June 17, 2024. ST JOSEPH, MO — The U.S. Postal Service today dedicated its new Horses stamps at today’s kickoff for the 164th Pony Express Re-Ride, a 10-day annual event in which riders retrace the historic route from St. Joseph, MO to Sacramento, CA.
The ceremony was held at the Patee House Museum in St. Joseph.
“Beyond their grace and majesty, horses have long been integral to American culture and society,” said Jamiel Freeman, St. Joseph postmaster. “Their participation in the Pony Express is a testament to their reputation as loyal and hardworking and the Postal Service is honored to celebrate them on these new Forever stamps.”
“We are honored that the Postal Service chose the National Pony Express Association’s 2024 Re-ride kickoff celebration in St. Joseph, MO to release the horse stamp,” said Pam Simmons, president of the National Pony Express Association. “Horses have been such a vital part of our country’s history and by honoring these magnificent animals we are acknowledging their beauty and stamina as well as their part in our history and vital role for the Pony Express.”
The pane of 20 stamps features five photographs of individual horses. Three of the five appear in their natural environments against a background of green foliage: a gray-maned dappled white stallion; a horse with a russet coat, copper mane and white facial markings; and a golden chestnut with a chalky white mane. A horse with a brown spotted coat and light-colored mane is captured standing against a snowy wooded background, and a chestnut horse with a white blaze is photographed against a simple black background. The selvage depicts a chestnut horse with a black muzzle and mane peering out of a Dutch barn window.
Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps using existing photographs by Stephanie Moon and Karen Wegehenkel.
The Horses stamps are available at Post Offices and on usps.com. The Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1‑ounce price.
News about the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #HorsesStamps. A video about the stamps will be posted two hours after the ceremony on the Postal Service’s Facebook and Twitter pages at facebook.com/USPS and twitter.com/usps.
More information about the Pony Express Re-Ride, including the 2024 Re-Ride schedule, can be found at https://nationalponyexpress.org/re-ride/current-reride/.
About the Pony Express
The Pony Express operated for 18 months in 1860 and 1861. It revolutionized communication in the pre-telegraph era. Riders on horseback relayed mail and news along a 1,966-mile route between St. Joseph, MO, and Sacramento, CA. The Pony Express Re-Ride is an annual event that commemorates this historic feat.
Product Specs:
| Issue: | Horses Stamps |
| Item Number: | 485200 |
| Denomination & | First-Class Mail Forever |
| Format: | Pane of 20 (5 designs) |
| Series: | N/A |
| Issue Date & City: | June 17, 2024, St. Joseph, MO 64501 |
| Art Director: | Derry Noyes, Washington, DC |
| Designer: | Derry Noyes, Washington, DC |
| Existing Photo: | Karen Wegehenkel |
| Existing Photos: | Stephanie Moon |
| Existing Photo: | Stephanie Moon |
| Modeler: | Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn |
| Manufacturing Process: | Offset |
| Printer: | Banknote Corporation of America |
| Press Type: | Alprinta 74 |
| Stamps per Pane: | 20 |
| Print Quantity: | 30000000 |
| Paper Type: | Phosphor, Block Tag |
| Adhesive Type: | Pressure-sensitive |
| Colors: | Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, PMS 476C |
| Stamp Orientation: | Horizontal |
| Image Area (w x h): | 1.4200 x 1.0850 in. / 36.0680 x |
| Overall Size (w x h): | 1.5600 x 1.2250 in. / 39.6240 x |
| Full Pane Size (w x h): | 7.2400 x 9.4500 in. / 183.8960 x |
| Press Sheets Size (w x h): | 19.1500 x 22.2200 in. / 486.4100 x |
| Plate Size: | 120 stamps per revolution |
| Plate Number: | “B” followed by five (5) single digits in bottom two corners |
| Front: | Header: HORSES • Plate number in bottom two corners |
| Back: | © 2023 USPS • USPS logo • Two barcodes (485200) • Plate position diagram (6) • Promotional text |
Horses Stamps First Day Cover:
Horses Stamps Digital Color Postmark:
