With this new Priority Mail Express stamp, the Postal Service commemorates the Bethesda Fountain, one of Central Park’s most iconic structures. Dedicated in 1873, the fountain is a gathering place beloved by New Yorkers and out-of-town visitors alike. The stamp’s stylized depiction of the fountain was first rendered as a pencil sketch and then scanned and finished digitally. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with original art by Dan Cosgrove. 

The new $25.50 denomination pays the new rate on a Priority Mail Express regular flat-rate 12.5-inch by 9.5-inch envelope. It will replace the $24.70 Sleeping Bear Dune stamp issued January 21, 2018 (Scott 5258), reflecting an increase of 80¢. 

Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local post office or at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to: 

FDOI – Bethesda Fountain Stamp.
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services.
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300.
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900 

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by May 27, 2019.