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Waarde van postzegels

Waarde van de Forever-postzegel in 2026: wat je Forever-zegels waard zijn

Bijgewerkt · 4 min lezen · Het StampGo-team

Kort antwoord

Een Forever-zegel is het huidige First-Class-tarief voor een brief van één ounce waard, sinds 12 juli 2026 is dat 82 cent. Het maakt niet uit wanneer je hem kocht: een Forever-zegel uit 2007 frankeert vandaag nog een brief. Voor verzamelaars zijn de meeste de nominale waarde of minder waard, behalve drukfouten.

Kerngegevens

Portowaarde nu
82 cent, het tarief voor een brief van één ounce sinds 12 juli 2026
Boekje van 20
$ 16,40
Vorig tarief
78 cent, vanaf 13 juli 2025
Eerste Forever-zegel
Liberty Bell, te koop vanaf 12 april 2007 voor 41 cent
Verlopen ze?
Nee. Ze blijven altijd geldig voor het actuele tarief
Meer waard voor verzamelaars?
Zelden. Drukfouten zijn de uitzondering

How much is a Forever stamp worth in 2026?

82¢ of postage. Since July 12, 2026, a Forever stamp pays for a one-ounce First-Class letter in the US, the same as a stamp bought today.

A Forever stamp has no number printed on it because its value moves with the rate. When the US Postal Service raises the price of a letter, every Forever stamp you already own goes up with it. That's the whole point of the design: stamps bought at the old price keep working.

The flip side is that a Forever stamp never gains value beyond postage. It's worth what it costs to mail a letter, and no more, unless it's a collectible variety.

How has the Forever stamp price changed?

It launched at 41¢ in 2007 and has doubled since. The rate has risen eight times since August 2021, most recently from 78¢ to 82¢ on July 12, 2026.

One-ounce First-Class letter rate, which is what a Forever stamp is worth on each date.
FromRate
April 12, 2007 (first Forever stamp)41¢
January 27, 201955¢
August 29, 202158¢
July 10, 202260¢
January 202363¢
July 202366¢
January 202468¢
July 202473¢
July 13, 202578¢
July 12, 202682¢

Are old Forever stamps still good?

Yes. Every Forever stamp ever issued is still valid for the current one-ounce letter rate, including the 2007 Liberty Bell stamps.

Older US stamps with a number printed on them are still valid too, but only for the amount shown. A 37¢ stamp from 2003 is worth 37¢ of postage, so you'd add more stamps to reach 82¢. Almost every US stamp issued since the 1860s can still be used this way.

  • Forever (First-Class): the one-ounce letter rate.
  • Global Forever: the rate for a one-ounce letter to any country.
  • Postcard Forever: the postcard rate, which is lower than the letter rate.
  • Additional Ounce and Nonmachinable Surcharge: the extra charge each one names.

Are Forever stamps worth more than face value to collectors?

Almost never. Forever stamps are printed in huge numbers and plenty are saved unused, so collectors pay face value or less for them.

Dealers regularly sell unused modern US stamps below face value as “discount postage”, because the supply is so large. Used Forever stamps sell for cents. This is the same pattern as most modern US stamps: the 1993 Elvis stamp is famous, but it's common.

The exceptions are printing errors. A Forever stamp with a missing color, no perforations where there should be some, or a major shift in the design can be worth far more than face value. See error stamps worth money for what to look for.

Why are Forever stamps sold online for less than face value?

Often because they're fake. Counterfeit Forever stamps are widely sold online at a discount, and the Postal Service can refuse mail that carries them.

  • Be wary of books of Forever stamps priced well below $16.40, especially from marketplace sellers you don't know.
  • Buy postage from the Postal Service, a post office, or retailers that sell stamps at the counter.
  • Discount postage from stamp dealers is different. That's genuine older stamps, usually with a number printed on them, sold below face.

Stap voor stap

How to check any US stamp's value with StampGo

Forever stamps are easy: they're worth 82¢ as postage. For older US stamps with a number on them, or anything that looks unusual, StampGo shows what you have.

  1. 1

    Scan the stamp

    Tap Scan Now and photograph the stamp flat, in good light.

    Het scanscherm van StampGo gericht op een Amerikaanse zegel van 1 cent met Benjamin Franklin, met knoppen voor flits, sluiter en galerij
  2. 2

    See the issue and price range

    StampGo shows the country, year, denomination, a 1–10 rarity score and a reference price range for the issue.

    Het resultaat van StampGo voor een zegel van 1 cent met Benjamin Franklin uit 1857, met een richtprijs van 10 tot 100 dollar en een zeldzaamheidsscore van 3 op 10
  3. 3

    Keep track of the good ones

    Save anything with a high rarity score to your collection so it's easy to find when you sell or have it checked.

    Het scherm Mijn verzameling in StampGo met vier zegels ter waarde van in totaal 196,13 dollar, waaronder een luchtpostzegel van 24 cent met de Curtiss Jenny en een lila Penny-zegel
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Veelgestelde vragen

How much is a book of 20 Forever stamps in 2026?

$16.40 since July 12, 2026, when the one-ounce letter rate rose from 78¢ to 82¢. Before that, a book of 20 cost $15.60.

Can I still use Forever stamps I bought at 55¢?

Yes. A Forever stamp always covers the current one-ounce First-Class letter rate, however much you paid for it.

Is the first Forever stamp from 2007 valuable?

No. The 2007 Liberty Bell Forever stamp was printed in very large numbers. It's worth the current letter rate as postage and little more to collectors.

Where can I sell unused Forever stamps?

Stamp dealers buy unused US postage, usually below face value, and you can sell to other collectors. See how to sell stamps. Often it's best to just use them.

Bronnen

  1. USPS: 2026 postage price change
  2. USPS Newsroom: Postal Service recommends new prices for July 2026
  3. Forever stamp (Wikipedia)

Ontdek vanavond nog wat je postzegels waard zijn

Maak één foto en StampGo toont binnen enkele seconden land, jaar, zeldzaamheid en geschatte waarde. Gratis te downloaden voor iOS en Android.

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