Have you ever looked at a postage stamp and wondered, Who decided this should be on a stamp? Perhaps you have gone one step further and thought, Why isn’t there a stamp about this? There is actually a place to send that idea. The United States Postal Service has an advisory group called the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, commonly known as CSAC. Established in 1957, the committee reviews ideas for future U.S. postage stamps and recommends subjects to the Postmaster General, who makes the final selections.
And here is the part we particularly love at the Arizona Correspondence Society: You have to send your suggestion through the mail. No email. No online submission form. No phone call. A letter.
What Is the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee?
Members of CSAC are appointed by the Postmaster General and bring expertise from a variety of fields, including history, science, technology, art, education, sports, and other areas of public interest. The committee meets quarterly to consider potential stamp subjects. Its meetings and deliberations are confidential. Their responsibility is an interesting one. A postage stamp may be tiny, but the subject printed upon it can travel across the country—and around the world—millions of times. Stamps become miniature pieces of American history.
They commemorate people and events. They celebrate art, wildlife, places, achievements, culture, science, and traditions. They can introduce us to a person we have never heard of or remind us of something in our shared history that deserves another look. Choosing those subjects is therefore about much more than producing something attractive to put on an envelope.
Anyone Can Suggest a Stamp
USPS specifically welcomes suggestions from the public for future stamp subjects. You do not need to be a stamp collector, historian, elected official, artist, organization, or professional lobbyist. Anyone can submit an idea. There are, however, rules. Suggestions must be submitted in writing through the U.S. Mail. USPS does not accept stamp-subject proposals by email, telephone, or in-person appeal. You should include historical information explaining the significance of your proposed subject as well as important dates associated with it. And there is another charmingly postal requirement: One stamp idea per letter.
Think Far Ahead
If you have an idea for a stamp commemorating an upcoming anniversary, do not wait until the anniversary arrives. USPS recommends submitting proposals at least three years before the proposed year of issuance because researching, evaluating, approving, designing, and producing a stamp takes considerable time. In other words, stamp enthusiasts need to think several years into the future. Is an important American event approaching its 100th, 150th, or 200th anniversary? Is there a cultural movement that deserves greater recognition? Is there an important achievement in science, medicine, education, conservation, literature, art, or American life that has been overlooked? Start researching—and start writing.
What Makes a Good Stamp Subject?
USPS has established criteria governing which subjects can be considered. Generally, stamps primarily feature American or American-related subjects, although subjects with a significant impact on American history, culture, or the environment may also be considered. The Postal Service looks for subjects representing extraordinary and enduring contributions to American society, history, culture, or the environment. Historical events are generally considered for anniversaries occurring in multiples of 50 years. USPS also seeks a balanced stamp program with subjects having broad national interest and significance.
There are also restrictions. Living individuals are not currently considered for U.S. postage stamps. Proposals honoring deceased individuals may be considered beginning three years after their death. That means a strong proposal should explain more than simply why you like the subject. Explain why the subject matters to America.
Don’t Design the Stamp
This may surprise some people. If you are proposing a stamp subject, do not send your own stamp artwork or photographs for consideration as the design. USPS specifically states that unsolicited stamp designs will not be reviewed as stamp-subject proposals. Once a subject has been selected, the Postal Service’s Stamp Development team works with professional artists and designers to develop the artwork. So concentrate your proposal on the story. Why is the subject important? What has it contributed? Why should millions of Americans encounter this person, event, place, achievement, or idea on their mail?
What Happens to Your Letter?
Proposals meeting USPS criteria are presented to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee. Interestingly, the proposal is presented without identifying who submitted it, and USPS says qualifying proposals receive the same level of consideration. If the committee decides not to recommend the subject, the idea may be submitted again after a three-year interval. USPS does not provide credit or compensation to someone whose suggested subject eventually becomes a stamp. There are no guarantees. But your letter gets an opportunity to put an idea before the people who help shape America’s future stamp program. That is rather remarkable.
Where Do You Send a Stamp Suggestion?
Prepare your proposal and mail it to:
Stamp Development
Attn: Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 3300
Washington, DC 20260-3501
Remember: one topic per letter.
What Would You Put on a Stamp?
This is where things become interesting. If you could choose a subject for a future United States postage stamp, what would it be? An overlooked person in American history? A medical or scientific achievement? A uniquely American tradition? An endangered species? A historic building or landscape? A movement that changed American life? A writer, artist, educator, inventor, or community leader whose contribution deserves wider recognition? Perhaps there is something important that has never appeared on a U.S. stamp at all.
Stamps may be small, but they provide an extraordinary canvas for telling the American story. And occasionally, that story begins with someone sitting down with a piece of paper, putting an idea into words, addressing an envelope, adding a stamp—and sending a letter. We can’t think of a more appropriate way for a new postage stamp to begin. So, what should be on a future stamp? Maybe you should write and tell them.
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