We’re continuing our year-long celebration of 250 years of postal service in the United States with the release of the 7th postcard in our 12-postcard Commemorative Collection.
Each postcard spotlights a pivotal moment in U.S. postal history—complete with interesting facts and trivia for context.
Our newest postcard features one of the most famous stamp printing errors: the “Inverted Jenny.”
The Inverted Jenny is legendary among postage stamps. Issued in 1918 to mark the start of the first regular airmail service, the stamp shows a Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” biplane. Because of a printing error, the airplane appears upside down on the stamps.
Some fascinating facts:
- Nine sheets were printed with the error. Eight were caught and destroyed. Only one sheet of 100 stamps escaped.
- That sheet was purchased by a collector for $24 and later sold to a dealer for $15,000—about $316,451 today.
- In November 2023, a single Inverted Jenny sold for $2,006,000.
- As of 2025, 98 Inverted Jenny stamps are tracked and accounted for, with 2 still missing.
- In 2013, the U.S. Postal Service issued a $2 commemorative version of the Inverted Jenny, featuring the same upside-down airplane design. As a nod to the original error, 100 special panes were printed with the plane right-side up.
The Inverted Jenny is still celebrated for its rarity, its story, and its status as a symbol of unexpected treasures.
Did you know? When you collect all 12 postcards in the series and align them in the pattern shown above, they reveal a timeline spanning from 1775 to 2025, highlighting the Post Office's amazing history.
With today’s release of the seventh postcard, we see the timeline weaving through the design, and revealing more of the hidden background image.
250 Years of Delivering
To celebrate 250 years of mail delivery, the USPS is releasing a pane of 20 interconnected Forever® stamps on July 23, 2025.
These stamps tell the story of a mail carrier’s route through a lively town across all four seasons—capturing the spirit of everyday mail delivery from spring to winter.
When you pair these stamps with our Post Office anniversary postcards, you create a truly memorable mailing that honors postal history and stands out in the mailbox.
Give your postcard extra flair with this perfect combination!