2026 Figures of the American Revolution stamps

As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, this pane brings together portraits of 25 people whose vision, leadership, and sacrifices helped define the American Revolution. The honorees range from the well-known, such as George Washington, Abigail Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, to those less often recognized, including James Armistead, Deborah Sampson, and Cornplanter. Together, they remind us that independence was secured by the contributions of many.

Art director Ethel Kessler oversaw the ambitious project. “It’s unusual to design a pane of stamps featuring 25 different portraits,” she notes. “But that number felt essential. How else could you begin to tell the story of the Revolution’s complexity with fewer?”

Each portrait was newly created specially for the Postal Service by one of 12 artists. Their 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.

Some figures gaze out at the viewer, while others glance toward their neighbors on the pane or look beyond, as if to the future. To unify the portraits, an American flag is layered behind them. “That way, even with so many interpretations, the portraits form a unified design,” Kessler explains.

The block of 25 stamps rests against a background that features the Declaration of Independence, anchoring the portraits in one of the Revolution’s defining documents. Together, they create a visual narrative of courage, conviction, and collective effort, inviting reflection on our core values and affirming that the work of forging a nation is never finished.

The Figures of the American Revolution stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. These Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.