Postal Service announces two additions to 2026 stamp program and upcoming first-day dates and locations

In a Feb. 17 press release, the United States Postal Service announced two new stamps added to the 2026 U.S. program, a nondenominated (78¢) forever Happy Birthday stamp and a nonprofit organization stamp featuring a summer sunset, as well as details on upcoming first-day-of-issue dates and locations for previously announced 2026 issues.

Designed by illustrator Lisa Congdon from original artwork, the new Happy Birthday stamp pictures a large white birthday cake with pink trim and nine lit candles at the top. The uppercase stacked text “Happy Birth Day!” appears on the side of the cake in pink, blue, red and orange letters with the “i” in “Birth” dotted with a blue heart.

Under the direction of Postal Service art director Greg Breeding, the new issue is the first time since the 2021 Birthday Hat, Confetti and Streamers stamp (Scott 5635) that the Postal Service has issued a stamp specifically for birthday mail. USPS stamp services director Lisa Bobb-Semple said, “Many customers have submitted ideas for occasion-specific stamps such as these and we are pleased to be able to fulfill this request from the public.” The Happy Birthday stamp will be released April 18 in Providence, R.I.

The USPS also announced a new Summer Sunset nonprofit organization coil stamp for bulk mailings by authorized nonprofit organizations which features an oil painting by artist Rachael Cassiani of a sunset over water in Menemsha, Mass., a small fishing village on Martha’s Vineyard.

USPS art director Derry Noyes, designer of the stamp, said, “A postage stamp that celebrates looking out over a body of water at the end of a summer day seems to fit well for a nonprofit organization.” The stamps will be issued June 25 in Edgartown, Mass., in coils of 3,000 and 10,000.

Also announced by the Postal Service were first-day-of-issue dates and locations for upcoming 2026 issues.

A pane of 25 titled Figures of the American Revolution commemorating political thinkers, soldiers, diplomats and citizens who shaped the struggle for American independence will be issued April 10 in Washington, D.C.

On April 24 the Westpex stamp show in Burlingame, Calif., will host the first-day ceremony for the set of four A Day at the Beach stamps, while a pane of 16 with eight different designs celebrating the 100^th anniversary of Route 66, the road connecting Chicago and Los Angeles, will be issued May 5 in Phoenix, Ariz.

A new set of five stamps titled Bald Eagle: Hatchling to Adult depicting America’s national bird at various life stages, will have a first-day ceremony set for May 14 in Wabasha, Minn.

Finally, on July 4 in Philadelphia, Pa., marking the nation’s semiquincentennial, the Postal Service will issue the Declaration of Independence stamp which features the numerals “1776” shaped like quill pens.

Additional stamp subjects as they are announced will appear in upcoming issues of Linn’s. These designs are preliminary and may change.

Connect with Linn’s Stamp News: 

    Sign up for our newsletter