The Postal Service is making available a special 1776 Declaration of Independence pictorial postmark to celebrate 250 years since the nation’s founding and recognize more than 60 historical Post Offices.
The postmark uses similar imagery as the Declaration of Independence stamp — with the numerals “1776” rendered in the shape of quill pens but displayed horizontally rather than vertically — and is stamped only with the date July 4, 2026.
Employees and customers seeking the cancellation must mail their philatelic items, with the Declaration of Independence stamp applied, to USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services, indicating the name of which of the more than 60 Post Offices that were operating in 1776 and are still open today they would like applied to their mailpieces.
Requests must be postmarked no later than 30 days after July 4.
A July 4, 2026, postmark will be available in person for hand-back service only at the Declaration of Independence stamp first-day-of-issue ceremony at the B. Free Franklin Post Office in Philadelphia.
Participating locations are in Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Virginia.
The June 25 issue of Postal Bulletin has more information about the cancellation, and a complete list of Post Offices can be found in the organization’s June 11 news release.
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