Last reviewed: August 25, 2026. Postal prices can change; verify unusual pieces with USPS before mailing.
The 2026 Harriet Powers issue contains four commemorative Forever stamp designs, each reproducing a detail from Powers’ 1898 Pictorial Quilt. USPS dedicated the stamps in Washington, D.C., on February 28, 2026, and issued them in panes of 20.
Issue facts at a glance
| Issue date | February 28, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Pane of 20; four designs |
| Postage value | Forever, equal to the current 1-ounce domestic First-Class Mail letter price |
| USPS item | 488100 |
| Designer and art director | Derry Noyes |
| Source artwork | Details from Harriet Powers’ 1898 Pictorial Quilt |
What appears on the stamps?
Each design isolates a pieced, appliquéd, and embroidered scene. Arranged in a shifting order across the pane, the four details create the feeling of a continuing visual narrative rather than a repeated decorative pattern. USPS art director Derry Noyes selected details that would stay legible at stamp size while preserving their story-like character.
The source distinction matters. Powers is known for two surviving story quilts: the earlier Bible Quilt and the 1898 Pictorial Quilt. The stamp images come from the Pictorial Quilt; they should not be labeled as panels from the Smithsonian’s Bible Quilt.
Who was Harriet Powers?
Harriet Powers was born into slavery near Athens, Georgia, in 1837. After emancipation, her quilts brought textile craft, oral history, religious narrative, and personal interpretation together in a panel-by-panel form. Her public recognition grew after she exhibited the Bible Quilt at a Georgia fair in 1886. Although several quilts are believed to have been made, only two story quilts are known to survive.
That history makes this issue more than a portrait honor. The stamps reproduce Powers’ own visual language. They place the artwork—not a later illustration of the artist—at the center of the commemoration.
How to identify a genuine pane
The official format is a pressure-sensitive pane of 20 with four vertical designs. The pane header identifies Harriet Powers and the quiltmaker theme, while technical marginal markings and USPS item information distinguish the issued product. Use the official USPS announcement as the visual reference; an online image alone cannot establish authenticity.
If you plan to mail with the stamps, each one has the same postage value as any regular Forever stamp. For collecting, keep the pane clean, flat, and away from moisture and direct light. See our stamp-care tools and buying-safety guide.
Why this issue fits the larger U.S. stamp program
U.S. stamps often work as miniature public-history objects. The Harriet Powers issue brings an African American woman’s authorship, Southern textile history, and a narrative art form into everyday circulation. It can be studied alongside our overview of African American history on U.S. stamps and the Forever stamp design index.
Frequently asked questions
Are Harriet Powers stamps Forever stamps?
Yes. Each stamp pays the current domestic one-ounce First-Class Mail letter rate, even if that price rises after purchase.
How many designs are there?
There are four designs in a pane of 20.
Are the designs from the Bible Quilt?
No. USPS identifies the source as the 1898 Pictorial Quilt. The Bible Quilt is a separate surviving work.
