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2026
Preliminary stamp program for 2026. Details from all USPS announcements are tentative and subject to change. All sheet or pane issues have plate numbers in four corners (UL, UR, LL, LR) unless otherwise specified.
Denominations in parentheses are Forever stamps, if first class rate, or nominal rate, if service-inscribed. From July 13, 2025 to July 11, 2026, the first class rate was 78¢, extra ounce 29¢, postcard rate 61¢, and the Global airmail rate $1.70 per ounce (or for the first two ounces, for mail to Canada). Semi-postal stamps were 90¢, serving 78¢ in postage with a 12¢ donation of a bit over 15%. In addition, the surcharge for non-machinable mail was $1.27; it no longer matched the 2-ounce rate, although this has merely been a coincidence when these rates happened to match in the past. On July 12, 2026, the first class rate increased to 82¢ (up 4¢), extra ounce remained at 29¢, postcard rate 65¢ (up 4¢), non-machinable surcharge 39¢ for a total of $1.31 with the increased first class rate. The Global airmail rate increased to $1.75. Coil stamps have plate numbers at the bottom center of single stamps and appear in the coil roll at the interval specified.
Plate numbers and copyright markings for self-adhesive booklet stamps or ATM panes appear on a peelable strip within the pane. Copyright, Pane Position Diagrams (PPD), ZIP code, math aids and other markings have appeared on the back of most regular issues for several years. As it does every year, USPS moved the tiny date appearing on new stamp designs. For 2026 issues, it appeared horizontally in the upper right corner.
Regular issues and commemoratives
4¢ Angel's Trumpets pane of 20, additional value in the low denomination Flowers stamps (Scott 6044): B11111
4¢ Angel's Trumpets coil of 10,000 (Scott 6045): B11111 every 27 stamps A coil of 500 is also offered, but it is a marketing convenience -- merely 500 stamps cut from the coil of 10,000.
(F) Love birds (four designs) (Scott 6046-6049, block or strip of four 6049b): B1111 (F) Love birds imperf (four designs) (Scott 6046a-6049a, block or strip of four 6049c): B1111 A (2 oz.) Love stamp was announced in 2025 but appears to have been postponed. (F) Muhammad Ali (Scott 6050-6051) and imperf (Scott 6050a-6051a): B111111 on Scott 6051 (red lettering) at LL and LR
(F) Colorado statehood (Scott 6052) and imperf (Scott 6052a): P1111
(F) Phyllis Wheatley (Scott 6053) and imperf (Scott 6053a): P1111 in LL and LR
(F) Lunar Year of the Horse (Scott 6054) and imperf (Scott 6054a): B111111
(F) Bruce Lee (Scott 6055) and imperf (Scott 6055a): P11111 at LL and LR
$11.95 Crab Nebula Priority Mail pane of 4 (Scott 6056): B1111 at UL and LR Shortly after the stamp was issued, USPS announced a plan to institute a "temporary" 8% surcharge on certain package rates, from April 2026 to January 2027. The priority mail rate of $11.95 that this stamp was intended to fulfill is one of the rates that they plan to temporarily surcharge. The new rate would be about $12.90. It is unclear whether a new Priority Mail stamp will be issued, or the existing stock of $11.95 stamps might be revalued in some way, or they will simply use labels instead of stamps during the temporary rate period.
$33.25 Galaxy Pair Express Mail pane of 4 (Scott 6057): B1111 at UL and LR
Quilt with animals (preliminary Scott 6061) and imperf (preliminary Scott 6061a)
Olds Cutlass Supreme (Scott 6064) and red Chevy Impala (Scott 6066) Imperf Olds Cutlass Supreme (Scott 6064a) and imperf red Chevy Impala (Scott 6066a)
(F) Sunflowers booklet of 20 (Scott 6067): B11111 at L and R
Paul Revere (Scott 6068u) and George Washington (Scott 6068y) Imperf Paul Revere (preliminary Scott 6068au) and imperf George Washington (preliminary Scott 6068ay)
(F) Happy Birthday Cake (2026) (Scott 6069): B1111
Sand Castle (Scott 6070) and Seagull (Scott 6071)
Conoco Tower Station (Scott 6078) and Beverly Hills City Hall (Scott 6081) Oddly, USPS chose to issue these stamps in Phoenix, Arizona. While Route 66 crossed northern Arizona, it didn't come anywhere near Phoenix. Chicago, Springfield (Illinois), St. Louis, Springfield (Missouri), Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Flagstaff and Los Angeles -- or all of these! -- are major cities actually served by Route 66 that could have been better choices for first day of issue ceremonies.
Imperf Conoco Tower Station (Scott 6078a) and Beverly Hills City Hall (Scott 6081a)
Bald Eagle one week old (Scott 6082) and Bald Eagle adult (Scott 6086)
Imperf Bald Eagle one week old (Scott 6082a) and imperf Adult Bald Eagle (Scott 6086a) (F) Treasures of the American Revolution (10 designs, Scott 6087-6096): prestige booklet, no p#
(F) Mister Rogers, reissue of Scott 5275 from 2018 but with 2026 date (Scott 6097) and imperf (Scott 6097a): B11111 at LL and LR There had been some expectation that this issue might be assigned Scott 5275a, as that has been the standard practice when the only design difference on a reissue is the tiny date.
Mister Rogers and Trolley (preliminary Scott 6098a) and Mister Rogers with tiger puppet (preliminary Scott 6098d) The USPS press release omitted mention of the plate numbers, which are unusual on a modern souvenir sheet.
(F) American Bison, redesign of the 30¢ Fourth Bureau issue, Scott 569 (Scott 6099); also imperf (Scott 6099a): P1111 at LL and LR The initial USPS press release described this as a booklet of 20 with p# B11111 at L and R. Cowgirl (Scott 6103) from The global airmail rate increased to $1.75 on July 12, 2026.
(F) International Peace / origami dove (Scott 6104) and imperf (Scott 6104a): P1111 at LL and LR
(F) North American Soccer (Scott 6105) and imperf (Scott 6105a): B111111 (F) American Icons, pane of 13 (preliminary Scott 6106): B111111 at LL and LR The central design of a knitted 13-star flag with gold lettering and "knitted" background was used as the basis for the coils and booklets issued the same day, but with dark blue lettering and a white background.
(F) Knitted Flag, pane of 20 (preliminary Scott 6107): B1111 (F) Knitted Flag coil of 100, Ashton-Potter printing (preliminary Scott 6108): P1111 every 31 stamps
(F) Knitted Flag coil of 100, BCA printing (preliminary Scott 6109): B1111 every 31 stamps (F) Knitted Flag coils of 3,000 and 10,000: B1111 every 27 stamps
(F) Knitted Flag, booklet pane of 20, Ashton-Potter printing: P1111
(F) Knitted Flag, booklet pane of 20, BCA printing: B1111 (5¢) Summer Sunset non-profit self-adhesive, coils of 3k and 10k: P1111 every 27 stamps (F) Declaration of Independence: B111 at LL and LR (F) Barbie, pane of 10 designs: B1111 at LL and LR The first class rate increased to 82¢ on July 12, 2026. (3 oz.) Sarah Orne Jewett: P11111 Initial Forever value 82¢ + 29¢ + 29¢ = $1.40 (F) Coast Guard Academy 150th anniversary (F) Christmas Cookies, four designs, booklet of 20 (F) Kwanzaa (F) Squirrels and Chipmunks booklet of 20: p# at T and B (F) Hanukkah (F) Fentanyl Abuse semi-postal (preliminary Scott B8) (F $1.75) Winter Wreath Global Forever (F) Diwali
Airmail issues Although the global airmail stamps of the last few years are intended to meet an international airmail rate, they are actually valid for all types of mailings. As there is no indication in the stamps' designs that they are restricted to or primarily intended for airmail purposes, Scott assigns a regular catalog number rather than one with the traditional C prefix. We display additional images of these stamps at the end of the Modern Airmails web page, but with the non-airmail catalog number that is assigned to each issue.
Hunting Permit stamps
$25 self-adhesive hunting permit stamp for 2026-2027 (Scott RW93): P1111 $25 hunting permit self-adhesive pane of 1 (preliminary Scott RW93A): no plate numbers $25 hunting permit E-Stamp pane of 1 (preliminary Scott RW93B): no plate numbers
The plate number information appearing on this page has been contributed by APNSS members Jim Cochrane and Rick Burdsall.
A complete listing and valuation of plate numbers, positions and other marginal markings, along with catalog pricing, will appear in the next edition of the Hebert's Catalog of Plate Number Singles.
Related links
Opinions expressed by authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the APNSS, its officers or members.
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