Celebrating Commemorative Stamps

Overseeing the nation’s commemorative stamp program is an honor and a privilege. We have recently issued a preview of our 2023 collection, and I couldn’t be prouder of the effort and the result. We have produced a collection that embraces the creativity and imagination of the American public, leveraging talented artists to provide designs that represent the very best of our nation.

There is a lot of love and hard work put into each commemorative stamp, and with more than 30 issues this year, we hope you will find one that truly touches your heart.

This year we honor and celebrate some amazing people who have left an indelible mark on our country. These include civil rights icons U.S. Rep John Lewis and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, literary luminaries Ernest J. Gaines and Toni Morrison, and internationally renowned pop-culture artist Roy Lichtenstein.

We also mark the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act with a beautiful collection of 20 stamps, and recognize the architectural beauty of railroad stations and bridges in two more collections. I could go on, as each new stamp holds its own significance, so please visit www.usps.com/shopstamps to discover your favorite from our 2023 collection.

You can probably tell that I’m an enthusiastic champion of our commemorative stamps, and if you want to hear my thoughts on this year’s collection, please feel free to listen to my recent “Mailin’ It” podcast episode. But I want to take this opportunity to shine a light on the people without whom none of this would happen: my incredible team of art directors and the members of the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, or CSAC.

We receive approximately 30,000 suggestions for commemorative stamps each year from the American public, an immense volume that my team reviews, researches and collates into a manageable list for CSAC’s members to discuss at their confidential quarterly meetings.

Guided by the experience and insights of our art directors, CSAC’s dozen or so members work diligently and collegially to select stamp candidates representing the American public’s diversity and complexity in meaningful, albeit tiny, pieces of art that are created by our talented team of art directors.

It is a pleasure to see this process unfold and to witness the dedication of the committee members and my Stamp Services team to ensure that when we present the proposed list of commemorative stamps to be reviewed and approved by the Postmaster General, he can be confident that the stamp suggestions have been given the full consideration they deserve.

The end result is a collection of stamps that has meaning for the American public, brings joy to stamp collectors and exemplifies the very best of America. And if you have any suggestions of your own, we’d love to hear from you at Stamp Services in a letter adorned with your favored 2023 commemorative stamp.

 

William Gicker

Director, Stamp Services