The U.S. Postal Service plans to put Willie Mays and Pat Summitt on stamps in 2027. Its first look at next year's lineup, released Nov. 9, also includes a set devoted to American folklore and a stamp that will raise money for childhood cancer research. The preview gives collectors a list of subjects to watch. The Postal Service has yet to announce when these issues will go on sale and says the preliminary designs could change.
Willie Mays is the 50th Black Heritage subject
The Mays design borrows the look of a baseball card. It pairs a portrait from his New York Giants years with an image of his over-the-shoulder catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series. That pairing puts the play and the player on the same stamp, against an orange background that echoes the colors of the Giants and Mets.
Summitt's stamp takes a different approach. It uses an oil portrait by Roberto Parada, with design by Ethel Kessler. Summitt spent 38 seasons coaching Tennessee's women's basketball team and won eight national championships. The Postal Service announced the two tributes separately within the same slate. Mays is the Black Heritage selection, and Summitt has her own issue.
Five creatures from American folklore share a set
The Mythical Creatures set brings together Mothman, the Jackalope, the Squonk, Sasquatch and Champ. The places are as much a part of the idea as the creatures: West Virginia for Mothman, Wyoming for the Jackalope, Pennsylvania for the Squonk, the Pacific Northwest for Sasquatch and Lake Champlain for Champ. Artist Nat Power drew the designs, pairing each figure with details from its setting. The four unicorn scenes elsewhere in the lineup belong to a separate issue by Kendra Binney.
Two postage distinctions for people buying stamps to use
The childhood cancer issue is a semipostal. Buyers pay a surcharge in addition to the postage value, and the Postal Service says the net proceeds from that surcharge will go to the National Institutes of Health for childhood cancer research. The announcement does not state the price for that issue.
There are also two designs named You're Invited. The Wedding Edition is designated for two-ounce mail, while the For All Occasions design is a one-ounce Forever stamp. The one-ounce With Love design is another option for reply cards or thank-you notes. That difference in postage matters if the invitation includes several inserts. Weigh the assembled envelope before choosing postage. USPS says it will announce more 2027 subjects in the coming weeks and months and posts issue and ceremony information through Stamps Forever.
