American Bison Forever Stamp 2026
The U.S. Postal Services American Bison stamp honors the nation's official mammal and celebrates the deep historical connection between the American bison, commonly known as the buffalo, and the story of the United States. The species Bison bison has long represented both the natural heritage of the country and the cultural traditions of the people who have depended on it.
For thousands of years, Indigenous communities of the Great Plains built their lives around the buffalo, using nearly every part of the animal for practical and cultural purposes. Hides were transformed into clothing and shelters, while bones and horns were shaped into essential tools. However, during the westward expansion of the 19th century, vast buffalo populations were devastated, declining from millions of animals to only a few hundred. Beginning in the early 1900s, conservation efforts at places such as Yellowstone National Park and other protected areas helped rebuild wild herds. Today, tribal nations are also playing an important role in restoring and preserving free-ranging buffalo populations.
The design of the stamp was inspired by the historic 1923 American Buffalo stamp. USPS art director Greg Breeding reimagined the original 30-cent engraved stamp artwork and updated it for use as a modern Forever stamp. To complement the vintage engraving, Breeding searched for a contemporary photograph of a bison that could capture the strength and character of the animal while blending naturally with the classic design.
The selected photograph by Tom Murphy depicts a bull bison in Yellowstone National Park, home to one of the largest remaining wild bison herds in the United States. According to Breeding, the image stood out because it contained the fine details necessary for high-quality reproduction, along with a simple yet powerful background of open sky and sweeping grassland that visually connects with the original 1923 stamp.
Rather than enclosing the photograph within a traditional border, Breeding extended the image beyond the edges of the stamp to create a greater sense of openness and movement. This approach allows the bison to appear as though it belongs within the surrounding landscape while also providing a natural setting for the historic engraved artwork. The continuous transition of prairie grass between individual stamps was carefully designed so that the landscape flows seamlessly across each row of the 16-stamp pane.
The inset image features Breeding's intaglio-printed adaptation of the original 1923 American Buffalo stamp, which was designed for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing by Clair Aubrey Huston. The central buffalo illustration was based on a drawing by renowned wildlife artist Charles R. Knight and engraved by Louis Schofield, while the decorative frame was created through engraving work by Edward M. Hall and Joachim C. Benzing.
The American Bison stamp is issued as a Forever stamp, meaning it will always carry the same value as the current First-Class Mail one-ounce postage rate, regardless of future postal price adjustments.
