Meet Some of the People Who Shaped the American Story

Beginning in July 2025, the Postal Service embarked on a yearlong celebration of 250 years of serving the American public and America's independence. This pane of stamps is one of the many USPS programs and events occurring during the semiquincentennial.

The stamps are on display in an interactive exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum through April 13 and will be part of a secondary special dedication in late May at the Boston World Stamp Show.

"Celebrating 250 years is a once in a lifetime event," said Steve Monteith, the Postal Service's chief customer and marketing officer. "The freedom of our country was made possible by thousands of brave men and women. To be able to recognize even a small fraction of them through the images on these stamps is an honor."

"As a fitting tribute to America on its 250th birthday, 12 accomplished artists participated in this collaborative visual project to create new, modern portraits of the nation's founders," said Daniel Piazza, chief curator of philately at the National Postal Museum. "These stamps encourage viewers to see the Revolution as a broad coalition of people committed to the idea of freedom."

'Give me liberty or give me death!'

Prior to the start of the Revolutionary War, there was growing resistance to British imperial rule and taxation, without Colonial representation, throughout the 13 Colonies. Defiance of the British came from all socioeconomic levels: writers and activists; women and men (both enslaved and free); Native Americans; and lawyers and legislators. France and Spain also provided crucial international support. Their alliance added legitimacy to the fight, showed the rest of the world the struggle for independence was serious, and strengthened the Colonies' military position. The American Revolution lasted nearly a decade and reshaped the young nation and global politics.

Artwork

The pane of Forever stamps includes portraits of 25 individuals arranged in five rows of five. Beneath each portrait, the person's name and a short identifying line are printed in black. Along the bottom of each stamp, the words "USA" and "Forever" appear in gray. Each portrait draws on a historical image of the person depicted in the artwork.

Some figures gaze out at the viewer, while others glance toward their neighbors on the pane or look beyond, as if to the future. A single image of the American flag is layered behind the portraits. The flag is screened so its stars and stripes appear softly faded, providing a unifying backdrop for the 25 faces while keeping the portraits visually dominant.

The block of stamps is set on a larger background that features an image of the Declaration of Independence, adding another layer of historical context to the pane. While at the very top of the pane, a line of text reads, "Forging America's bold new beginning through courage, leadership, and sacrifice."

The first row features Abigail Adams, John Adams, Agwalongdongwas, James Armistead and Cornplanter.

Second row images include John Dickinson, Benjamin Franklin, Elizabeth Freeman, Bernardo de Gálvez and Nathanael Greene.

The third row depicts Alexander Hamilton, Lemuel Haynes, Patrick Henry, John Jay and Thomas Jefferson.

The fourth row shows Thaddeus Kosciuszko, Marquis de Lafayette, James Madison, Thomas Paine and Esther De Berdt Reed.

Appearing in the fifth and final row are Paul Revere, Deborah Sampson, Baron von Steuben, Mercy Otis Warren and George Washington.

Each portrait was created especially for the Postal Service by one of 12 artists: Julia Bottoms, Kam Mak, Tim O'Brien, Alex Bostic, Gary Kelley, Michael J. Deas, Karla Ortiz, Roberto Parada, Dale Stephanos, Marc Burckhardt, Sharon Irla and Julia Kolesova.

The artists' varied approaches reflect the individuality of the subjects. Some worked in traditional oil paints or egg tempera, others in pastels or digital media, resulting in a collection that balances historical likenesses with fresh, contemporary interpretations.

Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, is the stamp designer. She was at the release event along with some of the stamp artists for a meet and greet and to sign autographs.

Figures of the American Revolution are being issued as Forever stamps in a pane of 25. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

For more information about the individuals represented in the portraits please visit https://www.stampsforever.com/stamps/figures-of-the-american-revolution.

News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #FiguresoftheAmericanRevolution.

Figures of the American Revolution Forever stamps are available at Post Office locations nationwide and on usps.com.

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. Additional information on stamps, First Day of Issue Ceremonies and stamp inspired products can be found at StampsForever.com.

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 more than 170 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is celebrating its 250th year of service to customers amidst a network modernization plan aimed at restoring long-term financial sustainability, improving service, and maintaining 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.

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Media contact: Kim Frum
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Local contact: Mark Wahl 
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SOURCE U.S. Postal Service