© 2025 USPS
On May 2, 2025, in North Kansas City, MO, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Goodnight Moon stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in eight designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 16 stamps (Item 486200). These stamps will go on sale nationwide May 2, 2025, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Goodnight Moon commemorative pane of 20 stamps must not be split and the stamps must not be sold individually.
Goodnight Moon revolutionized children’s publishing when it debuted in 1947 and has since become favorite bedtime reading for millions of families around the world. The story allows children to imagine themselves in the cozy bedroom of a young bunny, saying goodnight to everything they see. This pane of 16 stamps features eight vibrantly colored details from the beloved picture book.
A reproduction of the book’s cover image fills the center of the pane and includes the names of the author, Margaret Wise Brown, and the illustrator, Clement Hurd. The back of the pane features a black-and-white rendering of the bedroom. The book‘s title appears above the scene, with its closing words, “Goodnight stars / Goodnight air / Goodnight noises everywhere.” Art director Derry Noyes designed the pane using existing art by Clement Hurd.
Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales. Distribution quantities for the automatic push distribution are available by logging on to SFS Web at sfsweb.usps.gov/sfsweb. Post Offices may begin ordering stamps before the first-day-of-issue through SFS Web; offices must also check the amount they will receive on their automatic push distribution.
Only the following pictorial postmark is permitted for the Goodnight Moon stamp. The word “Station” or the abbreviation “STA” is required somewhere in the design because it will be a temporary station. Use of any image other than the following special pictorial image is prohibited.
To finalize the Goodnight Moon stamp pictorial postmark art, insert the date, city, state, and ZIP Code™ of the physical location of your event adjacent to the stamp image. Overall dimensions of the pictorial postmark must not exceed 4 inches (horizontally) by 2 inches (vertically). Collectors prefer the dimensions 3-1/2 inches by 1 inch.
The Postal Service™ must make all special postmarks known to collectors through advance publicity in the Postal Bulletin. Therefore, all special dedication cancellations must be reported to Stamp Services 4 weeks before the event using PS Form 413, Pictorial Postmark Announcement/Report. To get a copy of the form, go to blue.usps.gov/formmgmt/forms/ps413.pdf.
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 – Goodnight Moon Stamps
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 September 2, 2025.
The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the USA Philatelic catalog and online at usps.com/shop. Customers may register to receive a free USA Philatelic catalog online at usps.com/philatelic.
Locally produced items are not authorized. Only merchandise that has been approved and assigned an item number by Headquarters Retail Marketing may be produced and sold.
Issue:
|
Goodnight Moon Stamps
|
Item Number:
|
486200
|
Denomination &
Type of Issue:
|
First-Class Mail Forever
|
Format:
|
Pane of 16 (8 designs)
|
Series:
|
N/A
|
Issue Date & City:
|
May 2, 2025, North Kansas City, MO 64116
|
Art Director:
|
Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
|
Designer:
|
Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
|
Existing Art:
|
Clement Hurd
|
Modeler:
|
Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
|
Manufacturing Process:
|
Offset, Flexographic
|
Printer:
|
Banknote Corporation of America
|
Press Type:
|
Gallus RCS
|
Stamps per Pane:
|
16
|
Print Quantity:
|
20,000,000
|
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):
|
7.2400 x 7.1200 in. / 183.8960 x
180.8480 mm.
|
Press Sheets Size (w x h):
|
14.4800 x 21.3600 in. / 367.7920 x
542.5440 mm.
|
Plate Size:
|
96 stamps per revolution
|
Plate Number:
|
“B” followed by four (4) single digits
|
Marginal Markings:
|
Front:
|
Header: GOODNIGHT MOON • Selvage text • Plate number in four corners
|
Back:
|
Verso Artwork from Goodnight Moon • © 2025 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (486200) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text
|
— Stamp Services,
Marketing, 3-20-25
