The Collectors Are Coming! ... to the Boston 2026 World Stamp Show
The Boston 2026 World Stamp Show stamps commemorate the past — and invite the public to the stamp show of the decade
It’s a once-per-decade tradition that dates back to 1913: the United States hosts an international philatelic exhibition, inviting stamp collectors and the general public alike to appreciate and celebrate stamps from around the world. Two new stamps in 2025 continue a second tradition begun in 1926: the issuing of stamps that directly or indirectly promote the expo itself. Collectors have high expectations for these stamps, and this year’s issuance — highlighting next year’s Boston 2026 World Stamp Show — will not disappoint.
Eager for an approach that blended the modern and the tradition, USPS art director Greg Breeding and artist Dan Gretta faced the dual responsibilities of promoting the expo and honoring the history of the host city. Through their brainstorming, they anchored these designs in both the Boston-centric 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War in 2025 and the wider celebrations of the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026 — while also employing intaglio printing for a look and texture that pays tribute to classic engraved stamps.
One stamp depicts the Old North Church, the oldest standing church building in Boston, as it appeared during the American Revolution. The church became an icon of the American Revolution on the evening of April 18, 1775, when two lanterns in the bell tower signaled riders to warn rebellious colonists that the British were crossing the Charles River and marching west toward Concord, Massachusetts, where rebellion-minded colonists were thought to be storing munitions. The battles of Lexington and Concord occurred the following day, marking the start of the Revolutionary War.
Working from wide-ranging visual reference with input from historians at the church itself, Gretta was able to identify an angle and a composition that felt right. “I liked the perspective of a corner view,” the artist explains. “It allowed for the most light and shadow.”
This second of two stamps commemorates the “midnight riders” who warned locals on the evening of April 18, 1775, that the British were on the march from Boston to Concord. The best known of the riders, Boston silversmith Paul Revere, has become legendary, but others believed to be riders that night included Concord resident Dr. Samuel Prescott and Boston tanner William Dawes. Gretta distilled the experience of these riders into a single dramatic image by gradually refining every detail.
“Digital tools have infinite forgiveness, allowing me to rework something until I like it,” he says, adding that he had a strong personal motivation for doing justice to his subjects.
“Having lived in Boston, I have a deep appreciation for the city’s history. It was especially meaningful to work on stamps that celebrate such a significant moment.”
These stamps serve, above all, as an open invitation to the 12th international philatelic exhibition of the United States, which will span 352,000 square feet of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center from May 23 to May 30, 2026. All will be welcome — and enthusiasm and open-mindedness are the only prerequisites.
“Having lived in Boston, I have a deep appreciation for the city’s history. It was especially meaningful to work on stamps that celebrate such a significant moment.”
For experienced collectors, this much-anticipated event offers rare and remarkable opportunities to connect in fellowship with colleagues and friends, build their collections, learn from experts, and fully immerse themselves in their hobby. For curious newcomers and the general public, the expo remains a must-see event, with eye-catching displays of visually stunning stamps, opportunities to learn about other countries and their cultures, and a rich sense of tradition in a fun, family-friendly setting. It’s a gathering that celebrates, as no other event can, the confluence of art, education, history, and international goodwill.
It's also a chance to create one-of-a-kind collectibles. Visitors to Boston might seek out local postmarks, perhaps by using these Forever® stamps on letters and cards mailed from a Post Office near the Old North Church, or on postcards found at one of the city’s Revolutionary-era historic sites. Connection between stamps and history is never more clear than when a sense of place unites them in thought-provoking ways — so we hope the lights in the steeple of the Old North Church and the cries of the midnight riders will draw you to Boston next May.
