Announced by the USPS on June 29th
The Postal Service continues its tradition of honoring American military academies with a stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Antonio Alcalá, an art director and stamp designer for USPS, drew inspiration for this stamp from the academy’s long tradition of training cadets on the ocean. The stamp features photographs — courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard — of the USCGC Eagle, the academy’s primary training vessel since 1946, and USCGC Bertholf, the Coast Guard’s first national security cutter.
The stamp will be released September 12, with New London, CT, as the first-day city. That’s where the Academy is located.
The latest information will appear below the line, with the most recent at the top.
Updated August 18th:
On September 12, 2026, in New London, CT, the United States Postal Service® will issue the U.S. Coast Guard Academy stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 489100). This stamp will go on sale nationwide September 12, 2026, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.
USPS continues its tradition of honoring American military academies with a stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of the United States Coast Guard Academy. The stamp art features photographs of the Barque Eagle, the Coast Guard Academy’s primary training vessel since 1946, and USCGC Bertholf, a Legend-class National Security Cutter whose missions include maritime drug interdiction and securing the maritime border. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed this stamp with photographs courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard.
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) must be sent to the following address with the choice of Traditional or Digital Color Postmark identified. All orders must be postmarked by January 12, 2027.
FDOI – U.S. Coast Guard Academy Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900
Technical Specifications:
Issue: U.S. Coast Guard Academy Stamp
Item Number: 489100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: September 12, 2026, New London, CT 06320
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Existing Photo: U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Thieme
Existing Photo: U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Flexographic, Microtext
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 12,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, PMS 179 C
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 x39.6240 mm.
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.9200 x 7.6300 in. / 150.3680 x 193.8020 mm.
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 11.8400 x 23.1400 in. / 300.7360 x 587.7560 mm.
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by five (5) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: U.S. COAST GUARD ACADEMY • 150th ANNIVERSARY • 1876–2026 • Plate number in bottom two corners of pane
Back: © 2026 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (489100) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text
Updated August 13th:
[ceremony details] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Postal Service to Issue Commemorative Stamp for U.S. Coast Guard Academy Milestone
What: The U.S. Postal Service will release a new commemorative stamp celebrating the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. This special issue continues the long-standing postal tradition of honoring the nation’s premier military service institutions.
The first-day-of-issue unveiling ceremony for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Forever stamp is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #USCoastGuardStamp.
Who: Marc McCrery, USPS customer experience vice president and dedicating official.
When: Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at 10 a.m. Eastern
Where:
Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival
Custom House Pier at Waterfront Park
1 Waterfront Park St.
New London, CT 06320
RSVP: Attendees are encouraged to register at: https://www.usps.com/uscoastguardstamp/
Background: The stamp art features photographs of the USCGC Eagle, the Coast Guard Academy’s primary training vessel since 1946, and USCGC Bertholf, a Legend-class national security cutter whose missions include maritime drug interdiction and securing the maritime border. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed this stamp with photographs courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Coast Guard Academy
The School of Instruction of the Revenue Cutter Service was established on 31 July 1876 near New Bedford, Massachusetts. It used USRC James C. Dobbin for its training exercises. Dobbin was replaced in 1878 with USRC Salmon P. Chase, which was specially designed for the assignment as a training cutter.[26] The School of Instruction moved to Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1900 and then again in 1910 to Fort Trumbull, near New London, Connecticut.[27][28] The school provided a two-year premise to ship supplemented by some class work and tutoring in technical subjects. In 1903, the third year of instruction was added.[29] The school was oriented to line officers, as engineers were hired directly from civilian life. In 1906 an engineering program for cadets began.[29] Nevertheless, the school remained small, with 5 to 10 cadets per class. In 1914 the School became the Revenue Cutter Academy and with the merger of the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life Saving Service in 1915, it became the United States Coast Guard Academy.[28] In February 1929, Congress appropriated $1,750,000 for construction of buildings to be used for the academy. The city of New London purchased the land on the Thames River and donated it to the government for use as a Coast Guard facility. Construction began in 1931 and the first cadets began occupying the new facilities in 1932.[30] A fourth year of classes was added in 1932.[29]