Added December 1: We can expect a stamp on or about June 12th for President George H.W. Bush, who passed away this morning at the age of 94. He was born June 12, 1924, and U.S. custom is that former presidents are honored with a stamp on their first birthday after their death.
The Virtual Stamp Club’s 2019 U.S. stamp program grid can be found here.
[press release; click on the name of the issue to go to its individual page and a larger image]
Arts, Entertainment, History and Culture Headline the 2019 Forever Stamp Lineup
Love, Walt Whitman and State and County Fairs Among Other Subjects Featured
WASHINGTON — In the spirit of the coming new year, the U.S. Postal Service has revealed several of the new Forever stamps and other stamps to be issued in 2019.
Since 1847, the stamp program has celebrated the people, events and cultural milestones unique to the history of the United States. The 2019 stamp subjects continue this rich tradition.
“The miniature works of art illustrated in the 2019 stamp program offer something for everyone’s interest about American history and culture,” said U.S. Postal Service Stamp Services Executive Director Mary-Anne Penner (right). “From legendary poet Walt Whitman to the entertainment genius of Gregory Hines to the majestic beauty of our Wild and Scenic Rivers, this program is diverse and wide ranging and tells America’s story on stamps.”
Here’s a sneak peek:
Hearts Blossom
Hearts Blossom is the latest stamp in the Love series from the U.S. Postal Service. The stamp art features the word “Love” in cursive script below 12 colorful hearts meant to visually express love’s joyful, bountiful nature. The color palette — red, purple, orange and pink — is intended to create a happy and positive feeling. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp.
Year of the Boar
The Year of the Boar is the 12th and final stamp in the Celebrating Lunar New Year series. The Year of the Boar begins on Feb. 5, 2019, and ends on Jan. 24, 2020. The stamp art depicts several bright pink peach blossoms on a branch. Peach blossoms, which often bloom just in time for Lunar New Year, mark the beginning of spring in Chinese culture. Artist Kam Mak created this original painting. Art director and stamp designer Ethel Kessler incorporated elements from the previous series of Lunar New Year stamps — Clarence Lee’s cut-paper design of a boar and the Chinese character for “boar,” drawn in grass-style calligraphy by Lau Bun — to create continuity between the series.
Gregory Hines
The 42nd stamp in the Black Heritage series honors Gregory Hines (1946–2003), whose unique style of tap dancing injected new artistry and excitement into a traditional American form. A versatile performer who danced, acted and sang on Broadway, on television and in movies, Hines developed the entertainment traditions of tap into an art form for a younger generation and is credited with renewing interest in tap during the 1990s. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp, which features a 1988 photograph by Jack Mitchell.
Cactus Flowers
This issuance celebrates the beauty of cactus flowers with a booklet of 20 stamps. Each stamp depicts a photograph of the flower of one of these ten cacti: Opuntia engelmannii, Rebutia minuscula, Echinocereus dasyacanthus, Echinocereus poselgeri, Echinocereus coccineus, Pelecyphora aselliformis, Parodia microsperma, Echinocactus horizonthalonius, Thelocactus heterochromus and Parodia scopa. Within the booklet, each stamp design is featured twice. With new DNA studies, botanists sometimes reclassify plants. As of the printing of these stamps, the scientific names were accurate. Cacti also have common names, with some plants having several different names in popular use. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps with existing photographs taken by John P. Schaefer.
Alabama Statehood
This stamp celebrates the bicentennial of Alabama statehood. Alabama became the 22nd 
state in the Union on Dec. 14, 1819. The stamp art is a photograph taken at sunset in Cheaha State Park. Alabama photographer Joe Miller took the picture from the park’s Pulpit Rock Trail. With Pulpit Rock in the foreground, most of the area in the valley below the overlook is part of the Talladega National Forest, which surrounds the state park. The name of the state and the year of statehood are included in the stamp art. The art director is William J. Gicker. Greg Breeding designed the stamp with Miller’s existing photograph.
Marvin Gaye
With this new stamp in the Music Icons series, the U.S. Postal Service honors Marvin Gaye (1939‚Äì1984) — the “Prince of Soul” — one of the most influential music performers of his generation. The stamp design features a portrait of Gaye inspired by historic photographs. The stamp pane is designed to resemble a vintage 45 rpm record sleeve. One side of the pane includes the stamps, brief text about Gaye’s legacy, and the image of a sliver of a record seeming to peek out the top of the sleeve. Another portrait of Gaye, also inspired by historic photographs, appears on the reverse along with the Music Icons series logo. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp pane with original art by Kadir Nelson.
USS Missouri
The Postal Service celebrates USS Missouri (BB-63), America’s last battleship, with the issuance of a commemorative stamp in 2019, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of Missouri’s commissioning on June 11, 1944. The stamp art depicts Missouri in the disruptive camouflage she wore from her commissioning until a refit in early 1945. Missouri earned numerous combat awards and citations during her decades of service, which include World War II, the Korean War and Operation Desert Storm. She played a momentous role when she hosted the ceremony marking Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II. Designed by art director Greg Breeding, the stamp features a digital illustration by Dan Cosgrove.
Post Office Murals
This pane of 10 stamps features five different murals designed to add a touch of beauty to Post Office walls and help boost the morale of Americans during the era of the Great Depression. On the stamp art, the town or city and state in which the work of art is located is printed underneath each mural. The murals included are: “Kiowas Moving Camp” (1936) Anadarko, Oklahoma; “Mountains and Yucca” (1937) Deming, New Mexico; “Antelope” (1939) Florence, Colorado; “Sugarloaf Mountain” (1940) Rockville, Maryland; and “Air Mail” (1941) Piggott, Arkansas. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps.
U.S. Flag
With this new 2019 stamp, the Postal Service celebrates the American flag, the most recognizable symbol of our nation. The stamp features a U.S. flag, one of several on the flagpoles near the end of Chicago’s Navy Pier, waving in a May breeze. The photograph was taken by art director Antonio Alcalá.
Wild and Scenic Rivers
This issuance celebrates Wild and Scenic Rivers — exceptional American streams that run freely through natural landscapes without man-made alterations. The pane of a dozen different designs features photographs that represent the more than 200 rivers or river segments designated within the Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
First row, left to right: Merced River (Michael Melford, photographer), Owyhee River (Michael Melford, photographer), Koyukuk River (Michael Melford, photographer)
Second row, left to right: Niobrara River (Michael Melford, photographer), Snake River (Tim Palmer, photographer), Flathead River (Tim Palmer, photographer)
Third row, left to right: Missouri River (Bob Wick, staff photographer for Bureau of Land Management), Skagit River (Tim Palmer, photographer), Deschutes River (Bob Wick, BLM, photographer)
Fourth row, left to right: Tlikakila River (Michael Melford, photographer), Ontonagon River (Tim Palmer, photographer), Clarion River (Bob Wick, BLM, photographer). Small type on the bottom of each stamp indicates the name of the river. Michael Melford’s photograph of the Merced River is featured again in the selvage. Art director Derry Noyes designed the pane using existing photographs.
Walt Whitman
With this stamp, the 32nd in the Literary Arts series, the Postal Service honors poet Walt 
Whitman (1819‚Äì1892) on the bicentennial of his birth. The stamp features a portrait of Whitman based on a photograph taken by Frank Pearsall in 1869. In the background, a hermit thrush sitting on the branch of a lilac bush recalls “When Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom’d,” an elegy for President Abraham Lincoln written by Whitman soon after Lincoln’s assassination on April 14, 1865. Considered by many to be the father of modern American poetry, Whitman broke away from dominant European poetic forms and experimented with free verse and colloquial expressions, writing powerfully about nearly every aspect of 19th-century America. The artist for the stamp was Sam Weber. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp. The words “THREE OUNCE” on this stamp indicate its usage value. Like a Forever stamp, this stamp will always be valid for the rate printed on it.
Frogs
In 2019, the Postal Service issues Frogs, four new stamps in a booklet of 20, featuring digital illustrations of four North American frogs: the Pacific tree frog, the northern leopard frog, the American green tree frog and the squirrel tree frog. Working with a primarily green color palette and touches of brown, artist Nancy Stahl captured the essence of each animal with enough important defining features to make each recognizable. Art director William J. Gicker designed the stamps.
State and County Fairs
Four whimsical se-tenant stamps celebrate the fun of America’s state and county fairs. The stamps were designed to work together as a panorama of fair activities, while each 
stamp also works as an individual picture. The stamp on the far left shows farmers unloading produce behind a white fence. In the second stamp, a child holding a chicken sits atop the same fence, with carnival rides — a Ferris wheel and merry-go-round — in the background. Those rides can be seen in the third stamp, where some fairgoers admire the livestock behind the fence while others walk, balloons in hand, toward a sweets stand. The last stamp shows children at the stand buying treats from the vendor. The art director was Greg Breeding. Mike Ryan designed the stamps with original art by Mick Wiggins.
Woodstock
This stamp issuance celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, held in the small farming community of Bethel, New York, in August 1969. It was the most famous rock fair in history and an expression of the youth counterculture of the 1960s. The stamp art, designed by art director Antonio Alcalá°, features the image of the dove from graphic artist Arnold Skolnick’s promotional 1969 poster for the fair along with some of the poster’s words: “3 Days of Peace and Music.” In the stamp art the words are stacked in the background in brilliant colors along with the year 1969, USA, and Forever (the value of the stamp). The white dove stands in the foreground.
Winter Berries
The Winter Berries booklet of 20 stamps celebrates four of winter’s small yet vibrant offerings: the winterberry (Ilex verticillate), the juniper berry (Juniperus communis), the beautyberry (Callicarpa Americana) and the soapberry (Sapindus Saponaria). The stamp art features highly detailed botanical portraits of each plant that highlight the bold colors and rich textures of their berries. Artist Steve Buchanan worked with art director Antonio Alcalá to create these four new stamps.
Joshua Tree
Celebrating the desolate beauty of the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) and its distinct desert environment, this Priority Mail stamp depicts a common scene throughout much of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Using the bold colors of the sun’s reflection off of the trees, rocks, and other shrubby vegetation, artist Dan Cosgrove illuminates the desert scene in warm, golden hues. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp.
Bethesda Fountain
With this Priority Mail Express stamp, the Postal Service commemorates the Bethesda Fountain, one of Central Park’s most iconic structures. Dedicated in 1873, the fountain is a gathering place beloved by New Yorkers and out-of-town visitors alike. The stamp art features a stylized depiction of the fountain. The illustration was first rendered as a pencil sketch and then scanned and finished digitally. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with original art by Dan Cosgrove.
Coral Reefs
Four new postcard stamps celebrate the beauty and wonder of coral reefs. Each stamp depicts a type of stony coral, along with associated reef fish, in a highly stylized manner: elkhorn coral, shown with two French angelfish; brain coral, with a spotted moray eel; staghorn coral, with bluestriped grunts; pillar coral, with a coney grouper and neon gobies. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps. Tyler Lang created the stamp art.
California Dogface
The California dogface graces the seventh non-machineable butterfly stamp for use on irregularly sized envelopes, such as square greeting cards, invitations or announcements. The stamp art was digitally created using images of preserved butterflies as a starting point. The result is a highly stylized, simplified image of a California dogface (Zerene eurydice) rather than an exact replica. Nationally known artist Tom Engeman created the stamp art. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.
US Flag Stamped Envelope
A familiar sight on public buildings and private homes alike, the American flag has been portrayed in myriad ways on U.S. postage. This stamped envelope features a graphic design of the flag that evokes a rich sense of history even as it presents a recognizable icon in a fresh, contemporary way. Kit Hinrichs created the artwork for this stamped envelope. Ethel Kessler served as art director.
Postal Products
Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shop, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.
Information on ordering first-day-of-issue postmarks and covers is at usps.com/shop under “Collectors.” A video of the ceremony will be available on Facebook.com/usps.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
February 17th: Comments are now closed for this page. Please go to the individual issue’s page to comment on that issue. You can go to those individual pages quickly by clicking on the issue name above.
Subjects that were not on this initial list, but have since been announced, can be found on The Virtual Stamp Club‘s 2019 U.S. Stamp Program, such as Transcontinental Railroad or the expected Moon Landing anniversary. If you would like to discuss another subject that should be on the 2019 U.S. stamps, but so far hasn’t been announced, please ask the moderator to open a discussion.
What?? Nothing for the fiftieth anniversary of The Stonewall Protests, the beginning of the gay rights movement? Shame!!
There is still time. There is no way this will be all the stamps announced for the year.
Thank you for the “Sneak Peek” at what’s in store for 2019. Based solely on this article I would have to say artistically my early favorites are, Year of the Boar, Cactus Flowers, Alabama, USS Missouri, Wild & Scenic Rivers, Walt Whitman and Frogs. The Coral stamps’ image is just to small for these tired old eyes to say they are in the running but may very well be the “sleepers” for 2019 as pertains to artistic display. I haven’t rated the 2019s for content or subject matter yet although I think the Woodstock anniversary is something appropriate considering how many times over the years the event has been revisited in the media. I would be interested in what other say after viewing these initial announcements.
I’m glad to finally see a stamp for Year of the Boar as the USPS skipped it last time in 2007 in order to restart the series with new designs beginning with the first animal in the Chinese Zodiac (the rat) in 2008.
About a Month before Woodstock, 11 JULY 1969. “One Small step for man, One Giant Leap for Mankind.” I hope a special stamp is done for this.
It should read, “One Small step for a man, One Giant Leap for Mankind.”
The quote was “for a man,” not “for man.”
Yes…except that’s not what Armstrong actually said.
Still, it could have been worse:
“That;’s one small step for a man, one gi….AHHHHH! I got my foot caught in the gol-danged ladder! Hey, Buzz… get out here and help me! “
According to at least one interview, and possibly in his book, Armstrong stated that he did say “for a man.” It’s just that in the transmission and recording, there is loud enough static that the “a” is not hearable.
Armstrong said he said “for a man” but there was a glitch.
I am confident there will be a stamp for the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing. I’ve heard unconfirmed rumors that one is in the works.
I still wish someone would add the names to the nature stamps that are issued. Why not put the names of the frogs alongside? Would make collecting much more a learning experience too.
Common sense and rational thinking have no place in philately… how dare you. (Smiley Face, Smiley Face, just kidding…)
I wholeheartedly agree. No stamp subject should be left to guesswork as to what it is, who it is, where it is, why it is, or when it was. They do it for berries, pine trees, garden vegetables, etc. but leave off important info that is more relevant than an obvious tomato, corn, jack pine, or blueberries and oranges.
The USPS is also letting its employees know about the 2019 stamps: https://link.usps.com/2018/11/21/coming-soon-4/
Theres no enough military themed stamps ,,, we need a new series to show persons of interest, like Adm. KING,,, Sgt.Roy Benavidez,,, or Desmond Dos .
Get rid of the Black History series, and start one for Hispanics, American Indians, or Asian Americans.
Why get rid of the Black Heritage series, just add a series to Hispanics or Asian American. The Black Heritage series is one the longest running series at the USPS.
It does seem like we concentrate on black Americans and musicians and some writers. Surely there are more inventors/entrepreneurs/scientists that are worthy.
I am looking forward to the USS Missouri stamp, especially since I was able to tour the ship once in Bremerton, Washington. Of course I too am counting on the issuance of a commemorative for the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing. And how about a stamp honoring Dr. Wernher von Braun, the architect of the US space program?
Hopefully the USPS will have the Ceremony for the USS Missouri on the ship itself. As she’s tied to the pier at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor Hawaii, this would be a good excuse for the USPS officials to take a winter trip to Hawaii. ( during winter in Wash DC – burr ) A flight over to Oahu for me … ( No Such Luck … )
Just a reminder that the individual pages (and discussions) for each issue now exist. Just click on the bold issue name to go to that page.
Yikes!
No planned 50th anniversary of Man on the Moon?
Gregory Hines gets a stamp before Fred Astaire, Arthur Miller, Gwen Verdon, Mary Martin and William Lloyd Garrison?
I’ve been collecting stamps since 1962 and I am often stunned by the omissions.
I like the Whitman stamp, 5 Post Office murals, state/county fairs.
I feel certain there will be a Moon Landing 50th anniversary stamp. I’ve heard a design is in the works.
I’ve been collecting since 1967 and I’m surprised at the current lack of variety as compared to pre-1990.
Unfortunately, economics plays a strong, if not the only, role. When the Post Office was financially well, there were LOTS of stamps issued each year. Now, with financial problems, we’re lucky to see a third to half of what used to be issued.
And with that, the USPS/CSAC has been forced to be extremely picky in what it chooses to be on a stamp.
So sad.
I think Gregory Hines’s stamp is the worst stamp ever for the Black Heritage series. Can anyone tell me how did Hines get a stamp before Sammy Davis, Jr. ?
There are more Black Americans who deserve to be on a stamp before Hines, like General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. of the Tuskegee Airman or Dr. Daniel Hale Williams( Open Heart Surgeon).
The CSAC blew 2019 for the Black Heritage series; I am going to save my money for Marvin Gaye.
Why do you consider the Hines stamp “the worst … ever” in the series? I agree that there is a myriad of prospects, but why do you single out Hines?
My complaint would be that most of the stamps in the series are artwork (especially entertainment themed like the Gaye stamp) and not photographs — if something is going to be part of a series, it should maintain the appearance that has been used all along.
I was hoping that the U.S. Post Office would get together with Canada and Mexico
and issue a joint stamp for the 24 th World Jamboree in West Virginia. This is the first time a Jamboree has been hosted by more than one country. It is our Second.
Canada’s third and Mexico first. It is not too late to recognize this event in World
Scouting.
I wish you the best on that. Though the USPS has done stamps for anniversaries or numbered events that are multiples of 5, they tend to favor multiples of 25, 50, and 100. A “24th” anything is probably not in their wheelhouse.
Yes, rather surprised at no Moonlanding nor Smokey anniversary stamps.
Also surprised at no sesquicentennial stamp for the completion of the transcontinental railroad (May 10, 1869). Heck, the event is even featured on the 2007 Utah state quarter.
I do not like the artwork on the U.S.S. Missouri stamp.
And what about stamps for these anniversaries —
100th of the Grand Canyon being named a National Park;
200th of the SS Savannah crossing the Atlantic;
100th of the very first Triple Crown horse race winner;
25th of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacting Jupiter;
and I’m sure there are other celebrations/honorings/anniversaries that can be thought of that deserve to appear on a stamp.
Also, remember, the Hot Wheels stamps weren’t announced until August for a September release. So, hopefully, the USPS might do the same — late announcement, ‘quick’ release — for additional stamps.
(fingers crossed)
missed my choice for dean of stamp design charles r. chickering i have suggested for the last few years without any results. anyone agree.
I have fun with, lead to I found just what I was looking for.
You’ve ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day.
Bye
No stamp for the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11? Not surprised – the USPS missed the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation; the 250th Anniversary of the French & Indian War; the 100th Anniversary of the US entry into WWI (and only one measly stamp for WWI); and the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 8 – the first manned mission to the Moon. But hey, at least we got stamps for such “important” subjects as popsicles and dragons.
Yes. Will be out in July, no date yet.
Another year of curious choices, although in many cases, what is questionable is not the person chosen, so much as why they were slotted as stand alone subjects instead of part of a multi-person sheet. (Whatever happened to that short-lived good idea to get more people’s faces on stamps)?
Another year of very, very, very curious non-choices discussed in great detail above. The overall logic escapes me.
A month ago I would have said at least the total number of issues was being reduced to a more appropriate and more manageable total number. But the way January has now been overwhelmed with issues means that will be going out the window with last minute announcements later in the year.
But the USPS long-since stopped being the collector’s friend.
Speaking of January being overwhelmed with new issues; I have a question for those few of you who still purchase self-service envelopes. Like, who are you buying from?
My vendor got so overwhelmed late 2018 stamp year he still has not caught back up. I plugged a few holes with old retread Washington Press (Artcraft) envelopes that were not too specific to use but still close enough in subject artwork. I’m not artistic enough to design and print my own. (For me that makes just makes it a different hobby anyway).
With Artcraft’s complete exit from the business (which I regret but understand, and both wish them well and will miss them terribly); I’m looking for another backup. My poor current guy will probably look at the January calendar and be so shell-shocked he will run for the door screaming.
. . . . . .and while I’ve got a day off to be whining, am I the only one who is having a magnitude-level worse number of covers being returned slowly, or still not returned altogether? I’m 50% second half of 2018, but hit and miss as to what is home and what is still out?
In order for any of these stamps to really be collector-friendly, I’d like to see gummed stamps making a comeback so kids can have the fun of soaking them rather than trying to cut around a rectangle or square. Most countries around the world use gummed stamps. Self-adhesive stamps would be handy for the wedding or engagement themes that seem to be an annual offering.