These stamps will be issued Tuesday, May 4th. 10 different Digital Color Postmarks!
[press release; announced January 26th]
New ‘Star Wars’ Stamps Are Coming This Spring
Collect All 10 Character-Inspired Stamps Featuring Beloved Droids
WASHINGTON, DC — The first characters fans meet in the first “Star Wars” film, “Star Wars: A New Hope,” are droids — namely C-3PO and R2-D2 — and droids have continued to play pivotal roles throughout the “Star Wars” galaxy. 
With 10 dazzling new character-inspired stamps, the Postal Service salutes beloved droids from the “Star Wars” galaxy and the imagination that brings these technological marvels to the screen.
Representing more than four decades of innovation and storytelling, the droids featured in this pane of 20 stamps are IG-11, R2-D2, K-2SO, D-O, L3-37, BB-8, C-3PO, a GNK (or Gonk) power droid, 2-1B surgical droid and C1-10P, commonly known as “Chopper.”
The characters are shown against backgrounds representing settings of memorable adventures. The selvage features a passageway from the floating Cloud City above the planet Bespin, introduced in “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.”
These set of droids are a nod to Lucasfilm’s, as well as its parent company, Disney’s, commitment to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning and the continued collaboration between “Star Wars: Force for Change” and global pre-K-12 
nonprofit organization “FIRST” (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).
“Star Wars: Force for Change” and “FIRST” have joined forces to expand access to STEM learning to more young people around the world, and to help them envision a brighter, more inclusive future.
Lucasfilm, the studio that created the “Star Wars” franchise, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021.
Greg Breeding was the designer of the stamps and pane. William Gicker was the art director.
Additional details about the new “Star Wars” droids-inspired stamp collection, including the issue date, will be announced later this year.
Additional information about this issue will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top. You can click on the 10- and 20-stamp pictures for bigger versions.
Updated April 5th
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:
This DCP measures 2.89″ x 1.45″
This DCP measures 2.91″ x 1.29″
This DCP measures 2.75″ x 1.48″
This DCP measures 2.88″ x 1.40″
This DCP measures 2.90″ x 1.41″
This DCP measures 2.98″ x 1.33″
This DCP measures 2.87″ x 1.30″
This DCP measures 2.85″ x 1.48″ 
This DCP measures 2.81″ x 1.40″ 
This DCP measures 2.94″ x 1.30″ 
The pictorial for this issue measures 2.75″ x 1.35″ 
The “special” postmark for cities other than Nicasio on days other than the first-day, measures 2.82″ x 1.06″
From Celia Rodriguez at USPS Cancellation Services: “There are is (1) B/W Rubber FDOI pictorial, (1) B/W Rubber FDOI bullseye, (1) Metal Killerbar FDOI, and (10) DCP FDOI pictorials available for this issue. You may request any combination of postmarks [except the “special”] for this issue to go with any of the 10 stamp designs.”
Updated March 25th, from the Postal Bulletin:
On May 4, 2021, in Nicasio, CA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Star Wars Droids stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in 10 designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 577600). These stamps will go on sale nationwide May 4, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Star Wars Droids commemorative pane of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.
With 10 dazzling new stamps, the Postal Service salutes Star Wars Droids and the imagination that brings these helpful, technological marvels to the screen. Representing more than four decades of innovation and storytelling, the droids featured are:
- IG-11,
- R2-D2,
- K-2SO,
- D-O,
- L3-37,
- BB-8,
- C-3PO,
- Gonk Droid,
- 2-1B Droid, and
- Chopper.
The characters are shown against backgrounds representing settings of memorable adventures. The selvage features a passageway in the floating Cloud City, introduced in Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back. Greg Breeding was the designer of the stamps and pane. William Gicker was the art director.
Item 577600, Star Wars Droids PSA Pane of 20 Stamps
Automatic distribution.
How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may 
purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:
FDOI – Star Wars Droids Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900
After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by September 4, 2021.
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Star Wars Droids Stamps
Item Number: 577600
Denomination &Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (10 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: May 4, 2021, Nicasio, CA 94946
Art Director: William Gicker, Washington, DC
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Flexographic
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 60,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS Cool Gray 7C
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area 1 (w x h): 0.84 x 1.7102 in./ 21.336 x 43.439 mm
Stamp Size 1 (w x h): 0.98 x 1.8502 in./ 24.892 x 46.995 mm
Image Area 2 (w x h): 0.84 x 1.2747 in./ 21.336 x 32.377 mm
Stamp Size 2 (w x h): 0.98 x 1.414 in./ 24.892 x 35.915 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 6.45 x 8.87 in./163.83 x 225.298 mm
Plate Size: 80 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by five (5) single digits in bottom two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Star Wars™ Droids • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: Star Wars elements: © & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd. • ©2021 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (577600) • Plate position diagram (4) • Promotional text
Updated March 4th:
[press release]
May the 4th Be With You
New Droids Stamps Celebrate STEM Education; Available May 4
WHAT: Technology plays a prominent role in the “Star Wars” films, most notably with the droids. The U.S. Postal Service will recognize the loveable machines from the “Star Wars” galaxy with 10 dazzling new character-inspired Forever stamps.
These droids are a nod to the commitment of Lucasfilm and its parent company, Disney, to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning and the continued collaboration between the “Star Wars: Force for Change” philanthropic initiative and global pre-K-12 nonprofit organization FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).
Greg Breeding was the designer of the stamps and pane. William Gicker was the art director.
News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtags #StarWarsDroidsStamps and #DroidsStamps
WHO: Isaac Cronkhite, Chief Logistics and Processing Operations Officer and Executive Vice President, U.S. Postal Service
Disney/Lucasfilm representative(s) to be determined
WHEN: Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at 11 a.m. Eastern Time/8 a.m. Pacific Time
WHERE: A virtual dedication ceremony will be posted on the Postal Service’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Please visit usps.com/starwarsdroidsstamps for details.
A pictorial postmark of the designated first-day-of-issue city, Nicasio, CA, will be available at usps.com/shopstamps.
BACKGROUND: “Star Wars” droids — the beloved mechanical characters from a galaxy far, far away — are adored worldwide for their relatable, funny, quirky and sometimes emotional personalities. And they have entertained and inspired fans for more than four decades.
“Star Wars: Force for Change” and FIRST are working together to expand access to STEM learning to inspire more young people around the world, and to help them envision a brighter, more inclusive future.
Featured in a pane of 20 stamps, and arranged in staggered, horizontal rows, the stamps vary in size and depict 10 of the more well-known droids in the “Star Wars” universe — IG-11, R2-D2, K-2SO, D-O, L3-37, BB-8, a 2-1B surgical droid, a GNK (or Gonk) power droid, C-3P0 and C1-10P, otherwise known as Chopper.
Lucasfilm, the studio that created the “Star Wars” franchise, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021.
The “Star Wars” droids-inspired stamps are being issued as Forever stamps, which will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.
Preorders for the Droids Forever stamps can be made online at usps.com/stamps and by phone at 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), beginning April 5.
Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide.
From The Virtual Stamp Club:
Nicasio, Calif., the first-day city, is located about an hour northwest of San Francisco, or 25 miles as the crow flies.
The town’s ZIP code is 94946.
Wikipedia does not list any Lucasfilm- or Star Wars-related films that were shot in Nicasio, and the only notable resident mentioned is the late Jerry Garcia, who would not have been likely to attend the first-day ceremony even if it weren’t going to be a virtual one. George Lucas does live somewhere in the same county, Marin County. Internet Movie Database (IMDB) says he lives in San Anselmo, about 10 miles away.
And still no John Glenn stamp…unbelievable.
Don’t give up hope. If there will be a John Glenn Centennial stamp or stamps, I expect a separate announcement, and have since the first group of 2021s were announced.
I just don’t understand USPS advisory committee. No John Glenn….
But they put out another Star Wars stamp that was issued some years ago. I just don’t understand the logic.
Seems like a thankless job for sure.
I even wonder are their any stamp collectors on the committee. If not they should think about having a few on to get opinion from collector point of view. I think maybe half the committee should be stamp collectors.
I wonder how one gets appointed for the USPS advisory committee? Who should I be making friends with? haha
Not only no John Glenn stamp, but no Chuck Yeager stamp . The heroes of our past seems to be forgotten. The Star Wars stamps are fine , are they really more important that the heroes mentioned above. I know is a business and I’m sure droids will out sale all the other stamps
Yeager died too recently. The current rule states three years after death, except when the USPS decides otherwise. He won’t be eligible until 10 months after the centennial of his birth. The USPS could “fudge” the three years, saying “2023 is 3 years after 2020, never mind the month,” as it did with Maya Angelou. Three years is also about how far in advance the USPS works on its stamp program.
I still think a John Glenn issue is coming, just not announced yet. But I have no confirmation on this, just a feeling.
Back to Droids!
I need a little help given that my current Star Wars knowledge is lacking. Which droids appeared in which episodes of Star Wars films? I probably can ask my grandchildren and they could answer chapter and verse for me.
Your grandchildren might be the best bet! Failing that, Wikipedia (of course) has a List of Droid Characters.
Thanks worked great
As the Wikipedia article on Star Wars droids points out, “droid” is short for “android,” which in classical science fiction meant a human-looking robot, especially one that could pass for human. Therefore, in my opinion, calling R2-D2 an android is a mistake. But the “Star Wars” universe doesn’t call R2-D2 an android, it calls it a “droid.”
The word “droid” has been copyrighted by Lucasfilm.
While I absolutely agree with your point about people like John Glenn, Let me saythat one of you mentioned getting in touch with his grandchildren to find out about Droids. Since our misinformed Government has never supported the USPS in a manner which it needs to be supported, and instead leaves it to rely on sales of products, then I believe it needs to revert to issues which will be noticed and bought by our Grandchildren and the like. I happen to be a Star Wars fan along with many other fantasy tales like the Hobbit movies. I believe John Glenn will get a stamp as well as others who deserve that great honor. I am sure the members of the Advisory Committee do their best in supporting some very nice issues. I am perhaps a 78 year old who never grew up.
I am trying to find out what sizes the stamps are going to be issued as so I can have enough Scott Dark stamp mounts on hand when they arrive.
Good timing! The information was just released and is posted above.
Thank you.
I produce my own stamp pages which has the original stamp, additional stamp subject image and information about the stamp subject. It is almost a history textbook but about stamps. I designed it to be past on to my granddaughter after I am gone.
Again, thank you for all of your assistance.
The new Star Wars Droid issue is being listed as a group of ten stamps,, one of five issues this year in units of ten. Consider that counting regular & digital first day covers the USPS has 192 new issues scheduled for 2021. This list is NOT complete not including possible xmas, Eid,Hannakah and Kwanza. Are things getting out of control?
I happen to agree with you whole-heartedly. If collectors could somehow unify for just one year and buy nothing but our normal postage use needs, thus saddling the USPS with an abundance of overstocked stamps, we could get their attention. Such unity of collectors would be most difficult to achieve and cause some to profit from having issues no other collector had, and driving up after market prices. I know of absolutely no other way to get the attention of the USPS to see and respond to the collector’s point of view.
Could be much worse. Look at Australia. The majority of issues have multiple stamps and both gummed and self-adhesive varieties. Not to mention differing formats of sheets, booklet panes, miniature sheets combining them, coins, and a whole lot more. Then you have the novelty items that aren’t really a part of the annual stamp programme but half of each bulletin is full of them. Great Britain can be just as money-grabby as Australia. Look at last year’s James Bond issue as an example. Just multitudes of products beyond the stamps. The USPS is pretty light-weight compared to Royal Mail and Australia Post.
Tired of seeing comments on almost every stamp issue about the lack of a John Glenn birth centennial stamp. Give it a rest, already. I would think that they are waiting until 2022 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Friendship 7 flight but even if they don’t, at least we still have a variety to choose from. If you were a long-time collector of Iceland as I was, you don’t have ANY new issues to look forward to anymore….
With all do respect, I will not give it a rest. John Glenn was a genuine American hero – Korean War combat pilot, test pilot, 1st American to orbit the Earth, and a distinguished US Senator. He devoted his life to serving the American people. And yet, the US Stamp Program bypassed honoring him in favor of Star Wars droids and Tap Dance stamps. It is beyond disrespectful.
And, do you really think I think the US Stamp Program would bypass honoring him on his 100th birthday and 50th anniversary of his Mercury flight, but honor him for the 60th anniversary? I sure don’t. I guess it could happen, but it certainly wouldn’t make much sense.
Everyone connected with the US Stamp Program and Citizens Advisory Committee need to resign. They are miserable failures.
I had trouble with the removable Scotch tape sticking to the face of some of the stamps when I tried to transfer complete sets to cards for servicing as FDCs. I don’t think any of the 10 stamps was immune, but the K-250 one was the worst. In a couple of cases, I had to perform a “stamp-ectomy” and replace the torn stamp.
This happened with at least one setenant issue last year, but had never happened before, and I’ve been transferring intact panes since at least 2003. My rolls of the tape ARE a couple of years old, but that hasn’t been a problem. My bet is the USPS’ printer changed the printing process.
Yes, absolutely and have been for a number of years.