© 2025 USPS
On September 9, 2025, in New Haven, CT, the United States Postal Service® will issue the William F. Buckley, Jr. stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate), in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 487500). This stamp will go on sale nationwide on September 9, 2025, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.
This stamp honors William F. Buckley, Jr. (1925–2008), a defining figure in 20th-century conservatism. The stamp art features a black-and-white portrait of Buckley, created by hand with graphite and charcoal on hot-press watercolor paper, then refined digitally. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with original art by Dale Stephanos.
Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales. 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 FDOI through SFS Web; offices must also check the amount they will receive on their automatic push distribution.
To finalize the William F. Buckley, Jr. 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 – William F. Buckley, Jr. Stamp
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 January 9, 2026.
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:
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William F. Buckley, Jr. Stamp
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Item Number:
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487500
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Denomination &
Type of Issue:
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First-Class Mail Forever
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Format:
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Pane of 20 (1 design)
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Series:
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N/A
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Issue Date & City:
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September 9, 2025, New Haven, CT 06511
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Art Director:
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Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
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Designer:
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Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
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Artist:
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Dale Stephanos, Foxboro, MA
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Modeler:
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Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
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Manufacturing Process:
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Offset, Microprint
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Printer:
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Banknote Corporation of America
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Press Type:
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Gallus RCS
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Stamps per Pane:
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20
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Print Quantity:
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12,000,000 stamps
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Paper Type:
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Phosphor, Block Tag
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Adhesive Type:
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Pressure-sensitive
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Colors:
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Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black,
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Stamp Orientation:
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Vertical
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Image Area (w x h):
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0.8400 x 1.4200 in. / 21.3360 x
36.0680 mm.
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Overall Size (w x h):
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0.9800 x 1.5600 in. / 24.8920 x
39.6240 mm.
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Full Pane Size (w x h):
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6.0400 x 7.9620 in. / 153.4160 x
202.2350 mm.
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Press Sheets Size (w x h):
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12.0800 x 16.0490 in. / 306.8320 x
407.6446 mm.
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Plate Size:
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80 stamps per revolution
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Plate Number:
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”B” followed by four (4) single digits
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Marginal Markings:
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Front:
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Header: William F. Buckley, Jr. CONSERVATIVE WRITER / COMMENTATOR • Plate number in bottom two corners
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Back:
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©2025 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (487500) • Plate position diagram (4) • Promotional text
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— Stamp Services,
Marketing, 8-7-25
