In today’s article, we’ll look at some of the new stamps issued in Q1 2026. I’ll focus on Europe and North America, with special attention to stamps linked by theme - whether they relate to history and culture or to famous movies and TV series.
I must say, I’m quite subjective when it comes to Royal Mail issues. I simply find them beautiful, and I always look forward to each new issue, especially when it is connected to cultural phenomena like the two stamp sets featured below.
Eleven and Joyce; Will, the Demogorgon and Barbara,
Dustin, Lucas and Mike; Jim, a Demodog and Will,
Steve, Robin and Erica; Max, the Mind Flayer and Billy,
Nancy, Jonathan and Henry; Eddie, Dustin and Max,
Eleven, Jim and Dr Kay; Vecna, Holly and Mr Whatsit
United Kingdom (Royal Mail) – 2026/01/13
I guess you’ve probably come across Stranger Things by now. Since the first episode aired in 2016, the series has become hugely popular around the world, and it has finally made its way onto stamps. Royal Mail has used a similar approach many times before: one stamp sheet features the main characters, while the additional sheet focuses on extra elements from the series - in this case, bicycles and the characters riding them.
Lucas Sinclair, Will Byers, Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson
United Kingdom (Royal Mail) – 2026/01/13
The same goes for The Lord of the Rings. In fact, we’ve already covered Royal Mail’s The Lord of the Rings issue in a previous article. Once again, there are two beautiful sheets - one focused on the characters and the other on the locations where the story unfolds.
The Hobbits and the Black Riders; Arwen and the Black Riders,
Gandalf and the Balrog; Gimli, Boromir and the Uruk-hai,
Saruman, Merry and Pippin; Aragorn and Eowyn,
Legolas; Frodo & Gollum
United Kingdom (Royal Mail) - 2026/03/20
The Shire, Rivendell,
The Argonath, Mount Doom
United Kingdom (Royal Mail) – 2026/03/20
Next, let’s move on to France and Germany.
France (La Poste) - 2026/02/06
Above, you can see a French stamp celebrating the Chinese New Year 2026: Year of the Horse.
SpongeBob
Germany (Deutsche Post) - 2026/03/02
Germany, on the other hand, issued a stamp featuring one very popular character that children love - SpongeBob.
We’ll end our short tour in North America and look at some interesting stamp designs from the USA and Canada.
USA (USPS) - 2026/03/13
First, let’s take a look at these beautiful lowrider stamps from the USA. Lowriders are customized cars with lowered bodies, distinctive paintwork, and detailed artistic styling, closely associated with Mexican American car culture in the United States. They hold an important place in U.S. history because they became a strong symbol of cultural expression, community identity, and pride, especially in postwar California. And now, they have found their place on stamps as well.
(Quebec's) Sugar Shacks
Canada (Canada post) - 2026/03/19
And we’ll finish today’s tour with something sweet from Canada - more specifically, from Quebec. Quebec’s sugar shacks are traditional places where maple sap is boiled down into maple syrup during the spring season. They are an important part of Quebec culture, bringing together food, music, and family traditions to celebrate the maple harvest.
Today, we’ve looked at some interesting new stamps from Europe and North America. I hope you’ve also learned something new - I know I have. Until the next article, please check out some of our previous articles below.
New Stamps from Around the World – January to June 2025
New Stamps Around the World: July, August, and September 2024
New Stamps Around the World: March 2024
New Stamps Around the World: February 2024
New Stamps Around the World: January 2024
