USPS to issue commemorative stamp for 2017 Eclipse

The United States Postal Service is preparing to celebrate the 2017 total solar eclipse by releasing a special commemorative stamp.

The special stamps will be available to purchase starting June 20. USPS will be holding a special First-Day-of-Issue ceremony at the Art Museum of the University of Wyoming (UW) in Laramie that day. The University is celebrating the summer solstice on June 20. Prior to the event, visitors are encouraged to arrive at 11:30 a.m. to witness a unique architectural feature where a single beam of sunlight shines on a silver dollar embedded in the floor, which occurs at noon on the summer solstice in the UW Art Museum’s Rotunda Gallery.

The 2017 Total Eclipse stamp will be the first U.S. stamp to use thermochromic ink. The special ink will allow two images to be displayed on the same stamp. Using the body heat of your thumb or fingers and rubbing the eclipse image will reveal an underlying image of the Moon. The image reverts back to the eclipse once it cools.

Thermochromic inks are vulnerable to UV light and should be kept out of direct sunlight as much as possible to preserve this special effect. To help ensure longevity, the Postal Service will be offering a special envelope to hold and protect the stamp pane for a nominal fee.

The stamp image is a photograph taken by astrophysicist Fred Espenak, aka Mr. Eclipse, of Portal, AZ, that shows a total solar eclipse seen from Jalu, Libya, on March 29, 2006. The picture of the moon was also taken by Espenak.

The stamp sheet will also include a special backing paper that shows the eclipse’s route across the United States.

The stamps will be issued as a Forever stamp, which is always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

The eclipse will occur on August 21 and will last just over two minutes if you view it from the Rigby area.