Announced November 1, 2021:

This stamp release commemorates the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, the civil rights law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Applied at educational institutions over a wide range of programs, its most visible impact has been on school athletics. Four different stamps feature dark blue silhouettes of one of four female athletes: a runner, a swimmer, a gymnast and a soccer player. Yellow laurel branches, symbolic of victory, rest in their hair and on the swimmer’s cap. Artist Melinda Beck designed the stamps. Derry Noyes was the art director.

These stamps will be issued March 3.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the newest at the top.

Updated April 14^th:
The latest issue of the USPS Philatelic catalogue offers a new product for this issue: Field Notes®raaFour “pocket-sized notebooks from the classic FIELD NOTES brand … each with a different Title IX stamp affixed to the cover and canceled with” the first-day pictorial postmark.

Updated February 8^th:
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Title IX
First Day Ceremony Information

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Title IX with the release of four new Forever stamps, at a First Day of Issue (FDOI) ceremony. The stamps feature four female athletes: a runner, a swimmer, a gymnast, and a soccer player.

WHEN: 11 a.m. EST, Thursday, March 3, 2022

WHERE: U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave. SW
Washington, D.C. 20202

WHO:
• Amber McReynolds, governor, Postal Service Board of Governors
• Cindy Marten, deputy secretary, Department of Education
• Catherine Lhamon, assistant secretary, Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education
• Sheila Johnson, managing partner and governor, Washington Mystics

TICKETS: Those interested in attending this event must first register atusps.com/titleix. Attendees must attest to their COVID-19 vaccination status.

VENUE PROTOCOL: All visitors to the U.S. Department of Education (DoE) are required to show photo ID. Visitors are subject to screening upon entry. As of the date of this advisory, the Education Department requires individuals who visit its facilities to provide their vaccination status. Individuals must attest to the truthfulness of the response they provide. Individuals who are not vaccinated, partially vaccinated, or decline to provide information about their vaccination status must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test from no later than the previous three days prior to entry to a federal building. In addition, a face covering must be worn at all times in public areas, and social distancing is requested. This protocol may be adjusted at the time the FDOI is held. Guns or weapons of any sort are not permitted.

BACKGROUND: Passed as a clause in the Education Amendments of 1972, Title IX is a civil rights law prohibiting discrimination based on sex in any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. In the 50 years since its passage, Title IX has been applied widely at elementary, secondary, and post-secondary institutions. The law covers a broad range of programs and resources. Most visibly, Title IX has created pathways for enriching women’s athletics programs, allowing for more competitive sports offerings, stronger physical education regimens and equal spaces to play. Additionally, Title IX prohibits sexual harassment, including sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking on school campuses or during school programs or activities. Fifty years later, Title IX is still evolving. The law has affected generations of young people in the United States, and the work to provide protections for even more in the future continues.

Customers may purchase postage stamps and other philatelic products at the Postal Store, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide.

Updated January 30^th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:
The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.16″ x 1.42″ The B&W pictorial measures 2.75″ x 1.24″

Updated January 27^th from the Postal Bulletin:
On March 3, 2022, in Washington, DC, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Title IX stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 481700). These stamps will go on sale nationwide March 3, 2022, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Title IX commemorative pane of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

With this stamp issuance, the Postal Service™ commemorates the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, a civil rights law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex from any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. The stamp art features four unique designs, each a dark blue silhouette of a different woman’s face in profile. The digital illustrations of the four women represent female athletes, specifically a runner, a swimmer, a gymnast, and a soccer player. Yellow laurel branches, symbolic of victory, rest in their hair and on the swimmer’s cap. “Title IX” appears written across the women‘s cheeks, intended as an empowering message about the inclusion of women and girls in all educational settings. The pane of 20 stamps includes a header. The stamps were designed and created by Melinda Beck. Derry Noyes served as art director.

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 – Title IX 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 July 3, 2022.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Title IX Stamps
Item Number: 481700
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: March 3, 2022, Washington, DC 20066
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Melinda Beck, Brooklyn, NY
Typographer: Melinda Beck, Brooklyn, NY
Artist: Melinda Beck, Brooklyn, NY
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 30,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.085 x 1.42 in. / 27.559 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.225 x 1.56 in. / 31.12 x 39.62 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.12 x 7.85 in. / 180.848 x 199.39 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 22.25 x 27 in. / 565.15 x 685.8 mm
Plate Size: 180 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) digits in bottom two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: “TITLE IX” • Plate number in two corners
Back: ©2021 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (481700) • Plate position diagram (9) • Promotional text