederick Douglass, Thomas Garrett, Laura
Haviland, Lewis Hayden,
Harriet Jacobs, William Lambert, Jermain Loguen, William Still and Harriet Tubman. Below each portrait are eight
lines of text: BLACK/WHITE; COOPERATION; TRUST/DANGER;
FLIGHT/FAITH; COURAGE/RISK; DEFIANCE/HOPE; UNDERGROUND;
RAILROAD/USA. On the pane's verso
is a map showing the general routes freedom seekers followed and a
list of individuals pictured on the stamps with a few words of
biographical information about each. Antonio Alcalá, an art
director for USPS, designed the stamps using existing images.
Radiant Star
Radiant Star will be a new presorted
standard stamp intended for bulk mailers and will be sold in
self-adhesive coils of 3,000 and 10,000. In this vibrant graphic
design, red and white stripes radiate from a blue star. The star is
in two shades of blue to give it a three-dimensional look. Antonio
Alcalá was the art director for USPS on the project. The stamp was
designed by Carol Beehler.
Wedding Blooms
This 2-ounce floral stamp can be used
to accommodate the weight of heavy invitations for birthdays,
weddings, anniversaries and other celebrations; oversized greeting
cards; and small gifts that require extra postage. This stamp is
similar in design to the Celebration Blooms Forever stamp, also to
be issued in 2024. The two will form a natural pair. This stamp
features a vertical graphic illustration of brilliantly colored
flowers rendered in ink and gouache paint. Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed
the stamp using an existing illustration by artist Kim Parker.
Celebration Blooms
Similar in design to the 2-ounce
Wedding Blooms stamp, this floral Forever stamp can be used on the
RSVP envelopes often enclosed with wedding invitations. A beautiful
addition to regular correspondence, it is also ideal for party
invitations, thank-you notes and important announcements. The stamp
features a horizontal graphic illustration of brilliantly colored
flowers rendered in ink and gouache paint. Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed
the stamp using an existing illustration by artist Kim Parker.
Garden Delights
These stamps will be available for
mailers who enjoy adorning their cards and letters with beautiful
stamps depicting nature scenes. In each of the four photographs, a
different female ruby-throated hummingbird hovers next to either a
zinnia, cigar flower, spotted touch-me-not or sunflower. Garden
Delights will be issued in booklets of 20. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS,
designed the stamps using existing photographs by wildlife
photographer Ben King.
Saul Bellow
The 34th
issuance in the Literary Arts series honors novelist Saul Bellow (1915-2005). Winner of three
National Book Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize, Bellow
is widely regarded as one of the greatest authors of the 20th
century. The stamp art is a portrait of Bellow in pen, ink and
watercolor based on photographs from 1982. In the background is a
street scene of Chicago, where he
lived most of his life. Ethel
Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the 3- ounce
stamp with original art by Joe
Ciardiello.
Pinback Buttons
These vibrant stamps will add cheer
and whimsical flair to cards and envelopes. The pane of 20 stamps
features 10 typographic designs by 10 different artists in their
unique styles, each with a single word as the prominent element ––
smile (Don Clark), hello! (Tré
Seals), peace (Jay Fletcher), love
(Juan Carlos Pagan), fun
(Gia Graham), sweet (Jeff Rogers), yes! (Ryan
Feerer), cheers! (Lisa
Congdon), kudos! (DKNG Studios) and happy (Gina Triplett). The round shape of the stamps,
as well as shadowing and reflection effects, give the appearance of
three-dimensional pinback buttons. The pane verso features an
illustration of a round silver button back with pin fastener
repeated 20 times, one for each pinback button stamp shown on the
front of the pane. Greg Breeding, an
art director for USPS, designed the stamps.
Protect Sea Turtles
This issuance encourages the
protection of sea turtles, one of the oldest groups of animals on
Earth. These ancient mariners can migrate long distances,
sometimes crossing entire oceans. The pane of 18 stamps features
close-up photographs of six species — the loggerhead, leatherback,
hawksbill, Kemp's ridley, olive ridley and green sea turtle — that
depend on U.S. coastal waters for foraging and migratory habitats
during various stages of their life. All six are listed and
protected under the Endangered Species Act. Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed
the stamps and stamp pane using existing images.
Shaker Design
The year 2024 will mark the 250th
anniversary of the arrival of the first Shakers in the United States. Shaker communities made
much of what they needed for daily life themselves, including
furniture, fabrics, communal buildings and houses. These 12 stamps
feature beautiful photographs of items that highlight the core
elements of Shaker design: simplicity and utility. Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed
the stamps with existing photographs by Michael Freeman.
Horses
This stamp issuance celebrates America's love
of horses. Once instrumental in the early economic development of
the United States, horses are now
valued athletes and loyal companions, and are important in law
enforcement, forestry, entertainment, equine therapy and cattle
ranching. This pane of 20 stamps features five photographs of
beautiful equines, each in profile. The selvage showcases a sixth
horse. Derry Noyes, an art director
for USPS, designed these stamps with existing photographs by
Stephanie Moon and Karen Wegehenkel.
Bluegrass
Bluegrass music combines elements of
country music, sacred songs, string band music, the blues and
traditions of Scotland and
Ireland into a style that is
uniquely American. The stamp art showcases a graphic design that
includes four of the string instruments typically used by bluegrass
bands: guitar, fiddle, five-string banjo and mandolin. Antonio
Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp with original
art by Heather Moulder.
First Continental Congress, 1774
In 2024, the Postal
Service commemorates the 250th anniversary of the First Continental
Congress. Made up of delegates from 12 of the 13 Colonies, the
First Continental Congress convened in 1774 to decide how the
Colonies should respond to increasing threats to their freedom. In
addition to denouncing taxation without representation, the
Congress called for a general boycott of British goods. It also
issued a declaration of rights that included life, liberty,
property and trial by jury, and laid the foundation for government
during the American Revolution. The stamp art features a quote from
the Congress's protest letter to the King of England. The 12 stars stand for the 12
Colonies represented at the meeting. (Georgia did not agree with the protest and did
not send representatives.) Antonio Alcalá served as art director,
designer and typographer for this stamp.
Autumn Colors
The radiant beauty of fall will be
celebrated with 10 new stamps in a pane of 20, featuring a
portfolio of brilliant photographs taken in a variety of locations
around the United States.
Ethel Kessler, an art director for
USPS, designed the stamps with existing photographs by renowned
nature and garden photographer Allen
Rokach (1941–2021).
Christmas Madonna and Child
A new traditional
Christmas stamp will be issued in 2024 featuring the Madonna and
Child from the Workshop of Sassoferrato. Giovanni Battista Salvi da
Sassoferrato (1609-1685), gained popularity for his modestly scaled
depictions of the Madonna and Child. It is not known whether he
painted this work or if it was painted by another artist in his
workshop. The painting is in the collection of the Indianapolis
Museum of Art at Newfields. William
Gicker was the art director for the project. Greg Breeding designed the stamp, which will be
sold in booklets of 20.
Hanukkah
A new stamp celebrating the joyous Jewish
holiday of Hanukkah will be issued in 2024. The art is a graphic
depiction of a hanukiah, the nine-branch candelabra used only at
Hanukkah, with all candles lighted, signifying the last evening of
the holiday. The artwork is created mostly in blue and white,
common Hanukkah colors. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS,
designed and illustrated the stamp art.
Kwanzaa
The Postal Service will issue its 10th stamp
celebrating Kwanzaa in 2024. Observed from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, the annual pan-African holiday
brings together family, community and culture. The artwork for this
colorful stamp is a digital collage depicting three figures: a male
drummer and two female dancers. The art was inspired by a live
performance witnessed by the artist, Ekua
Holmes, during a Kwanzaa event. Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS,
designed the stamp.
Winter Whimsy
Four new stamps in a booklet of 20
celebrate the winter season with lacy, symmetrical graphic forms
inspired by snowflakes. Each stamp in the block of four includes a
unique design in white against a background of a single color: navy
blue, teal, tan or dark blue-green. Greg
Breeding was the art director for the project. Bailey Sullivan designed and illustrated the
stamps.
Postal Products
Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products
through the Postal Store at
usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail
through USA Philatelic or
at select Post Office locations nationwide. For officially licensed
stamp products, shop the USPS Officially Licensed Collection on
Amazon.
Please Note: The United States Postal Service is an
independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing
and to serve every American community through the affordable,
reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to nearly 165
million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a
bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a
10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America,
to modernize the postal network, restore long-term financial
sustainability, dramatically improve service across all mail and
shipping categories, and maintain the organization as one of
America's most valued and trusted brands.
The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for
operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and
services to fund its operations.
For USPS media resources, including broadcast-quality video and
audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us
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Postal Service, visit usps.com and
facts.usps.com.
Contact: James McKean
jim.mckean@usps.gov
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SOURCE U.S. Postal Service