From the USPS on October 29, 2025:
The 49th Black Heritage stamp commemorates Phillis Wheatley (circa 1753-1784), the first author of African descent in the American Colonies to publish a book. As an enslaved woman with an education and prominent social connections, Wheatley occupied a unique and remarkable place in Colonial Boston, and she is often called “the mother of African American literature.” Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp with a portrait of Wheatley by internationally acclaimed artist Kerry James Marshall. The Phillis Wheatley stamp will be issued Jan. 29 in Boston.
More details will be posted below the line, with the most recent information at the top.
Updated March 3rd:
The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 6053.
Updated January 8th:
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Phillis Wheatley Stamp
Item Number: 487800
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever®
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Black Heritage
Issue Date & City: January 29, 2026, Boston, MA 02205
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Existing Art: Kerry James Marshall, Chicago, IL
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 25,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.8400 x 1.4200 in. / 21.3360 x 36.0680 mm.
Overall Size (w x h): 0.9800 x 1.5600 in. / 24.8920 x 39.6240 mm.
Full Pane Size (w x h): 6.0000 x 8.5000 in. / 152.4000 x 215.9000 mm.
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 12.0000 x 25.7500 in. / 304.8000 x 654.0500 mm.
Plate Size: 240 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in bottom two corners of pane
Back: © 2025 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (487800) • Plate position diagram (6) • BLACK HERITAGE, Celebrating Phillis Wheatley, 49th IN A SERIES • Promotional text
Updated January 2nd:
[ceremony details] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
USPS Honors Phillis Wheatley, First Published African American Poet, With 49th Black Heritage Stamp
What: The U.S. Postal Service is honoring Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784), the first author of African descent in the American Colonies to publish a book, with the 49th stamp in the Black Heritage series.
The first-day-of-issue event for the Phillis Wheatley Black Heritage stamp is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag#BlackHeritageStamp.
When: Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at 11 a.m. EST
Where:
Old South Meeting House
310 Washington St.
Boston, MA 02108
RSVP: Attendees are encouraged to register at https://www.usps.com/philliswheatleystamp
Background: Born in West Africa and brought to Boston on a slave ship, Phillis Wheatley was enslaved but educated in the Wheatley household. Wheatley published her first collection, “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral,” in 1773. This collection showcased her impressive mastery of various poetic forms, including hymns, elegies, and narrative verse, securing her place in history. Freed from slavery that same year, she went on to correspond with figures such as George Washington, who praised her poetic talent.
Wheatley’s legacy continues to inspire generations, earning her the title “the mother of African American literature.” Before the Civil War, abolitionists used her accomplishments to affirm the intellectual capability of people of African descent and argue against slavery. Today schools, libraries, community centers and university buildings across the country have been named for Wheatley, and she has been the subject of numerous inspirational books for children. In 2003, a statue of the poet was included in a new Boston Women’s Memorial. The first full-length scholarly biography of Wheatley was published in 2011, with a second biographical study published in 2023, part of an ongoing effort to recognize her resilience in adversity.
Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp using an existing portrait by Kerry James Marshall.
The Phillis Wheatley stamp will be issued in panes of 20. As a Forever stamp, it will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.
Updated December 29th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:
The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.68″ x 1.50″
The Pictorial Postmark measures 2.75″ x 1.07″
There is a Special Postmark for this issue. It measures 2.68″ x 1.20″
Updated December 27th:
On January 29, 2026, in Boston, MA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Phillis Wheatley stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 487800). This stamp will go on sale nationwide January 29, 2026, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.
The 49th Black Heritage stamp honors poet Phillis Wheatley (ca 1753–1784), the first author of African descent in the American colonies to publish a book. Her 1773 book, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, showcased her ease with a wide range of genres, including hymns, elegies, philosophical poems, and narrative poems. After her death, abolitionists and emancipationists invoked her accomplishments to appeal to a shared humanity across racial divisions and to argue for the intellectual ability of people of African descent. She is often known as “the mother of African American literature.” The stamp art features a black-and-white, ink-on-paper portrait of Wheatley by Kerry James Marshall, who imagines her later in life, working on her second, unpublished book of poems. Antonio Alcalá served as art director.
Item 487800, 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 store.usps.com/store/home. 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 – Phillis Wheatley 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 29, 2026.
Technical details will appear in a future edition of the Postal Bulletin.
Updated December 12th:
This stamp will be issued Thursday, January 29, as stated above.
From Post Bull 25 DEC: USPS# 4878xx Pn-20 ANY City FDoI, None announced, #16 & #21. Automatic Distrib.
Phillis Wheatley was only30 the stamp does not justice to her she looks like an old woman D O J and US postal office shame on you the Smithsonian institute depicts phillis young freedom at 20it hurts my heart please consider doing her face over and make it look youthful give slave artist scipio moorhead some credit please remove that hatshame on KerryJames Marshall’s for this old ugly portrait stamp please Antonio Alcala change this for ever stampstamp not for mother niece granddaughter cousin or any woman in your family I am looking not to the end of the block but to the end of the city and beyond sending love respect my plea for change for the better
I’d bet the stamps are already printed and a change is very unlikely.
“DOJ?” What would the Department of Justice have to do with this issue?
You did not read the USPS press release: “The stamp art features a black-and-white, ink-on-paper portrait of Wheatley by Kerry James Marshall, who imagines her later in life, working on her second, unpublished book of poems.” I don’t know why they would do artwork of her imagined self later in life when she didn’t live that long. Odd choice, but they know she looks older than she was.
The stamp image of Phillis Wheatley does her no justice for such awesome and talented writer. It’s a shame for the art director to approve of such an image. To me the entire image is very off. Her hands looks like man hands love sketch artwork in general but one is so disrespectful for Wheatley. I just don’t understand how the art director approved of this stamp. I will purchase only one panel of this stamp for my collection but not purchased more to use to use for mailing.