About This Stamp
In 2025, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps and honors its service to the nation. First established during the Revolutionary War as the American colonies fought for independence, the Marine Corps is respected worldwide as an elite fighting force, prepared to face any challenge and prevail in the conflicts of the 21st century.
This stamp features a Marine Corps emblem, with its iconic Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, against a white background. The words “MARINE CORPS” appear in red above the emblem. Below the emblem, text reads “250 YEARS OF SERVICE” in red, “SINCE 1775” in blue, and “FOREVER/USA” in smaller gray type. “CELEBRATING 250 YEARS OF THE U.S. MARINE CORPS” appears in red on the top of the stamp pane.
On November 10, 1775, shortly after creating the Continental Navy, the Second Continental Congress authorized the raising of the first two battalions of Marines to serve in the Revolutionary War. Prominent Philadelphia citizen Samuel Nicholas, commissioned as a captain, established a recruitment center at a local tavern and is today honored as the first Commandant of the Marine Corps. The Continental Marines were disbanded after the war, but the U.S. Congress ordered the creation of a Marine Corps once again on July 11, 1798.
Deeply respectful of tradition while remaining highly adaptable and ready to serve, the Marine Corps has distinguished itself around the world for more than two centuries. Today more than 170,000 active-duty Marines in this elite fighting force remain committed to the nation and each other, as exemplified by their motto, Semper Fidelis: “Always Faithful.”
Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp.
The U.S. Marine Corps 250th stamp is being issued as a Forever® stamp. This Forever stamp will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.
Stamp Art Director, Stamp Designer
Antonio Alcalá
Antonio Alcalá served on the Postmaster General’s Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee from 2010 until 2011, when he left to become an art director for the U.S. Postal Service's stamp development program.
He is founder and co-owner of Studio A, a design practice working with museums and arts institutions. His clients include: the National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Phillips Collection, and Smithsonian Institution. He also lectures at colleges including the Corcoran College of Art + Design, SVA, Pratt, and MICA.
In 2008, his work and contributions to the field of graphic design were recognized with his selection as an AIGA Fellow. He has judged international competitions for the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, AIGA, and Graphis. Alcalá also serves on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and Poster House Museum’s advisory councils. His designs are represented in the AIGA Design Archives, the National Postal Museum, and the Library of Congress Permanent Collection of Graphic Design.
Alcalá graduated from Yale University with a BA in history and from the Yale School of Art with an MFA in graphic design. He lives with his wife in Alexandria, Virginia.