USPS Announces Additional Stamps and Release Locations for 2026

Holidays, fentanyl awareness and Coast Guard Academy featured

WASHINGTON, June 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Postal Service today announced several new stamp issues to be released later in this year, along with dates and locations for many of the announced stamps. These designs are preliminary and may change.

Diagonal U.S. Flag (stamped envelope)
USPS stamped envelopes provide the convenience of an envelope and valid postage at the Forever rate in one product. Available in different sizes, the latest stamped envelope has a patriotic theme featuring a red-white-and-blue digital image of a detail of the U.S. flag. Bryan Duefrene, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp image. "I was looking for a bolder, eye-catching way of portraying the flag and decided to focus on the elements of the Stars and Stripes rather than the flag as a whole," Duefrene said. "I experimented with different crops of the flag before finally landing on the tilted crop you see on the envelope."

U.S. Coast Guard Academy
The Postal Service continues its tradition of honoring American military academies with a stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Antonio Alcalá, an art director and stamp designer for USPS, drew inspiration for this stamp from the academy's long tradition of training cadets on the ocean. The stamp features photographs — courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard — of the USCGC Eagle, the academy's primary training vessel since 1946, and USCGC Bertholf, the Coast Guard's first national security cutter.

Know the Facts About Fentanyl (semipostal)
For years, fentanyl has fueled a national crisis that has deeply affected families and communities — but with growing awareness, improved resources and greater access to treatment and recovery support, progress is being made. With this semipostal stamp, USPS will raise funds to advance research and promote awareness to combat this ongoing epidemic while providing a message that encourages hope, healing and recovery. Net proceeds will be distributed to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the semipostal with an original illustration from Whitney Sherman..

Christmas Cookies
Since 1962, contemporary Christmas stamps have added cheer to holiday cards and letters. This year's issuance celebrates a favorite holiday pastime: baking and decorating Christmas cookies. Featuring four sugar cookies, each with distinct decorations, the stamps were designed by Kyrie Johnson — who also baked the cookies — and Greg Breeding, a USPS art director. Sarah Cramer Shields was the photographer.

Christmas: Madonna and Child
This year's traditional Christmas stamp features "The Virgin and Child Enthroned," a Netherlandish painting that dates from around the year 1500 and has been attributed to an artist known only as "The Master of the Embroidered Foliage." Scholars believe this distinctive painting, with its large central figure of Mary in red garments and an array of background details, was created in a workshop by several artists and assistants, as was common practice at the time. The painting is in the collection of the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA. The stamp was designed by Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS.

Diwali
Among the most important holidays on the Hindu calendar, the annual autumn festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil. Diwali is usually observed over five days; in 2026, the main day of the festival will be Nov. 8. This second Diwali stamp issued by USPS features a rangoli, a vibrant floor pattern traditionally made from materials such as colored rice powder, chalk and flower petals and believed to bring good luck. Photographed by Bijay Dixit, the rangoli was created by artist Sangita Bhutada, a native of India and longtime resident of the Houston area who has been a practitioner of this ancient folk art for nearly 30 years. The stamp was designed by Jennifer Arnold, and William J. Gicker was the art director. The Diwali stamp will be released in October.

Hanukkah
This year, the Postal Service issues its ninth Hanukkah stamp honoring the eight-day Jewish holiday observed by millions of people in the United States and around the world. The new stamp features a digital illustration of a dreidel that reflects both artist Lisa Perrin's Jewish heritage and Eastern European folk-art traditions. "I hope that people who celebrate Hanukkah will be excited to see a new and colorful stamp for the occasion," Perrin said. "The dreidel is used as part of a game and has a playful connotation — I hope it makes people smile!" The stamp was designed by Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS. 

Kwanzaa
This stamp, the 11th Kwanzaa stamp issued by USPS, honors the pan-African holiday observed by millions of Americans each year from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Featuring a digital illustration of a father holding his young daughter, the artwork incorporates two of the seven Kwanzaa symbols: the gift (zawadi) held by the daughter and the unity cup (kikombe cha umoja) held by the father. The color scheme — lime green, pink and yellow — is an updated take on the customary black, red and green. USPS art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with art by Cannaday Chapman.

Winter Wreath
The new holiday Global stamp features a snowy, decorated wreath, a wintertime symbol associated with the festivities of the season. Showcasing a soft color palette, the wreath was created from artificial branches and craft-store materials by photographer Natalia Kostikova, who painted the decorative ornaments and sprayed the wreath with baking soda to simulate snow. The stamp was designed by Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS.

The U.S. Postal Service also announced release dates and locations for other stamp issues this summer and fall.

Details on first-day-of-issue cities and ceremony locations for other 2026 stamps will be released throughout the year. Dates and locations are subject to change.

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. The stories behind the stamps and more are available 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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Contact: James McKean
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usps.com/news

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service