BOSTON — Today at the 2026 Boston World Exposition, the U. S. Postal Service dedicated the American Bison stamp. The issuance was part of the exposition’s stamp collector's theme day.

The American Bison stamp from the U.S. Postal Service pays tribute to our national mammal. The species Bison bison is commonly called the buffalo and is uniquely tied to American history. For millennia, Native Great Plains peoples were intertwined with the buffalo. Tribes crafted hides into clothing and shelter and bones and horns into tools. As settlers pressed westward throughout the 1800s, millions of buffalo were reduced to hundreds. Since the early 20th century, passionate efforts by Tribal Nations, federal and state government, private individuals and non-governmental organizations have replenished herds at parks and refuges and most famously, Yellowstone National Park.

Lisa Bobb-Semple the director of Stamps for the Postal Service remarked that, “For the Boston 2026 World Exposition we wanted to give a nod to the philately community by dedicating the American Bison stamp here. The design of a stamp within a stamp creates a fascinating, puzzle-like experience that blends history, artistry, and the thrill of the hunt. We thought the World Expo would be the perfect place to unveil this unique stamp. This is especially meaningful because of the role the bison has played as an American icon, as we prepare to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. Our stamps have always done more than carry mail. They reflect who we are. They preserve moments in our shared history. And they connect people to stories larger than themselves”.

Dr. Maureen Murray, veterinarian and director of Tufts Wildlife Clinic at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, was among the speakers joining Bobb-Semple at today’s ceremony.

“In addition to reflecting the historical and cultural significance of the bison, the American bison stamp highlights the importance of collaborative conservation programs in protecting our native wildlife and ecosystems,” said Murray. “I appreciated the opportunity to speak at today’s ceremony, and I hope the issuance of this stamp will inspire people to learn more about the roles wildlife around them play in their local ecosystems.

Bobb-Semple was also joined by James Weigant, a collections assistant at the Osage Nation Museum.

“As a stamp collector who primarily specializes in the Fourth Bureau Issues, this American Bison stamp is a new take on a classic. As a member of the Osage Nation, it is my privilege to speak at this ceremony, to honor this animal we hold sacred, in fitting tribute,” Weigant said.

The Fourth Bureau Issues refers to stamps produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing between1922 and 1930, including the engraved 1923 American Buffalo stamp that served as a starting point for Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, who adapted the artwork of the vintage 30-cent stamp to reflect today’s Forever rate.

Breeding sought a contemporary buffalo photograph to accompany the engraved design. Finding just the right image proved trickier than expected. “Tom Murphy’s photo has the kind of reproducible detail that so many other photos lack,” says Breeding. Murphy’s photograph captures a bull bison at Yellowstone National Park, where the largest wild buffalo herd flourishes today. The photo, says Breeding, “also happens to have a background of clean sky and pretty magnificent grass,” elements that echo the 1923 stamp image. “Bleeding the image over the edges of the stamp instead of putting a border around the photo,” says Breeding, “helps the buffalo feel more out in the open, less constrained. This also creates a better background for the vintage artwork.” Seamless blending of the prairie grass between the stamps serves another of the designer’s goals—for the grass to flow in a continuous pattern across each row of the 16-stamp pane.

The inset is Breeding’s adaptation of the 1923 American Buffalo stamp, originally designed for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) by Clair Aubrey Huston. Closely referencing Charles R. Knight’s buffalo drawing, Louis Schofield engraved the vignette for the early stamp, and fellow BEP employees Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing engraved the ornate frame.

The American Bison stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp. This Forever stamp will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.

The American Bison pane of 16 stamps are issued as Forever stamps. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1‑ounce price. News of the American Bison stamps are being shared with the hashtag #AmericanBisonStamp.

Postal Products

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through The Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide. For officially licensed stamp products, shop the USPS Officially Licensed Collection on Amazon. Additional information on stamps, first-day-of-issue ceremonies and stamp-inspired products can be found at stampsforever.com.

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