The History of the Forever Stamp
Three Dates and Numbers to Keep Separate
USPS placed the first Forever stamp on sale April 12, 2007. It was sold for 41 cents. The separate First-Class Mail one-ounce rate increase to 41 cents took effect May 14, 2007. Calling May 14 the first issue date mixes a stamp release with a rate-effective date.
Why the Category Was Created
A valid ordinary Forever stamp pays the current one-ounce stamped-letter price regardless of what the buyer originally paid. That reduces the need for make-up postage when that particular rate rises. It does not eliminate added postage for heavier, nonmachinable, international, large, or otherwise different mailpieces.
The Value Has Not Moved Only Up
The ordinary Forever value follows the applicable one-ounce rate. It fell from 49 cents to 47 cents on April 10, 2016, after an exigent surcharge expired, and returned to 49 cents in 2017. Forever stamps should therefore be described as rate-linked postage, not an investment that can only appreciate.
What Came Before Forever
Many earlier U.S. stamps printed a fixed denomination, but not every pre-2007 stamp did. USPS also issued nondenominated letter-rate stamps, including lettered issues used around rate changes. Identify the inscription and issue rather than assuming every older stamp shows a cent value.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the first Forever stamp issued?
It went on sale April 12, 2007, at 41 cents. The 41-cent one-ounce rate took effect May 14, 2007.
Has the Forever value ever decreased?
Yes. The one-ounce rate fell from 49 cents to 47 cents on April 10, 2016, and the value of an ordinary Forever stamp followed it.
Did Forever stamps eliminate all make-up postage?
No. They reduce make-up needs when the one-ounce letter rate changes; other weights, shapes, destinations, and services can still require more postage.
The history explains the postage concept; current buyers can compare available Forever stamp options by design, format, quantity, and price.
Sources and Scope
- USPS 2007 Postal Bulletin announcing the first Forever stamp sale.
- USPS 2016 Postal Bulletin documenting the price decrease.
- Site rate-history table, which distinguishes issue dates from rate-effective dates.
The history concerns U.S. ordinary Forever stamps; other nondenominated categories have their own service values.