Only two new stamps were issued in February, a first-class domestic forever stamp and a high-value stamp from a group that saw two similar stamps issued in 2022. The first stamp is a commemorative that pays homage to female soccer players, a steadily growing community for the past several decades that was led to success in the sport on the world stage. The second is the third, and expected final, stamp in the high-value group of Floral Geometry definitive stamps.  

$10 Floral Geometry

The $10 Floral Geometry stamp is available here.

A $10 high-value Floral Geometry stamp similar in design to two high-value stamps issued in 2022 made its debut in February.

The deep red stamp was officially issued February 24 with a first day location of San Diego, California. The $10 pressure-sensitive stamp joins $2 green and $5 purple Floral Geometry stamps issued June 20, 2022.

The stamps are being sold in panes of four and were printed in cyan, magenta, yellow, black, and silver kurz foil on the Gallus RCS press by Banknote Corp. of America.

As last year’s similar stamps, the designer was Spaeth Hill, of Alexandria, Virginia (that’s Jill Spaeth and Nathan Hill) while Antonio Alcalá served as art director.

The stamp art features a series of overlapping geometric shapes that mimic the symmetry of floral patterns found in nature, the Postal Service said. The designs become more intricate from lower to higher denomination. The watercolor backgrounds and foil-stamped designs and typography create a sophisticated look, the USPS said.

Women’s Soccer

The Women’s Soccer stamp is available here.

A new Women’s Soccer stamp celebrates female soccer players, coaches and programs from youth leagues to the pros and everything in between – scholastic, college, developmental – but let’s face it, with the coloring and timing, this stamp is a real homage to the superlative U.S. women’s national program.

And, it’s a truly deserved honor. The U.S. Women’s National Team is the world’s most successful in international women’s soccer, winning four Women’s World Cup titles, four Olympic gold medals (1996, 2004, 2008 and 2012), and nine CONCACAF Gold Cups. 

The U.S. will likely be the favorite later this year when it tries to repeat as champions of the Women’s World Cup, which it won the past two competitions in 2019 and 2015. The U.S. also won the World Cup in 1991 and 1999.

The Postal Service said that the pressure sensitive stamp honors girls and women’s soccer throughout the country.

“This stamp honors more than a sport; it honors the women whose leadership continues to inspire the generations behind them,” said Amber McReynolds, a member of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors and dedicating official for the stamp. “Whether it’s on the pitch or at the podium, American female soccer players have been fighting for more than wins. They have been fighting for fairness and equality. And in the process, they have helped women everywhere move the ball down the field on a host of issues.”

The stamp artwork depicts a female soccer player in action, striking a ball with a side volley. Conjuring the aesthetic of mid-century print design, illustrator Noah MacMillan used simplified shapes and bold colors to convey the high energy and fast motion of the sport. The somewhat grainy rendering lends a timeless quality to the design, evoking not just a single all-star athlete or era, but the entire legacy of women’s soccer.

 Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp.

For decades, women’s athletic programs were all but invisible on U.S. college and university campuses, receiving very little of the funding and none of the recognition of their male counterparts. In 1972, Congress amended federal education law by adding Title IX, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex from any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. A block of four stamps in 2022 honored the legacy of Title IX.

The new soccer stamp includes a sad side. Tragically, MacMillan (1988-2022), the stamp’s artist, passed away last year at the age of 33. 

MacMillan was closely linked to the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts, part of Washington University, in St. Louis, Missouri. The school made the following statement on its website:

“The Sam Fox School is deeply saddened by the passing of artist and illustrator Noah Philip MacMillan, a Sam Fox alumnus and former instructor in the Communication Design program. He passed away in his childhood home in Takoma Park, Maryland, after a battle with colon cancer. 

 “Noah said of his work, ‘I make pictures that tell stories with clear ideas, simple design and obsessive attention to color.’”

“Noah had a rare and sophisticated visual language that cut across both design and images,” wrote John Hendrix, professor and chair of the MFA program in Illustration and Visual Culture on the Sam Fox School website. “I was in awe of his ability to draw, use color and think graphically about edge and shape so seamlessly. … I honestly think I didn’t teach him very much; he had it all inside when I met him. His voice simply had to find a home.”

Antonio Alcalá – Art Designer

How did you come to work with Noah MacMillan?

I was searching for an illustrator who demonstrated a familiarity with soccer and an ability to draw athletes in action.

I think it’s a really interesting stamp with a very fresh and modern design. Can you give us any background on Noah’s thought process here?

I provided Noah with some background information before he started. First, I mentioned I liked some of the collage-like soccer-themed art he created. Additionally, I provided Noah with photographs of a soccer player forcefully kicking a ball as reference. Noah took these and provided me with sketches reflecting both source materials. USPS preferred the direction inspired by the photographs. And although it was influenced by the photo, the stamp is a totally original Noah-solution.

What kind of a challenge was it to get the proper perspective of the foot on the ball in the foreground?

Unfortunately, that’s a question only Noah could have answered.

Do you recall guiding him with any specific tweaks as you went along?

Yes. The first sketches didn’t have a specific area allocated for typography, so we had to work that out together. We also made some adjustments, so the player’s hand and hair broke out of the rectangle.

Was this created on computer?

The final art was digital. The original sketches were emailed to me and look as if they were pencil sketches.

Is there anything else interesting about the creation of this stamp you would like to add?

Noah was a great person who passed away much too young.