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A sneak peek at the stamps of 2026

The lineup includes pop culture icons and symbols of America

A collage of U.S. postage stamps bearing images of icons such as Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, George Washington, a bald eagle and classic American automobiles
The Postal Service’s 2026 stamp lineup will feature an array of cultural and historical subjects.

The Postal Service has announced many of the stamps that it will release in 2026:

• A Day at the Beach, four stamps that will convey the simple joys of an ocean vacation;

• American Bison, a stamp that will honor America’s national mammal as well as historic philately;

• Angel’s Trumpets, a 4-cent issue that will add to similar floral-themed low-denomination stamps released in 2024;

• Bald Eagle: Hatchling to Adult, five stamps that will follow the symbolic raptor’s journey from babyhood to adulthood;

• Bruce Lee, a kinetic homage to the master martial artist, actor and filmmaker (1940-1973);

• Colorado Statehood, an image of Jagged Mountain by nature photographer John Fielder (1950-1923) in honor of the 38th state’s 150th anniversary;

• Declaration of Independence, a typographic treatment of “1776” that will render the numerals in the shape of a quill pens in honor of the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding document;

• Figures of the American Revolution, a pane of stamps that will celebrate 25 individuals who helped shape the new nation;

• Harriet Powers, a tribute to the renowned quiltmaker and folk artist (1837-1910) who learned to sew while enslaved on a Georgia plantation;

• International Peace, a simple image of an origami crane folded by Sue DiCicco, founder of the Peace Crane Project;

• Love (2026), four midcentury-style birds and hearts by illustrator James Yang;

• Lowriders, five stamps with images of the customized automobiles that trace their roots to the American Southwest in the 1940s;

• Muhammad Ali, a stamp with the image of a 1974 Associated Press photo of the world-famous boxer, activist and humanitarian (1942-2016) in a pugilistic pose;

• Phillis Wheatley, the 49th entry in the Black Heritage series, will honor the first author of African descent (circa 1753-1784) to publish a book in the American Colonies;

• Route 66, a pane of 16 stamps with eight images that will celebrate the legendary highway on its 100th anniversary;

• Sarah Orne Jewett, the 35th entry in the Literary Arts series, will be a 3-ounce stamp that honors the Maine author (1849-1909) and foundational figure in American literary regionalism;

• Squirrels and Chipmunks in Winter, four images that capture the resourcefulness, adaptability and charm of these animals in cold temperatures;

• Sunflowers, an homage to the garden stalwarts prized by gardeners and pollinators; and

• Year of the Horse, the seventh stamp in the current Lunar New Year series, will feature paper-cut masks by artist Camille Chew.

“This early preview of our 2026 stamp program underscores the Postal Service’s commitment to celebrating the artistry and storytelling that make stamps so special,” said Lisa Bobb-Semple, USPS stamp services director. “Each stamp is a small work of art — an entryway into a larger story that connects people, places and moments in history. This year, we continue to honor that legacy with a diverse range of subjects and designs, from beloved series and commemorative anniversaries to bold new releases that will inspire and excite collectors and admirers alike.”

The Postal Service announced the stamps on Oct. 29. The designs are preliminary and may change.

All of the releases will be Forever stamps, unless otherwise noted.

Additional 2026 stamps will be announced later.

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A Day at the Beach will be a pane of four stamps that convey the simple joys of an ocean vacation with artwork by Gregory Manchess.
The American Bison stamp will feature a contemporary photo of a bison inset with the image of a 1923 bison stamp, when the species was beginning to rebound from near extinction.
Photographer Harold Davis backlit flowers on a lightbox and combined multiple exposures for the luminous image on the Angel’s Trumpets 4-cent stamp.
Ornithologist David Allen Sibley illustrated the Bald Eagle: Hatchling to Adult stamps, saying he hopes that “showing the series of life stages in these stamps … [would] spark curiosity and a greater appreciation for the lives of eagles.”
The Bruce Lee stamp artwork by Kam Mak will feature a painting of Lee executing his iconic high-flying kick.
The Colorado Statehood stamp will use an image of Jagged Mountain in San Juan National Forest by nature photographer John Fielder.
Juan Carlos Pagan’s artwork for the Declaration of Independence stamp will use quill pens to form the numerals “1776.”
Figures of the American Revolution will be a pane of 25 stamps paying tribute to individuals whose ideas, leadership and sacrifices were pivotal to American independence.
The Harriet Powers stamp will feature details from the quiltmaker and folk artist’s 1898 Pictorial Quilt.
The International Peace stamp will use a simple photograph of an origami crane against a sky-blue background. The crane was folded by Peace Crane Project founder Sue DiCicco.
Illustrator James Yang’s artwork for next year’s Love stamp was inspired by midcentury design and Japanese children’s book illustrations.
The Lowriders pane will include five different images of the customized automobiles known for their smaller-than-factory wheels, fancy paint jobs and special hydraulics.
Muhammad Ali will celebrate the world-renowned boxer, activist and humanitarian in a stamp with the name “ALI” alternating from top to bottom, giving the pane of stamps a sense of his legendary movement in the ring.
The 49th stamp in the Black Heritage series will honor Phillis Wheatley, the first author of African descent to publish a book in the American Colonies. The stamp image is based on a portrait by artist Kerry James Marshall.
The Route 66 stamps will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the highway author John Steinbeck called “The Mother Road,” with photographs by David Schwartz.
The Sarah Orne Jewett stamp will use an original portrait by Mark Summers with the Maine coast as background.
Squirrels and Chipmunks in Winter will feature two eastern chipmunks, an eastern red squirrel and an eastern gray squirrel in snowy landscapes.
The Sunflowers stamp will celebrate a flower prized by gardeners and pollinators alike. Illustrator Nancy Stahl used as few colors as possible to enhance the brilliance of the flowers with the stamp’s small frame.
Year of the Horse, the seventh stamp in the latest Lunar New Year series, will feature an image of a three-dimensional mask made from hand-printed paper.

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