Postage Stamps That Don’t Show Their Value

Some U.S. stamps don’t display a dollar amount, but they’re still valid for mailing—as long as the total postage meets or exceeds the current rate. I need this information for my postcarding groups.

🕊️ Forever and Postcard Stamps

• Forever stamps: Always valid for 1 oz First-Class Mail, including standard postcards, regardless of the current rate.

• Postcard stamps: Always valid for mailing a standard postcard, regardless of the current rate.

📆 First-Class Mail 1 oz Rates (1980–2025)

These include stamps marked “Christmas” with a year number. Years with no rate change are skipped.

• 1981 – $0.18 Note: 1981 Christmas stamp = $0.20

• 1982 – $0.20

• 1985 – $0.22

• 1988 – $0.25

• 1991 – $0.29

• 1995 – $0.32

• 1999 – $0.33

• 2000 – $0.33

• 2001 – $0.34

• 2002 – $0.37

• 2006 – $0.39

• 2007 – $0.41

• 2008 – $0.42

• 2009 – $0.44

• 2012 – $0.45

• 2013 – $0.46

• 2014 – $0.49

• 2016 – $0.47 (rate decrease)

• 2017 – $0.49

• 2018 – $0.50

• 2019 – $0.55

• 2021 – $0.58

• 2022 – $0.60

• 2023 – $0.63 (Jan), $0.66 (Jul)

• 2024 – $0.68

• 2025 – $0.78 (as of October)

🔤 Letter-Denominated Stamps

These stamps were issued during rate transitions and represent the following values:

• A stamp (1978) – $0.15

• B stamp (1981) – $0.18

• C stamp (1981) – $0.20

• D stamp (1985) – $0.22

• E stamp (1988) – $0.25

• F stamp (1991) – $0.29

• G stamp (1994) – $0.32

• H stamp (1998) – $0.33

🧩 Rate Makeup Stamps

Used to supplement older stamps when rates increased:

• D rate makeup stamp (1985) – $0.01

• E rate makeup stamp (1988) – $0.02

• F rate makeup stamp (1991) – $0.04

• G rate makeup stamp (1994) – $0.01

• H rate makeup stamp (1998) – $0.01