We won’t hear the basic list of 2027 U.S. issues for several weeks, but it’s always fun to guess and never to early to speculate. In 2027, thanks to a rule change, we don’t have to worry about whether three years has elapsed since a person died. On the other hand, with people stamps, intellectual property rights carry as much weight as merit, unfortunately.

These are my opinions. I have no information from USPS personnel about next year’s program except “I think you’re going to really like it.”

Sure things include:

• Lunar New Year (Year of the Goat or Ram)
• Love
• Priority Mail
• Priority Mail Express
• U.S. Flag
• Non-Religious Christmas

Educated Guesses and Good Bets

• First Lady Rosalynn Carter (born August 18, 1927, died 2023)
• Singer Tony Bennett (born August 3, 1926, died 2023)
• Baseball player Willie Mays (born May 8, 1931, died 2024)

(Stamps for these three people could not have been issued earlier, under previous rules. I think these stamps were in the works before the rule change. Why not Dolly Parton? Because there’s presently a disagreement between her nephew and her manager, raising a question about who controls her estate and rights.)

• 1777, June 14, the Stars and Stripes is adopted as the flag of the United States

Not as certain:

• • Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic
  • Various American Revolutionary War battles

<lihttps://www.dragoncards.biz/>LaFayette arrives to help train American troops (June 13, 1777)

• Articles of Confederation signed (November 15, 1777)
• Continental Army goes into winter quarters at Valley Forge (December 1777)
• US celebrates its first Thanksgiving, in honor of winning a battle (December 1777)
• Actor Sidney Poitier (born February 22, 1927)
• Singer Harry Belafonte (born March 1, 1927, died 2023)
• Civil rights activist Coretta Scott King (born April 27, 1927)(I think one of these three will be the Black Heritage issue — or someone completely out of left field)

• Playwright Neil Simon (born July 4, 1927)
• Author Mary Higgins Clark (born December 24, 1927)

Why aren’t I more certain about Lindbergh’s flight? In later years, he had political views that many would now find unsavory, such as support for Nazi Germany. In today’s political climate, I’m not sure a stamp honoring Charles Lindbergh would fly. (sorry)

So those are some of my guesses. What are yours?

— Lloyd de Vries