Why Is “Forever” Crossed Out on Postage Stamp Images?

If you’ve ever checked out The Postal Store or paged through the various USPS catalogs or other promotional material, you may have noticed that the word “Forever” is crossed through on images of Forever® stamps. (The same is true for other denominations, too, for that matter.) 

But why? Does the crossed-out Forever mean “forever” ends at some point?

No, this practice is simply meant to make it a bit more difficult for counterfeiters to reproduce the stamps from these images. The actual stamps you buy will not have a crossed-out Forever.

Bogus postage results in millions of dollars in losses to the Postal Service each year, while counterfeiters profit big. Earlier this year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in Chicago seized eight shipments from China containing more than 160,000 fake Forever stamps. Had the fake stamps been sold at full price (73 cents at the time), they would have brought in nearly $118,000. Sold at a discount, they still would have earned a nice profit. 

USPS never sells Forever stamps at a discount, but try searching “stamps for sale” online, and you’ll find dozens of sites doing just that. Most likely they’re fake. Take this case, for example: A recent internet search found a site selling a roll of 100 Betty White Forever stamps for $9.01, or 9 cents per stamp. That’s a discount of about 87 percent! First of all, USPS did not issue Betty White stamps in rolls of 100 — that alone is a major red flag. On top of that, an 87 percent discount is simply too good to be true. The presence of multiple spelling errors on the website is yet another clear sign that something isn't right.

It’s always best to buy your stamps directly from USPS, either in person or online, or from an approved national retailer (find a list here). 

You might ask: With the many billions of mail pieces that USPS handles, how does it even notice counterfeit stamps? The answer is through the technology of special ink and USPS scanners. USPS equipment will kick out mail that doesn’t pass the test. In any case, using fake postage could get your letter confiscated — and you in trouble with the law. Frankly, it’s not worth the risk.

While stamps earn money for USPS, these little pieces of gummed paper are not legal tender — that is, they can’t be used as currency. You cannot buy a cup of coffee with stamps. This has always been the case, except for a time during the Civil War, when a shortage of coins led to the use of postage stamps for small purchases, like streetcar fare. Stamps’ tendency to stick together, especially in wet weather, made them a problematic substitute, though. 

Today, most stamps are sold with a peel-off backing, and they don’t stick together — but they still can’t be used as currency. On the other hand, with all the interesting subjects and incredible designs, stamps are much more fun and exciting these days — just take a look at the new issuances set for release in 2026. Do remember, though, to stay away from bogus discounters and make sure you’re buying the real thing!