From the USPS on October 29, 2025:
The buffalo’s epic story has played an enduring role in shaping America’s identity. Honoring our national mammal while saluting historic philately, this unique stamp features a contemporary photograph of a bison, inset with artwork evoking a 1923 stamp issued when the species was beginning to rebound from near extinction. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp using Tom Murphy’s existing photograph and artwork from the century-old stamp, now printed in intaglio.
More details will be posted below the line, with the most recent information at the top.
Updated April 20th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:
The Digital Color Postmark for this issue measures 2.81″ x 1.50″
The Pictorial Postmark measures 2.41″ x 1.27″
Updated April 15th:
On May 25, 2026, in Boston, MA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the American Bison stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 16 stamps (Item 488800). This stamp will go on sale nationwide May 25, 2026, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.
This stamp celebrates our national mammal, the American bison, commonly known as the buffalo. Overlaying a contemporary photograph of the animal is artwork recalling a buffalo stamp issued in 1923. The photograph, taken by Tom Murphy, shows a wild buffalo in profile, seen grazing within Yellowstone National Park. The issuance title, “AMERICAN BISON,” appears on the selvage and under it, “BOSTON 2026 WORLD STAMP SHOW,” where the stamp will be issued in May 2026. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp.
Automatic distribution.
How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
The first-day-of-issue postmark is a postmark notating the day a stamp is first authorized for use by the Postal Service™. Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. All requests for first-day-of-issue postmarks (Traditional or Digital Color Postmark) should be sent to the following address with the choice of Traditional or Digital Color Postmark identified. All orders must be postmarked by September 25, 2026.
FDOI – American Bison Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900
The Technical Specifications are not yet available.
Updated November 10th:
The stamp on which this design is based in Scott 569:
Brookman lists a price for a fair copy at $25, although I see much lower prices on eBay.
Updated November 9th:
As pointed out by Lefty Dundee, here is what the full pane will look like.
That does seem to indicate that it will be a Forever stamp, or at least not a high value, as I had thought. Note also that the pane’s selvage indicates this will be issued at Boston 2026, May 23-30.
I really like this design but am afraid it will be issued as a high-value stamp for Boston 2026.
Good point, Lloyd.
It does. have the word ‘forever’ on the inset stamp, so maybe a first class stamp? I would have liked to see the whole buffalo in the background – a set of two stamps (the photo and the reproduction) would have been perfect for me.
The press release says the designs are subject to change, so the word “Forever” may be replaced with “More Than Lloyd Wants To Spend.”
LOL!
Really, really, like this one. But I am such a sucker for retro designs.
At least the title has the correct term, Bison. The description uses the term buffalo, though the only 2 buffalo species in the world are the Cape Buffaloes and Water Buffaloes.
From Stamps Forever, image of full pane, has Boston 2026 World Stamp Show in the selvage. May 23-30 issue date? https://www.stampsforever.com/stamps/american-bison
I got curious just when the original stamp was issued and went on a stamp safari looking for it. Turns out it was 1923. Link to source is here if you are interested:
https://postagestampguide.com/united_states/stamps/years/1923
The search turned into a surprisingly fun journey for a stamp traditionalist like me. I was reminded, not that I didn’t already know, that issuing a gazillion issues a year (with often surprising subjects) is a modern innovation.
The fewer non-regular issues printed in the 1920’s and 1930’s were generally standard-sized portraits of famous people, who’s names we all learned in history class growing up. The limited larger commeratives were almost all state anniversaries, or similiar well-chosen American History events. (Beginning in 1934, with the spectacular National Parks series, Commerative Stamp issues became a bit more common. (But they didn’t go crazy either).
But the 20’s and 30’s featured incredible graphics on single-color stamps. Usually more real art than is seen since. It was fun to revisit before I was born. But there is so much great stamp art back there to be reissued in a similar way.
Good catch. I thought the original was Scott 700 from 1931. Almost put the wrong information in an article. Thanks.
The first day of Issue should be at Fort Benton. MT. Fort Benton is now the home for the Hornaday Group that once graced the halls of the Smithsonian. The largest Bison was used for the artwork for Scott 569.