There were no Forever stamps in 2002. USPS introduced the Forever Stamp in 2007. The official May 2002 stamp-and-stationery schedule below instead records fixed-denomination, nondenominated rate-change, semipostal and postal-stationery issues.
2002 Program Scope
USPS’s 2002 annual report says the commemorative program contained 23 issues. A June 30 rate change added definitive stamps, a stamped card and stamped envelopes; the report counts 32 issued items in total. The official schedule table contains 43 rows because it also lists separate rate-change versions, reissues, stationery and formats as distinct schedule entries.
Official 2002 Stamp and Postal Stationery Schedule
| Issue and denomination | First-day date | First-day city | Official format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34¢ Winter Sports | Jan 8 | Park City, UT 84060 | PSA pane of 20 with header, 4 designs |
| 34¢ Mentoring a Child | Jan 10 | Annapolis, MD 21401 | PSA pane of 20 with selvage |
| 34¢ Langston Hughes (Black Heritage) | Feb 1 | New York, NY 10199 | PSA pane of 20 |
| 34¢ Happy Birthday | Feb 8 | Riverside, CA 92507 | PSA pane of 20 |
| 34¢ Year of the Horse (Lunar New Year) | Feb 11 | New York, NY 10199 | PSA pane of 20 |
| 34¢ US Military Academy (Bicentennial) | Mar 16 | West Point, NY 10996 | PSA pane of 20 |
| 34¢ Greetings from America | APR 4 (nationwide) | New York, NY 10199 (simultaneously issued in all 50 state capitals and New York City) | PSA pane of 50, special issue, 50 designs |
| 34¢ Longleaf Pine Forest (Nature of America) | APR 26 | Tallahassee, FL 32301 | PSA souvenir sheet of 10, 10 designs |
| 5¢ American Toleware (American Design) | May 31 | McLean, VA 22101 (NAPEX Show) | Gummed coil of 10,000 |
| US Flag (non-denominated, 37¢ First-class, 1 oz.) | Jun 7 (nationwide) | Washington, DC 20066 (no ceremony) | PSA pane of 20; PSA convertible booklet of 20; PSA doublesided book of 20; PSA vending book of 20; PSA ATM sheetlet of 18; gummed pane of 100; PSA coil of 100 |
| 37¢ US Flag | Jun 7 (nationwide) | Washington, DC 20066 (no ceremony) | Gummed coils of 3,000 and 10,000; PSA coil of 10,000 |
| Antique Toys (non-denominated, 37¢ First-class, 1 oz) | Jun 7 (nationwide) | Washington, DC 20066 (no ceremony) | PSA convertible booklet of 20; PSA vending book of 20, 4 designs |
| 37¢ Ribbon Star Stamped Envelope | Jun 7 (nationwide) | Washington, DC 20066 (no ceremony) | Stamped envelopes – #6 ¾, #9, and #10 |
| 3¢ Star (make-up rate) | Jun 7 (nationwide) | Washington, DC 20066 (no ceremony) | PSA pane of 50; gummed coil of 10,000 (available early July '02) |
| 23¢ Carlsbad Caverns Stamped Card | Jun 7 | Carlsbad, NM 88220 | Stamped card |
| 37¢ Masters of American Photography (Classic Collection) | Jun 13 | San Diego, CA 92199 | PSA pane of 20 with selvage, 20 designs |
| 37¢ John James Audubon (American Treasures) | Jun 27 | Santa Clara, CA 95050 | PSA pane of 20 with header |
| 37¢ Harry Houdini | Jul 3 | New York, NY 10199 | PSA pane of 20 |
| 60¢ Coverlet Eagle (2 oz.) | Jul 12 | Oak Brook, IL 60523 (Americover Show) | PSA pane of 20 |
| 37¢ US Flag | Jul 22 | Washington, DC 20066 (no ceremony) | PSA pane of 20; PSA convertible booklet of 20; PSA convertible booklet of 10 (available later than July); PSA doublesided book of 20; PSA vending book of 20; gummed coil of 100; PSA coils of 100 and 3,000; PSA ATM convertible booklet of 18 |
| 37¢ Antique Toys | Jul 22 | Rochester, NY 14692 | PSA convertible booklet of 20; PSA vending book of 20; PSA coil of 100, 4 designs |
| 37¢ Irving Berlin | Jul | TBD | PSA pane of 20 |
| 3.85 Jefferson Memorial (Priority Mail) | Jul (late) | Washington, DC 20066 | PSA pane of 20 |
| $13.65 US Capitol at Dusk (Express Mail) | Jul (late) | Washington, DC 20066 | PSA pane of 20 |
| 83¢ Edna Ferber (3 oz.) | Jul (late) | Appleton, WI 54911 | PSA pane of 20 |
| 37¢ Andy Warhol | Aug 9 | Pittsburgh, PA 15290 | PSA pane of 20 with selvage |
| 37¢ Teddy Bears | Aug 15 | Atlantic City, NJ 08401 (American Philatelic Society Stamp Show) | PSA pane of 20 with header, 4 designs |
| 37¢ Love (1 oz.) | Aug 16 | Atlantic City, NJ 08401 (American Philatelic Society Stamp Show) | PSA convertible booklet of 20 |
| 60¢ Love (2 oz.) | Aug 16 | Atlantic City, NJ 08401 (American Philatelic Society Stamp Show) | PSA pane of 20 |
| 37¢ Ogden Nash | Aug 19 | Baltimore, MD 21229 | PSA pane of 20 |
| 37¢ Duke Kahanamoku | Aug 24 | Honolulu, HI 96820 | PSA pane of 20 |
| 37¢ Women in Journalism | TBD | TBD | PSA pane of 20 with header, 4 designs |
| 37¢ American Bats | Sep 13 | Austin, TX 78710 | PSA pane of 20 with header, 4 designs |
| 37¢ Neuter or Spay | Sep 20 | Denver, CO 80202 | PSA pane of 20 with header, 2 designs |
| 37¢ Cary Grant (Legends of Hollywood) | Sep/Oct | TBD | PSA pane of 20 with selvage |
| 37¢ Hawaiian Missionaries | Oct 24 | New York, NY 10199 (American Stamp Dealers Association Stamp Show) | Gummed souvenir sheet of 4, 4 designs |
| 37¢ Holiday: Snowmen | Oct (mid) | TBD | PSA pane of 20; PSA vending booklet of 20, PSA doublesided book of 20; PSA linerless coil of 100, 4 designs |
| 37¢ Christmas: Gossaert | Oct (mid) | Chicago, IL 60607 | PSA convertible booklet of 20 |
| 37¢ Kwanzaa (re-issue, new rate) | TBD | Washington, DC 20066 (no ceremony) | PSA pane of 20 |
| 37¢ Hanukkah (reissue, new rate) | TBD | Washington, DC 20066 (no ceremony) | PSA pane of 20 |
| 37¢ Eid (reissue, new rate) | TBD | Washington, DC 20066 (no ceremony) | PSA pane of 20 |
| 37¢ Official Mail | TBD | Washington, DC 20066 (no ceremony) | Gummed coil of 100; #10 stamped envelope |
| 45¢ Heroes of 2001 (Semipostal) | TBD | TBD | PSA pane of 20 with selvage |
Why None of These Are Forever Stamps
A 2002 stamp can still contribute postage when it is genuine and unused, but its value follows its printed or officially assigned denomination. A 34-cent or 37-cent stamp does not automatically rise to today’s one-ounce letter rate. Add enough valid postage for the finished mailpiece.
How to Read the Schedule
- PSA means pressure-sensitive adhesive.
- Nondenominated entries were assigned a stated rate for a specific rate-change period; they were not Forever stamps.
- Semipostal stamps included a fundraising component and should not be treated as ordinary one-ounce postage issues.
- Stamped cards and envelopes are postal stationery, not separate adhesive stamp panes.
- TBD reflects the May 2002 schedule as published; the annual report supplies the final program totals.
Notable 2002 Subjects
The year included Greetings from America, Masters of American Photography, Winter Sports, Langston Hughes, Harry Houdini, Andy Warhol, Cary Grant, American Bats, Teddy Bears, Women in Journalism, Hawaiian Missionaries and several holiday issues. These are 2002 USPS issues, not “2002 Forever stamps.”
Sources and Method
The rows were transcribed from the USPS May 2002 Stamps and Postal Stationery schedule. Program totals and highlights come from the USPS 2002 annual report. The USPS stamp history confirms that the first Forever Stamp appeared in 2007.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did USPS issue Forever stamps in 2002?
No. Forever stamps began in 2007.
Can unused 2002 stamps still be used?
Genuine unused U.S. postage generally retains its assigned postage value. Combine denominations as needed for the current mailpiece and service.
Why does the schedule have more rows than the annual-report total?
The schedule separately lists some formats, rate-change versions, reissues and postal stationery. The annual report uses a broader program-counting method.
Read the history of Forever stamps, check current postage value, or browse old-stamp validity guidance.
Official sources checked August 31, 2026. This page preserves the wording and TBD fields of the USPS May 2002 schedule.
Browse Complete List of USPS Forever Stamps by Year for other years and release guides.