Announced November 1, 2021:
The 45th stamp in the Black Heritage series honors sculptor Edmonia Lewis (circa 1844-1907). As the first African American and Native American sculptor to achieve international recognition, Lewis challenged social barriers and assumptions about artists in mid-19th century America. The stamp art is a casein-on-wood portrait of Lewis, based on a photograph taken in Boston between 1864 and 1871. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with original art by Alex Bostic.
The Scott catalogue number for this stamp is 5663.
Additional information will be posted below the line, with the newest at the top.
Updated January 17th:
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Edmonia Lewis Stamp
Item Number: 481600
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail® Forever®
Format: Pane of 20
Series: Black Heritage
Issue Date & City: January 26, 2022, Washington, DC 20066
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Alex Bostic, Starkville, MS
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 35,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Pantone 7685, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in./21.336 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in./24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 6 x 8.5 in./152.4 x 215.9 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 12.243 x 17.743 in./ 310.9722 x 450.6722 mm
Plate Size: 80 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by five (5) single digits in bottom 2 corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: “Black Heritage, Celebrating Edmonia Lewis, 45th in a series” • Plate number in bottom 2 corners
Back: ©2021 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (481600) • Plate position diagram (4) • Promotional text
Updated January 10th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:
The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.70″ x 1.09″ 
The Pictorial Postmark measures 2.23″ x1.32″ 
The “Special” postmark which other cities may use, although not on the first-day, measures 2.73″ x 0.93″
Updated December 21th:
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
U.S. Postal Service Issuing Edmonia Lewis Black Heritage Forever Stamp Jan. 26
WHAT: The 45th stamp in the Black Heritage series honors Edmonia Lewis, the first African American and Native American sculptor to earn international recognition. The stamp art is a casein-paint portrait based on a photograph of Lewis by Augustus Marshall made in Boston between 1864 and 1871.
The Edmonia Lewis stamp will be issued in panes of 20.
The first-day-of-issue event for the Edmonia Lewis Forever stamp is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #EdmoniaLewis and #BlackHeritageStamps.
WHO: Dr. Joshua D. Colin, Chief Retail and Delivery Officer, U.S. Postal Service and Dedicating Official
WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, at 12:30 p.m. EST
WHERE: Smithsonian American Art Museum
8th and G Streets NW
Washington, DC 20004
RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at: usps.com/edmonialewis.
BACKGROUND: As the first African American and Native American sculptor to earn international recognition, Edmonia Lewis challenged social barriers and assumptions about artists in mid-19th century America.
Born in Greenbush, NY, Lewis spent most of her career in Rome, where her studio became a must-see attraction for American tourists. In addition to portrait busts of prominent people, Lewis’s work incorporated African American themes, including the celebration of newly won freedoms, and sensitively depicted her Native American heritage as peaceful and dignified.
A Roman Catholic, Lewis also received several religious commissions. The work she produced during her prolific career evokes the complexity of her social identity and reflects the passion and independence of her artistic vision.
As the public continues to discover the beautiful subtleties of Lewis’s work, scholars will further interpret her role in American art and the ways she explored, affirmed or de-emphasized her complex cultural identity to meet or expand the artistic expectations of her day.
Updated December 16th from the Postal Bulletin:
On January 26, 2022, in Washington, DC, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Edmonia Lewis stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 481600). This stamp will go on sale nationwide January 26, 2022, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.
The 45th stamp in the Black Heritage series honors sculptor Edmonia Lewis (c.1844–1907). As the first African American and Native American sculptor to earn international recognition, Lewis challenged social barriers and assumptions about artists in mid-19th century America. The stamp features a casein-paint portrait of Lewis based on a photograph made between 1864 and 1871. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp with art by Alex Bostic.
Automatic distribution.
Special Dedication Postmarks:
Only the following pictorial postmark is permitted for the Edmonia Lewis stamp. The word “Station” or the abbreviation “STA” is required somewhere in the design because it will be a temporary station. Use of any image other than the following special pictorial image is prohibited.
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 – Edmonia Lewis Stamp
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 May 26, 2022.
Technical Specifications are not yet available.
Updated December 11th:
Linn’s Stamp News reports this stamp will be issued January 26th with Washington DC as the first-day city.
On October 20, 2021 a legend in the art work passed away. Jerry Pinkney, world renowned children book illustrator and created the first 9 stamps in the Black Heritage Series in 1978. He also illustrated two others stamps for USPS. He was also on the Stamps advisory Committee. I created two tribute pages on ESPER’s website. Go esperstamps.org
This is exciting!
Very. Considering that I have almost all in the series.
What a waste of paper. If in 1978 Jerry Pinkney, and others who followed him, made stamps that reflect not only the person but what that person was known for, then in 1998 we decided to abolish it. Only in 2013 and 2021 did I seen some kind of return to the old. Despite it, this issue is back to 1998, only the multicolored printer is used. Shame. It could have been a great tribute if they would have added at least one sculpture. I hope that on the artist’s anniversary in 2044 they will do that, but knowing how USPS treats subjects, it is unlikely.🙁
Virtual FDoI ceremony https://www.facebook.com/USPS/videos/463588362099903
This stamp IS SUPPOSEDLY ON Automatic Distribution to ALL post offices.
Tried three times at the local post office and STILL no Black Heritage stamp available. What is this? Late delivery, like the Lunar New Year issuance.
Doesn’t Jesse Owens deserve a postage stamp?
He was a pioneer athlete.