From the USPS press release November 15, 2024:

Useful for mailing a 1-ounce letter to any country in which First-Class Mail International service is available, this stamp carries with it a bit of history. The colorful compass rose was drawn in a school geography notebook by Lucia Wadsworth, the aunt of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, when she was 10 years old. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp.

Updates will be added below line, with the most recent at the top.

Updated February 28^th:
The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 5956.

Updated December 26^th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.76″x1.25″There is no pictorial postmark for this issue (although a show cancel is likely).

Updated December 12^th:

On January 24, 2025, in Peachtree Corners, GA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the 1794 Compass Rose Global Forever® International rate stamp, in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 10 stamps (Item 581700). This stamp will go on sale nationwide January 24, 2025, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

[This is the location and first day of the Southeastern Stamp Expo.]

1794 Compass Rose is a new Global stamp that can be used to mail a one-ounce letter to any country in which First-Class Mail International® service is available. A compass rose is a round figure on a map that helps users of the map orient themselves by showing the direction of north and other points of the compass. The stamp is round and features a colorful compass rose from the Collections of Maine Historical Society, drawn by Lucia Wadsworth, the aunt of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, in her school geography notebook when she was 10 years old. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp.

No 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 – 1794 Compass Rose 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 24, 2025.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: 1794 Compass Rose Stamp
Item Number: 581700
Denomination & Type of Issue: Global Forever International Rate
Format: Pane of 10 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: January 24, 2025, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Art: Lucia Wadsworth
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 10
Print Quantity: 40,000,000
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Stamp Orientation: Round
Image Area (w x h): 1.2000 x 1.2000 in. / 30.4800 x
30.4800 mm.
Stamp Size (w x h): 1.4100 x 1.4100 in. / 35.8140 x
35.8140 mm.
Full Pane Size (w x h): 8.5000 x 4.0900 in. / 215.9000 x 103.8860 mm.
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, PMS 3546 C, PMS 575 C
Plate Size: 180 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “P” followed by six (6) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in four corners of pane
Back: © 2024 USPS • USPS logo • Barcode (581700) behind each stamp • Plate position diagram (9) • Promotional text

From the USPS press release November 15, 2024:

This is the sixth stamp in the current Lunar New Year series, where each entry features a mask, calling to mind the decorated masks used in the dragon or lion dances often performed during Lunar New Year parades. For Year of the Snake, designer Camille Chew constructed a three-dimensional snake mask out of hand- printed paper, then cut, scored and folded it into shape. After the front was embellished with acrylic paint and additional paper elements, the back was covered with a layer of papier-mâché. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp from a photograph of the mask by Sally Andersen-Bruce.

Updates will be added below line, with the most recent at the top.

Updated February 28^th:
The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 5952.

Updated December 19^th:
The USPS has released updated dimensions for the postmarks: 3.0″x1.45″ for the DCP and 2.45″x1.22″ for the Pictorial. The dimensions beneath the illustrations have been updated.

Updated December 14^th:
I believe the dimensions for the two first-day postmarks are incorrect, possibly reversed. I have asked the USPS for clarification. (The DCP is obviously taller than the Pictorial.)

Updated December 11^th:
On January 14, 2025, in Boston, MA, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Lunar New Year • Year of the Snake stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 485900). This stamp will go on sale nationwide January 14, 2025, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Lunar New Year • Year of the Snake commemorative pane of 20 stamps must not be split and the stamps must not be sold individually.

In 2025, the Postal Service™ will issue the sixth of 12 stamps in its latest Lunar New Year series. The Year of the Snake begins January 29, 2025, and concludes on February 16, 2026. Calling to mind the elaborately decorated masks used in the dragon or lion dances often performed in Lunar New Year parades, this three-dimensional mask depicting a snake is a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk-art crafts created during this time of year. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed this stamp issuance with original artwork by Camille Chew and photography by Sally Andersen-Bruce.

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 – Lunar New Year • Year of the Snake 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 14, 2025.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Lunar New Year • Year of the Snake Stamp
Item Number: 485900
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Lunar New Year
Issue Date & City: January 14, 2025, Boston, MA 02205
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Camille Chew, Providence, RI
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Foil Stamping, Flexographic, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 21,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, PMS 7579 C, PMS 7563 C, Red Luxor Foil MTS 392, Gold Luxor Foil MTS 413
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): 7.2500 x 8.5000 in. / 184.1500 x 215.9000 mm.
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 14.5000 x 19.5000 in. / 368.3000 x 495.3000 mm.
Plate Size: 80 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by six (6) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: LUNAR NEW YEAR • YEAR OF THE SNAKE • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: © 2024 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (485900) • Plate position diagram (4) • Promotional text

Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 3.0″x1.45″
The Pictorial Postmark measures 2.45″ x 1.22″

Updated December 11^th:

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
USPS Announces Ceremony For Lunar New Year Stamp

What: The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the Lunar New Year with the release of the Year of the Snake stamp. The Year of the Snake begins Jan. 29, 2025, and ends Feb. 16, 2026.

This first-day-of-issue event for the Forever stamp will be held in Boston and is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared online with the hashtags #LunarNewYearSnake and #LunarNewYearStamp.

Who: Luke Grossmann, chief financial officer and executive vice president, U.S. Postal Service

Isabel Kim, chief financial officer, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF)

When: Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, at 11 a.m. EST

Where:
Boch Center — Wang Theatre
270 Tremont St.
Boston, MA 02116

RSVP: Attendees are encouraged to register at usps.com/lunarnewyearsnake.

Background: The Postal Service will celebrate the 2025 Lunar New Year with a colorful Year of the Snake stamp.

To mark this festive occasion, millions of people around the world will host parades and parties, decorate with red and gold lanterns, set off firecrackers to ward off evil spirits, and invite family and friends to share traditional foods to welcome the new year. People will write couplets, give gifts and clean their houses to celebrate a time of renewal.

Those born in the Year of the Snake, the sixth sign in the Chinese zodiac, are said to be quiet, wise and deep-thinking, making them proficient musicians, philosophers, writers and teachers. A snake year is sometimes referred to as a “little dragon year” because it follows the dragon on the zodiac. 2025 marks the year of the wood snake. Artist Camille Chew designed the stamp.

This can’t possibly be the entire U.S. 2025 stamp program, nor does the press release claim that it is. For example, there will be at least one stamp for Boston 2026, the decennial international stamp show being held in the U.S. It is likely that stamp or stamps will be issued at Great American Stamp Show, August 17-20, n Schaumburg, Illinois.

Nothing is mentioned here about the “semiquincentennial” of 1775, which included the battles of Lexington, Concord, Bunker Hill and Fort Ticonderoga, the second Continental Congress (we had a stamp for the First); and the ride of Paul Revere. 2025 is also the centennial of one of the great American novels, The Great Gatsby. Also in 1925, Mount Rushmore was dedicated and the “Grand Ole Opry” program premiered.

Here’s the November 15^th press release from the USPS:

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
U.S. Postal Service Provides Sneak Peek at 2025 Stamps
History, Natural Beauty and Pop Culture Icons Are Featured

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service today announced many of the stamps it will release in 2025.

“This early glimpse into our 2025 stamp program demonstrates our commitment to providing a diverse range of subjects and designs for both philatelists and stamp enthusiasts,” said Lisa Bobb-Semple, Stamp Services director for USPS. “This year, we are continuing several of our popular series and commemorative anniversaries, while introducing some exciting new stamps. Additionally, several of our mail-use stamps, which are printed based on demand, will be updated this year. Stay tuned for more announcements in the coming months.”

This is a partial list, with additional stamps to be announced in the coming weeks and months. These designs are preliminary and may change.

Lunar New Year: Year of the Snake
This is the sixth stamp in the current Lunar New Year series, where each entry features a mask, calling to mind the decorated masks used in the dragon or lion dances often performed during Lunar New Year parades. For Year of the Snake, designer Camille Chew constructed a three-dimensional snake mask out of hand- printed paper, then cut, scored and folded it into shape. After the front was embellished with acrylic paint and additional paper elements, the back was covered with a layer of papier-mâché. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp from a photograph of the mask by Sally Andersen-Bruce.

1794 Compass Rose (Global)
Useful for mailing a 1-ounce letter to any country in which First-Class Mail International service is available, this stamp carries with it a bit of history. The colorful compass rose was drawn in a school geography notebook by Lucia Wadsworth, the aunt of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, when she was 10 years old. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp.

Love (2025)
This new Love stamp celebrates the universal experience of love with a work by artist Keith Haring (1958–1990). With a deceptively simple and now-iconic style, Haring’s work is instantly recognizable. This stamp features Haring’s 1985 Untitled drawing. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, believes that this drawing makes for an ideal new stamp in this popular series. “The non-specificity of the figures allows a variety of people to see themselves in this stamp,” Alcalá says. “Partners getting married, celebrating an anniversary, siblings sending each other a heartfelt greeting, or even party planners setting a positive tone for their event.”

Black Heritage: Allen Toussaint
In recent years, the Black Heritage series has celebrated a man one year and a woman the next. Next year, the 48th stamp in the series will honor Allen Toussaint (1938–2015), the virtuoso pianist, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger and producer responsible for scores of hits across multiple genres. Designed by Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, the stamp features a photograph taken by Bill Tompkins in New York City in 2007.

American Vistas (Presorted Standard)
These two stamps depicting stylized, minimalist scenes of mountains and a beach are for use on business mail. The stamps feature screen prints by DKNG Studios made from vector illustrations, and were designed by Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS.

The Appalachian Trail
Covering almost 2,200 miles of footpath along one of Earth’s most ancient mountain ranges, the century- old Appalachian National Scenic Trail is within easy reach of large metropolitan areas of the East Coast. The Appalachian Trail is maintained by a network of volunteer clubs, led by the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy. This pane of 15 stamps includes a photographic view from each of the 14 states along the Maine-to-Georgia trail with an additional stamp showing stretches of trail through dense forest. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps with images from various photographers.

Vibrant Leaves (Postcard Rate)
Evoking the colorful sights of a seasonal walk in the woods, the photographs on five new postcard stamps depict leaves on trees found in the United States. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps.

Dahlias
Radiating warmth, vitality and cheer, dahlias are beloved additions to backyard gardens and formal venues alike. This issuance includes 10 close-up photographs of dahlia blossoms available in booklets of 20 stamps and coils of 3K and 10K stamps. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps using photographs by Denise Ippolito.

U.S. Flag
Conveniently available in many formats, this stamp continues a long tradition of honoring the Stars and Stripes. Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp with a photograph by Doug Haight.

Schooner (Stamped Card)
New stamped-card designs are issued every few years for customers who want to send postcards with postage already included. The latest features an illustration of a two-masted sea vessel based on a photo of a 2014 replica of the 1923 schooner Columbia. Libby VanderPloeg was the artist and Antonio Alcalá provided art direction.

Luna Moth (Nonmachineable Surcharge)
This new stamp for irregularly sized envelopes features a luna moth (Actias luna), considered one of the most beautiful moths in the United States. Artist Joseph Scheer created this composite image by using a high-resolution scanner with extended focus to capture multiple layers of a preservedmoth. Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp.

Baby Wild Animals
Offering whimsical, eye-catching designs for letters and cards, these 10 stamps show baby wild animals from across the United States, with visual elements suggesting the habitat or behavior of each one. Tracy Walker designed and created the artwork by digitally layering colored shapes on solid backgrounds. Greg Breeding provided art direction.

Betty White
An icon of American television, Betty White (1922–2021) shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades — including roles on “The Golden Girls” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” The comedic actor, who gained younger generations of fans as she entered her 90s, was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals. Dale Stephanos created the digital illustration based on a 2010 photograph by Kwaku Alston. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp.

Winter Landscapes
Offered in booklets of 20, these five stamps feature photographs of iconic winter landscapes from around the country. Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps using images from various photographers.