If you are a new stamp collector who is interested about the US stamp history and other facts and figures on American philately, this article will surely be handy in wooing the USPS stamp you have been dreaming of. 

1) Who were the first men to be featured on US postage stamps?

Did you know that the first US postage stamp featured Benjamin Franklin and George Washington? Both were notable figures during the American Revolution and they earned their honors as the first two men to be featured on the first United States stamps in 1847.

2) What was the smallest amount of US stamps made?

The Graf Zeppelin stamps have the smallest number of issues of definitive stamps in the 20th century. Only 61, 296 pieces of these USPS stamps were sold.

On the other hand, the Norse American stamps were known to be the least produced commemorative stamps in the USA. They were printed in sheets of 100 stamps instead of the usual 200 stamps.

3) Are US stamps legal tender?

No. US postage stamps are not legal tender and thus they cannot be taken for payment of goods and services.

4) Are US postage stamps made in China?

No. US postage stamps are made by the United States Postal Service and they are not manufactured outside the country.

General information on the United States stamps

1) Who authorizes USPS stamps?

The USPS alone is the only authority to issue United States stamps. However, the USPS has several authorized dealers or vendors who can make custom stamps such as Click-N-Ship and Stamps.com.

2) What denomination stamps are sold by the US postal service?

USPS postage stamps are available in the following denominations:

$0.01, $.02, $.03,$ .04, $.05, $.09, $.10, $.17, $.20, $.23, $.24, $.27, $.28, $.40, $.42, $.44, $.50,$ .59, $.60, $.61, $.62, $.64, $.70, $.72, $.79, $.80, $.83, $.94, $.98, $1, $2, $4.80, $4.95, $5, $16.50, and $17.50


3) What are non denominated American stamps?

USPS non denominated stamps are postage stamps that are not printed with face values although they have corresponding denominations or postage values.

However, non denominated stamps can be printed with letters called non value indicators. Thus, these are called non value indicator (NVI) stamps, and they are issued by USPS in the following denominations:

A = 15 cents
B = 18 cents
C = 20 cents
D = 22 cents
E = 25 cents
F = 29 cents   
G = 32 cents    
G Postcard = 20cents
H = 33 cents    

4) Do USPS stamps ever expire?

No. Postage stamps, in general, do not have expiry dates. You can use your United States postage stamps – whether it’s an old or new issue – for as long as it is mint or it is not a used stamp or a cancelled stamp.

5) What is the face value of US forever stamps?

The USPS forever stamps do not have face values. These non-denominated stamps are valid for first class mails. They are called forever stamps because their value remains perpetually the same even if the postal service rates go up.

For example if you bought a forever stamp for $ 0.39 and the first class mail increases to $0.44, you can still use your forever stamp in your postage for no additional charge.

How and where to buy USPS stamps?

1) How to buy stamps from USPS online?

Buying USPS stamps online is easy. You can purchase stamps from the USPS online postal store and from other philatelic websites that issue US stamps. Remember, read and understand the terms and conditions first before you buy stamps online.

2) How many US stamps are equivalent per ounce of mail?

The number of US stamps equivalent to the ounce per mail depends on the US postal service rate. The USPS rate may increase from time to time. To know more about the stamps per ounce equivalent, you can visit the USPS postage calculator.

3) Where to buy US postage Christmas stamps?

You can buy Christmas stamps from any USPS branches during the holiday season. You can also have customized Christmas photo stamps from USPS-authorized websites like Zazzle.com.

4) Where to buy US stamps in Canada?

You can buy cancelled US postage stamps from most local stamp dealers in Canada. However, if you want to buy mint American postage stamps, you can always order over the internet, after all collecting stamps online is becoming a philatelic fad. The American Postal Service ships USPS stamps to all destinations around the world.