The Shirley Temple Forever Stamp honors both the world-famous child actor and the public servant she became as Shirley Temple Black. Issued in 2016, it was the 20th entry in the USPS Legends of Hollywood series.
What appears on the stamp?
Artist Tim O’Brien painted the portrait from a 1935 still for Curly Top, one of Temple’s best-known films. The stamp places her name above the portrait, with “Forever” and “USA” below. A publicity photograph from the 1933 short Managed Money appears in the pane’s selvage.
The distinction matters for identification: the stamp portrait is a painting based on a film still, not the selvage photograph. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp and pane.
Official issue facts
| Issue date | April 18, 2016 |
|---|---|
| First-day city | Los Angeles, California |
| Denomination | First-Class Mail Forever |
| Format | Pane of 20; one design |
| USPS item number | 473900 |
| Series | Legends of Hollywood, 20th issue |
| Orientation | Vertical |
| Overall size | 0.98 × 1.56 inches |
| Artist | Tim O’Brien |
| Designer | Ethel Kessler |
Why Shirley Temple was honored
Temple became one of the most recognizable film stars of the 1930s while still a child. Her performances offered audiences optimism during the Great Depression, and she received the first Juvenile Academy Award in 1935.
Her later life was not simply a continuation of her screen career. As Shirley Temple Black, she served as a United Nations delegate, U.S. ambassador to Ghana, U.S. ambassador to Czechoslovakia, and U.S. Chief of Protocol. USPS deliberately used the pane’s biographical text to connect her entertainment legacy with this long record of diplomacy and public service.
Is the 2016 stamp still valid?
Yes. An unused Shirley Temple stamp remains valid for the current one-ounce First-Class Mail letter rate because it is marked Forever. Its age and original sales price do not reduce its postal value. Add postage for heavier, oversized, rigid, square, or nonmachinable mailpieces.
Collecting and identification points
- A complete pane has 20 copies of one vertical portrait design.
- The header identifies it as the 20th Legends of Hollywood issue.
- The pane selvage uses the separate Managed Money publicity photograph.
- The item number is 473900.
- Keep the pane flat, dry, and away from heat and direct sunlight.
For another portrait issue in the same series, see our Marilyn Monroe stamp guide.
Official sources
The USPS stamp announcement documents the artwork, pane format, dimensions, and production specifications. The USPS dedication report covers Temple’s film and diplomatic careers.