ALL of the nondenominated (unmarked) U.S. stamps
letter stamp, non-denominated stamp,
A stamp, B stamp, C stamp, D stamp, E stamp, F stamp, G stamp, H stamp, Hat stamp,
flower stamp, postage stamp rates, makeup stamps, history of stamps,
old stamps without numbers, stamps with no number, stamps with no value,
unmarked stamps, alphabet stamps
This page is a supplement to my "G is for G stamp" page, where you can see the "A" thru "G" non-denominated rate-change stamps. But the alphabet stamps are not the only ones the USPS has issued without denominations - there have been thirty-some other ordinary First Class rate stamps, several semi-postals, special stamps for Bulk Rate and other high-volume uses, and four lettered Official stamps. Below are the vital statistics about all of them I know of up through February 17, 2009. I am providing images so that if you find some of these in a drawer and want to know what they are worth, you will be able to identify them.
The first section below lists ALL non-denominated stamps, regardless of type - standard definitives, semi-postals, bulk rate and other precancels, or Officials. Immediately below that I show all the USPS postal stationery - postal cards and emvelopes. And below that section I have created separate sections where I repeat the special types such as precancels and officials.
Every stamp shown below is still valid as postage, with the face value given here,
BUT some of them have restrictions - the ones on which I note "PRECANCEL" require a special permit,
and the ones noted "OFFICIAL" can be used only by government agencies.
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STAMPSSorted by date of issue |
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Sc. 1579 10/14/75 10¢ |
Sc. 1580 10/14/75 10¢ |
Sc. 1735 05/22/78 15¢ |
Sc. 1818 03/15/81 18¢ |
Sc. 1946 10/11/81 20¢ |
Sc. 1939 10/28/81 20¢ |
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Sc. 1940 10/28/81 20¢ |
Sc. 2111 02/01/85 22¢ |
Sc. O138 2/4/85 14¢ OFFICIAL (Postal Card Rate) |
Sc. O139 2/4/85 22¢ OFFICIAL |
Sc. 2277 03/22/88 25¢ |
Sc. O140 3/22/88 25¢ OFFICIAL |
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Sc. 2517-20 01/22/91 29¢ |
Sc. 2521 01/22/91 4¢ |
Sc. 2522 01/22/91 29¢ |
Sc. O144 1/22/91 29¢ OFFICIAL |
Sc. 2578 10/17/91 29¢ |
Sc. 2579, 2580, 2581 10/17/91 29¢ |
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Sc. 2582, 2583, 2584, 2585 10/17/91 29¢ |
Sc. 2602,,,2907 1991, 1993, 1996, etc. 10¢ PRECANCEL |
Sc. 2881-87 12/13/94 32¢ 7 versions! WHITE BACKGROUND G in red, blue, or black |
Sc. 2877 12/13/94 3¢ |
Sc. 2879 12/13/94 20¢ YELLOW BACKGROUND Postcard Rate |
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Sc. 2880 12/13/94 20¢ YELLOW BACKGROUND Postcard Rate |
Sc. 2888 12/13/94 25¢ PRECANCEL |
Sc. 2893 12/13/94 5¢ PRECANCEL |
Sc. O152 12/13/94 32¢ OFFICIAL |
Sc. 2948 02/01/95 32¢ |
Sc. 2902 3/10/95 5¢ PRECANCEL |
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Sc. 2905 3/10/95 10¢ PRECANCEL |
Sc. 2908 3/17/95 15¢ PRECANCEL |
Sc. 2911 3/17/95 25¢ PRECANCEL |
Sc. 2904 6/15/96 5¢ PRECANCEL |
Sc. 3207 6/5/98 5¢ PRECANCEL |
Sc. 3208 6/5/98 25¢ |
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Sc. B1 Breast Cancer Stamp 7/29/98 (originally - 39¢) (As of 5/12/2008 - 42¢) (As of 5/11/2009 - 44¢) CURRENTLY 44¢ |
Sc. 3228 8/14/98 10¢ PRECANCEL |
Sc. 3260 11/9/98 33¢ |
Sc. 3258 11/9/98 1¢ |
Sc. 3448 12/15/00 34¢ |
 
Sc. 3451, 3452, 3453 12/15/00 34¢ |
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Sc. 3458-61 12/15/00 34¢ |
Sc. 3496 01/19/01 34¢ |
Sc. 3447 11/09/00 10¢ PRECANCEL |
Sc. 3520 6/29/01 10¢ PRECANCEL |
Sc. 3522 08/03/01 15¢ PRECANCEL |
Sc. 3620 06/07/02 37¢ |
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Sc. 3626-29 06/07/02 37¢ |
Sc. B2 Heroes of 9/11 Stamp 6/7/02 37¢ |
Sc. 3693 10/21/02 5¢ PRECANCEL |
 
Sc. 3792-3801 06/26/03 25¢ PRECANCEL |
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Sc. B3 Stop Family Violence Stamp 10/08/03 39¢ |
Sc. 3965 12/08/05 39¢ |
Sc. 3976 01/03/06 39¢ |
Sc. 4129 04/12/07 41¢ |
Sc. 4128 04/12/07 (originally - 41¢) (As of 5/12/2008 - 42¢) (As of 5/11/2009 - 44¢) CURRENTLY 44¢ "FOREVER STAMP" (always worth the current 1-oz First Class rate) |
Sc. 4157, etc. 07/04/07, etc. 10¢ PRECANCEL |
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POSTAL STATIONERY
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Postal Card
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Postal Card
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Postal Card
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Postal Card
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Postal Card
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Postal Envelope
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Postal Envelope
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Postal Envelope
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Postal Envelope
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Postal Envelope
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Postal Envelope
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Postal Envelope
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Postal Envelope
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It looks like the USPS has abandoned the idea of new rate change stamps. Back in 2007 they issued the Forever Stamp (the Liberty Bell), and stipulated that it will ALWAYS be valid for the one-ounce First Class rate. When first issued, it was worth 41¢; Then it went to 42¢, and as of May of 2009 it was worth 44¢. And when rates go up again, it will assume the new rate. So they don't need rate change stamps any more.
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9/16/2007 - Alain Vailly wrote to tell me about the NVI Club, which is headquartered in France. NVI stands for No Value Indicated. The Club's members collect stamps such as the USA rate-change stamps from countries all over the world. To learn more about the NVI Club, visit their website, at http://www.sciences.univ-nantes.fr/asso/NVIClub/gbindex.php. |
I have not tried to show here all the varieties of each stamp. The white-background G stamps, for instance, occur with the G in red, blue, and black. All have the same value, 32¢. Similar variations occur for some of the others. The color of the background is the key - and the letter on the stamp, of course - find the one that looks most like your stamp, and you'll have its value.
It is no coincidence that so many of the ordinary First Class non- denominated stamps are Christmas issues, since those have to be planned and printed well in advance, and any hoped-for rate change within a few months before or after Christmas cannot be finalized long enough ahead to be sure the denomination on the stamps will be correct - the first two of these, in 1975, were intended as rate change stamps, but the new rate (13¢) did not go into effect until Dec 31, so they were issued at the old rate, ten cents. The next two were part of the change from 18¢ to 20¢, and were issued with the "C" stamp. The 1991 issues were intended to be issued at the time of an increase from 29¢ to 30¢, but the USPS lost its appeal for that rate change, and they were released at the old rate, 29¢; and the 1995 Love stamp had to be printed before the new rate that went into effect in December of 1994 had been approved, so it was issued with just the date, to make it available for Valentine's Day.
Note that, while most of these stamps were designated initially as valid for domestic use only (and some are inscribed "Domestic" or "For U.S. addresses only"), the USPS Domestic Mail Manual states explicitly that all non-denominated stamps are valid on international mail, except for those with special service inscriptions. See: http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immc1_005.html.
152.2.d. Nondenominated postage stamps (except for those that bear uniquely domestic markings, such as First-Class Presort, Bulk Rate, Presorted Standard, or Nonprofit Organization) may be affixed to postal items that are sent to foreign countries. The value of such stamps is linked to either a current or a former domestic rate (e.g., the "H" stamp has a postage value of $0.33). Since the international postage rates are always higher than the comparable domestic postage rates, mailers who affix a single nondenominated postage stamp to their outbound mailpieces must add additional postage to comply with the international rate schedule. Note: The nondenominated Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp, which has a postage value that is equivalent to the domestic rate for a 1-ounce letter, may be used for international mailing purposes.
While I give a Scott catalogue number beneath each stamp (when known), I do not list ALL catalogue numbers, since some of these occur in multiple formats (coil, sheet, booklet, etc.), each with its own number. Furthermore, the "Release Date" shown for each stamp is different from (and usually earlier than) the "DATE of rate change" shown on my G page. The Post Office tries to get the stamps to users before they are needed.
Have I missed something? e-mail me at 
if you find a
stamp I don't show here, or if you have a question.
SEMI-POSTAL STAMPS
Semi-postal stamps are first class stamps sold at more than their postal value, with the extra money going to a charity. The U.S. has issued only three, all of which are still valid as postage.
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Sc. B1 Breast Cancer Stamp 7/29/98 39¢ (As of 5/12/2008 - 42¢) (As of 5/11/2009 - 44¢) |
Sc. B2 Heroes of 9/11 Stamp 6/7/02 37¢ |
Sc. B3 Stop Family Violence Stamp 10/08/03 39¢ |
NOTES:1. 2/22/2009 - The Breast Cancer Research stamp remains on sale, and has been extended through December 31, 2011 ( USPS news release here). I could not find pricing information, but assume that when the First Class rate goes up to 44¢ on May 11, 2009, the price of this stamp will remain at 55¢, with a postal value of 44¢.
2. The Heroes of 9/11 stamp was retired in late 2004. Its postal value is frozen at 37¢.
3. The Stop Family Violence stamp was retired on December 31, 2006. Its postal value is frozen at 39¢.
PRECANCELS - BULK RATE and other Service-Inscribed stamps
Precancels are used by high-volume mailers, who presort their mail for the USPS, and get discounted rates as a result. In the good old days, a precancel was a stamp with a cancel applied by the USPS, usually just bars, or a city name and bars. The USPS still uses the term "precancel", but today the stamps no longer have a cancel applied, and are more properly called "service-inscribed stamps."
NB - While all of these are still worth the value shown here as postage, to use them you are supposed to obtain a special permit (Form 3615), and then hand-deliver mail stamped with them to a postal clerk. Some of these were issued in many forms and variations, but all I am showing is one of each basic design, assuming that if you have any of these, you are savvy enough to deal with that.
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Sc. 2602,,,2907 1991, 1993, 1996, etc. 10¢ |
Sc. 2888 12/13/94 25¢ |
Sc. 2893 12/13/94 5¢ |
Sc. 2902 3/10/95 5¢ |
Sc. 2905 3/10/95 10¢ |
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Sc. 2908 3/17/95 15¢ |
Sc. 2911 3/17/95 25¢ |
Sc. 2904 6/15/96 5¢ |
Sc. 3207 6/5/98 5¢ |
Sc. 3208 6/5/98 25¢ |
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Sc. 3228 8/14/98 10¢ |
Sc. 3447 11/09/00 10¢ |
Sc. 3520 6/29/01 10¢ |
Sc. 3522 08/03/01 15¢ |
Sc. 3693 10/21/02 5¢ |
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Sc. 3792-3801 06/26/03 25¢ |
Sc. 4157, etc. 07/04/07, etc. 10¢ |
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(
How to use Precancels on your mail)
OFFICIAL STAMPS
THESE ARE FOR OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT USE ONLY!
Most people other than collectors have never seen these, and don't even know they exist. Intended for use on official government mail, they seldom get used, since most government offices have envelopes with Official permit imprints or use meters. Still, they were issued with each of the four lettered rate changes from D through G, so here they are.
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Sc. O138 2/4/85 14¢ (Postal Card Rate) |
Sc. O139 2/4/85 22¢ |
Sc. O140 3/22/88 25¢ |
Sc. O144 1/22/91 29¢ |
Sc. O152 12/13/94 32¢ |
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All text Copyright © 2000, William M. Senkus
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Created -- 08/05/2001
Revised -- 01/15/2010