Elvismärket: vad 29-centaren från 1993 är värd

How much is the 1993 Elvis stamp worth?

Usually about face value, 29 cents, for an unused copy and a few cents used. It's the most popular US commemorative ever issued, so it was printed, and saved, in enormous numbers.

Why isn't the Elvis stamp rare?

Because the demand was anticipated. The US Postal Service printed more than 500 million Elvis stamps, and fans and collectors saved millions of them instead of using them on mail.

The stamp was a cultural event. Its design was chosen by public vote, with more than a million ballots picking the “young Elvis” over an older portrait, and it went on sale on 8 January 1993, which would have been Elvis Presley's 58th birthday. That popularity is exactly why so many survive in perfect condition.

It's a common pattern: the most popular stamps are rarely the valuable ones. See how to tell if a stamp is rare.

Are Elvis stamp sheets or first day covers worth anything?

Only modest sums. Full panes sell for around face value, and first day covers from 8 January 1993 are plentiful. Covers with unusual hand-painted cachets or special postmarks sell for a little more.

See first day cover value for what makes a cover worth more than the stamps on it.

Are there valuable Elvis stamp errors?

A genuine major error on the Elvis stamp would be valuable, but such errors are scarce and often misidentified. Off-center stamps, color shifts and minor misperforations are freaks, not errors, and add little value.

If you think you have one, compare it with a normal copy and have it expertized before you buy or sell. See error stamps worth money.

What about the 2015 Elvis Forever stamp and other Elvis stamps?

The 2015 Elvis Presley Forever stamp, part of the USPS Music Icons series, is also common. Like every Forever stamp, it's always worth the current First-Class letter rate as postage.

Many other countries have issued Elvis stamps, mostly aimed at collectors, and these are generally inexpensive.

How do I recognize the 1993 Elvis stamp?

It shows a young Elvis Presley singing into a microphone, painted by the artist Mark Stutzman, with the word “ELVIS” and a 29-cent denomination. It was printed in panes of 40.

The “young Elvis” portrait won the 1992 public vote against an “older Elvis” design showing him in the 1970s. Both finalist designs were widely publicized on ballots available at post offices, which is part of why the stamp became such a phenomenon before it was even issued.

Is the Elvis stamp a good investment?

No. With hundreds of millions in existence and many saved in mint condition, the 1993 Elvis stamp is unlikely to rise much above face value. Keep it because you enjoy it, or use it as postage.

This applies to most popular modern commemoratives: the more people save a stamp when it's issued, the less scarce it becomes. The stamps that gain value are usually those few people saved at the time, such as early issues, short-lived printings and genuine errors. See are old stamps worth money?

The same goes for Elvis stamp memorabilia, such as framed sets, commemorative panels and souvenir albums. These were produced for fans and often resell for less than their original price.

Were there other Elvis stamps in 1993?

Yes. Elvis also appeared later in 1993 in the US Postal Service's Legends of American Music series, on a 29-cent Rock & Roll / Rhythm & Blues stamp. It's a separate design, and it's also common.

That set, issued in sheets and booklets, honored several rock and rhythm-and-blues performers, including Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. If your Elvis stamp looks different from the January “young Elvis” design, it's probably this one. Scan it to see which you have.