What Is Face Value?
Face Value is the postage value of your stamps. In other words, it’s how much value you could use it to send mail.
In this example, the face value is $0.33.
Unused U.S. postage stamps never expire. All U.S. stamps issued after 1930 are essentially worth face value if they are unused, and people still use them today to mail letters. All you have to do is put enough of them on an envelope or package to make the current mail rate.
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Forever Stamp Face Values
The first Forever stamp was released in 2007. Forever stamps are always worth the current First-Class letter rate, even if the rate increased or decreased from when the stamps were issued. In 2024, the face value of a Forever stamp is $0.68. See how much is a book of stamps.
This allowed the Post Office to continue to sell pre-printed postage stamps, even if the rate changed. It also provided consumers with the protection from rate hikes. If the rate changed, there was no need to make up the rate with additional postage.
Furthermore, it made the processing of mail more efficient, as the calculation of postage on First-Class mail was no longer needed. A single Forever stamp always makes the current the postage rate.
Aside from the general First-Class Forever stamp, the Post Office also issues Postcard, Additional Ounce, Two-Ounce, Three-Ounce, and Global Forever stamps under the same condition that they will always hold their value of their current postage rates respectively.
View 2024 Forever Stamp Values here
Stamps Without Numerical Face Values
Some stamps do not have values written on them. These types of stamps were intended to meet a certain postage rate, in the event that the rate increased. This is method was used prior to Forever stamps.
For example, if the Post Office released a stamp, knowing that rates would increase soon, it was issued without a numerical value on it. However, today these types of stamps are worth the face value at which they were originally sold and released.
To determine First-Class or postage without a numerical value on it, please use the chart below.
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