Usps stamp release sets April 2026 debut for Revolution figures series
Starting Friday, April 10, 2026, usps customers and stamp collectors will be able to mark the nation’s Revolutionary era with a new pane of 25 Forever stamps—and an in-person debut event in Washington, D. C. At 11: 00 a. m. ET, the U. S. Postal Service will open a free, public first-day-of-issue interactive event at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum tied to the new release.
Smithsonian National Postal Museum event opens April 10 at 11: 00 a. m. ET
The most immediate change is the calendar: the first-day-of-issue interactive event for the “Figures of the American Revolution” commemorative stamps is scheduled for Friday, April 10, 2026, beginning at 11: 00 a. m. ET, and it is set to continue through Sunday, April 12. The event will be held at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum at 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE in Washington, D. C., and is free and open to the public.
USPS is also sharing news of the stamps using the hashtag #FiguresRevolutionStamps. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP online, though the event is described as open to the public.
Figures of the American Revolution pane spotlights 25 portraits in a single set
For collectors, the practical change is a new purchase option: a pane of 25 Forever stamps that honors 25 individuals whose actions helped shape the outcome of the American Revolution. The pane is arranged as five rows of five stamps, with each stamp featuring a portrait commissioned specifically for this release.
The collection is described as reflecting support for American independence from “all levels of society. ” The portraits depict various women and men, including Native Americans and African Americans, presented as a selection of people who were instrumental in helping achieve the nation’s independence. The set includes both well-known and lesser-known figures, ranging from George Washington, Abigail Adams, and Benjamin Franklin to James Armistead, Deborah Sampson, and Cornplanter.
Ethel Kessler and Tim O’Brien lead Usps design of the 25-stamp pane
The stamp pane was created under the art direction and design of USPS art director Ethel Kessler, with illustrator Tim O’Brien also credited in the project. The pane uses portraits made especially for the Postal Service by a dozen artists, with additional named contributors including Dale Stephanos, Marc Burckhardt, and Kam Mak.
Artists used a mix of approaches—some using traditional media such as oil paints and others using digital media—while each design places the American flag behind the subject, a choice meant to help the full sheet of 25 portraits read as a unified design.
Beyond the museum event, usps said customers may purchase stamps and other related philatelic products through its online Postal Store, by phone at 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide. Officially licensed stamp products are also offered through an “USPS Officially Licensed Collection” on Amazon.
Next on the calendar is the first-day-of-issue interactive event itself at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum on Friday, April 10, 2026, at 11: 00 a. m. ET. If that schedule holds, the public in-person rollout will run through Sunday, April 12, giving collectors three days of on-site programming tied to the “Figures of the American Revolution” stamps.
