Announced by the USPS on December 12, 2025:
This new Priority Mail stamp celebrates America’s continued exploration of deep space with a breathtaking image captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. One of the most frequently observed celestial bodies, the Crab Nebula is one of the brightest remnants of an exploded star in the night sky. Located 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus, Webb captured this new Crab Nebula image in vivid infrared detail revealing previously unseen features that contribute to our broader understanding of stellar life cycles. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp using a photo courtesy of NASA. Upon favorable review by the Postal Regulatory Commission, the stamp will be denominated at the new Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope rate and an issue date will be announced.
Further information will appear below the line, with the most recent information at the top.
Updated March 6th:
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Crab Nebula Stamp
Item Number: 129700
Denomination & Type of Issue: $11.95 Priority Mail® Rate
Format: Pane of 4 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: February 24, 2026, Kansas City, MO 64108
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Existing Image: Photo courtesy of NASA
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Flexographic
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 4
Print Quantity: 1,500,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.4200 X 1.0850 in. / 36.0680 X 27.5590 mm.
Overall Size (w x h): 1.5600 X 1.2250 in. / 39.6240 X 31.1150 mm.
Full Pane Size (w x h): 4.1200 X 3.4500 in. / 104.6480 X 87.6300 mm.
Plate Size: 80 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Plate number in two corners
Back: © 2025 USPS • USPS logo • Four barcodes (129700) • Plate position diagram (10) • Promotional text
Updated February 10th:
Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:
The Digital Color Postmark measures 3.12″ x 1.39″
There is no Pictorial Postmark for this issue, just the FDOI “killer bars.”
Updated February 5th:
This stamp will be issued February 24 without a ceremony.
On February 24, 2026, in Kansas City, MO, the United States Postal Service® will issue the $11.95 Crab Nebula Priority Mail® stamp, in one design, in a pressure-sensitive
adhesive (PSA) pane of four stamps (Item 129700). This stamp will go on sale nationwide February 24, 2026, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.
This new Priority Mail® stamp celebrates America’s continued exploration of deep space with another breathtaking image captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. One of the most frequently observed celestial bodies, the Crab Nebula is one of the brightest remnants of an exploded star in the night sky. Located 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus, Webb captured this new Crab Nebula image in vivid infrared detail revealing previously unseen features that contribute to our broader understanding of stellar life cycles. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp using a photo courtesy of NASA (National Aeronautics Space Agency).
Item 129700, $11.95 Crab Nebula Priority Mail Pane of Four Stamps
No 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 June 24, 2026.
FDOI – Crab Nebula Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900
Technical details are not yet available.
















































