The USPS Civil War Sesquicentennial Forever stamp series ran for five years, from 2011 through 2015. Each annual issue paired two events from the corresponding war year in a 12-stamp souvenir sheet. A complete set of intact annual sheets therefore contains five sheets, 60 stamps and 10 distinct stamp designs.
Complete Civil War Forever Stamp Series
| Issue year | War year | Two stamp subjects | Original format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 1861 | Fort Sumter; First Manassas (Bull Run) | Souvenir sheet of 12 |
| 2012 | 1862 | Battle of New Orleans; Antietam | Souvenir sheet of 12 |
| 2013 | 1863 | Gettysburg; Siege of Vicksburg | Souvenir sheet of 12 |
| 2014 | 1864 | Battle of Mobile Bay; Petersburg Campaign | Souvenir sheet of 12 |
| 2015 | 1865 | Battle of Five Forks; Appomattox Court House | Souvenir sheet of 12 |
How the Five-Year Program Works
USPS began the series in 2011 for the 150th anniversary of the war’s opening events and concluded it in 2015 with Five Forks and Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox. Art director Phil Jordan designed the series using historic paintings, prints or photographs. The larger sheets add background images, period quotations and contextual text, so an intact sheet contains historical material not preserved by a loose stamp alone.
Year-by-Year Reading Guide
- 1861: the attack on Fort Sumter opens the war; First Manassas represents its first major land battle.
- 1862: New Orleans marks a major Union naval and strategic success; Antietam marks the war’s bloodiest single day.
- 1863: Gettysburg and Vicksburg pair pivotal eastern and western campaigns.
- 1864: Mobile Bay depicts Farragut’s fleet, while Petersburg includes the 22nd U.S. Colored Troops during the opening assault.
- 1865: Five Forks precedes the fall of Richmond and Petersburg; Appomattox depicts the surrender meeting.
Important Name Confusion: Battle of New Orleans
The 2012 Civil War sheet refers to the Union capture of New Orleans in 1862. It is not the separate USPS War of 1812: Battle of New Orleans stamp issued in 2015, which commemorates the 1815 battle against Britain. Similar wording does not make the two issues part of the same series.
What Counts as a Complete Set?
| Collector goal | What to look for |
|---|---|
| One of every design | 10 different stamps, two for each year |
| Complete USPS series in original format | All five intact 12-stamp souvenir sheets |
| Postal-use set | Genuine unused stamps; loose examples remain usable but do not preserve the full sheet context |
| Collectible-condition set | Check gum, bends, separations, selvage, back text and overall sheet condition |
Are Civil War Forever Stamps Still Valid?
Yes. Genuine unused stamps from the series retain the current ordinary one-ounce First-Class Mail letter-rate value. Postal validity is separate from collector value: an intact sheet may carry a premium based on condition and demand, but that requires current comparable sales evidence.
How to Verify a Listing
- Match the printed war year and the two official subjects.
- Check whether the offer is a full sheet, a pair or loose single stamps.
- Count the annual sheets before accepting a claim that the set is complete.
- Separate original face value, current postage value and collector asking price.
- Use USPS announcements to verify an unfamiliar format or title.
Related Collections
Browse other Commemorative Forever stamps, identify the 2015 Coast Guard Forever stamp, or read the broader history of Forever stamps.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Civil War Sesquicentennial Forever stamp designs are there?
There are 10 distinct designs: two for each annual issue from 2011 through 2015.
How many stamps are in the complete five-sheet series?
Each annual souvenir sheet contains 12 stamps, so five intact sheets contain 60 stamps.
Is the 2015 Battle of New Orleans stamp part of this series?
No. That 2015 issue belongs to the War of 1812 series. The Civil War series includes an 1862 New Orleans design released in 2012.
Can the Civil War Forever stamps still be used?
Yes, if they are genuine, unused and intact.
Official sources: USPS series launch, USPS series conclusion and complete list, and USPS Civil War: 1865 stamp announcement. Series facts checked September 1, 2026.