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USPS Butterfly Stamps Guide: Non-Machineable Surcharge & Weddings
USPS butterfly stamps have often been associated with the nonmachinable First-Class Mail price, but they were issued in different years and at different denominations. They are not one uniform “nine-stamp series” unless an official USPS source defines them that way.
Postal purpose
The chronology below shows the key split: early stamps contribute the printed cent amount, while later nondenominated stamps follow the named Non-machineable Surcharge category. Neither type exempts a finished envelope from letter-size, weight, rigidity, or destination rules.
Historical rate comparisons must use prices that were in effect on the same date and distinguish fixed-denomination stamps from stamps that follow a named rate category.
Butterfly issues and a related moth issue: chronology
| Year | Issue | Printed value or wording | How to use an unused stamp later |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Monarch | 64 cents | Counts as 64 cents; add any difference |
| 2012 | Baltimore Checkerspot | 65 cents | Counts as 65 cents; add any difference |
| 2013 | Spicebush Swallowtail | 66 cents | Counts as 66 cents; add any difference |
| 2014 | Great Spangled Fritillary | 70 cents | Counts as 70 cents; add any difference |
| 2015 | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Non-machineable Surcharge | Follows the current named rate category |
| 2016 | Eastern Tailed-Blue | Non-machineable Surcharge | Follows the current named rate category |
| 2019 | California Dogface | Non-machineable Surcharge | Follows the current named rate category |
| 2021 | Colorado Hairstreak | Non-machineable Surcharge | Follows the current named rate category |
| 2025 | Luna Moth | Non-machineable Surcharge | Follows the current named rate category |
This is a practical chronology of related mail-use designs, not a claim that USPS formally named all nine as one closed series. The first eight subjects in the table are butterflies; Luna Moth, issued on August 16, 2025, is a moth and is included because USPS continued the same nonmachinable-mail visual tradition.
Using and collecting butterfly stamps
For example, at prices effective July 12, 2026, a rectangular, otherwise machinable 1.3-ounce domestic invitation costs $1.11: 82 cents plus a 29-cent additional ounce. If the finished envelope is square but remains letter-size, adding the 49-cent nonmachinable surcharge makes the total $1.60. A fixed 70-cent Great Spangled Fritillary would leave $0.90 due, while a current nondenominated surcharge-rate stamp would cover the $1.31 one-ounce nonmachinable category and still need 29 cents for the extra weight.
Quick decision path
- Identify the stamp: use the linked single-issue guide in the chronology to confirm the insect, year, and printed wording.
- Classify its value: a printed cent amount remains fixed; a nondenominated Non-machineable Surcharge stamp follows its named postal category.
- Measure the finished mailpiece: assemble every reply card, liner, ribbon, and seal, then record weight, dimensions, thickness, rigidity, destination, and mailing date.
- Calculate the total: apply the current letter, additional-ounce, and nonmachinable amounts that fit the envelope.
- Add any difference: subtract a fixed 64-, 65-, 66-, or 70-cent stamp from the total; use a nondenominated stamp only for its named category.
This makes the overview a navigation and comparison page: readers can answer the rate-category question here and move to the linked species article for issue-specific design and history.
Sources
Key facts were checked against USPS Luna Moth announcement; USPS domestic mailing standards; USPS Postal Bulletin archive.