Additional Ounce Stamp

Project Management

February 3, 2023

One of the most common questions people ask the post office is whether or not an Additional Ounce stamp can be used alone.

This article addresses the confusion behind using Additional Ounce stamps and answers all other questions relating to this item.

This article explains the purpose of Additional Ounce stamps and their usage. 

It will also discuss whether or not a letter can be mailed with additional ounces of postage and if you can use Additional Ounce stamps alone in mailing letters.

If you need to buy stamps, you can visit your local post office and ask about their available stamps.

Check out FindPostOffice.org and see where your nearest post office is located. Our website provides information about all 31,330 post offices in the United States.

What Are Additional Ounce Stamps?

Additional Ounce stamps are used when a letter has just enough weight to take it beyond one ounce (1oz), which would require extra postage.

You can combine Additional Ounce stamps with Forever or Denominational stamps.

Additional Ounce stamps’ cost remains stable and can always be used to purchase an additional ounce of postage.

What Are Additional Ounce Stamps Used for?

Additional postage is a requirement for any card or letter weighing more than 1oz. 

Currently, USPS (United States Postal Service) charges $0.20 for each extra ounce of a letter that weighs up to three and a half ounces.

Forever stamps will pay for the first ounce, but all items weighing more than that require additional postage.

For example, you are sending a long letter or a card with pictures that weigh 1.5oz. Your Forever stamp will cover the postage for 1 oz, but you still need to pay for the half-ounce left. 

Additional Ounce stamps are used to cover the remaining  half-ounce of postage.

Can I Mail a Letter With an Additional Ounce Stamp?

You can mail a letter with an Additional Ounce stamp if your mail weighs more than 1oz because the main purpose of this stamp is to pay for the additional ounces of postage.

Can You Use Additional Ounce Stamps Alone?

Yes, you can mail letters using Additional Ounce stamps alone. But you will have to use enough stamps to cover the postage cost.

Three Additional Ounce stamps can substitute for one ounce of postage on a single piece of mail.

However, you can also use a Forever stamp to send your letter, which will be cheaper and more convenient. 

What Is the Benefit of Additional Ounce Stamps?

In addition to covering extra postage fees, Additional Ounce stamps can save you money.

For example, you have a Christmas card that weighs approximately 1.5oz.

If you have a Forever stamp, that can cover a one-ounce letter of postage. But what do you do about the remaining half-ounce?

You can use two Forever stamps to send your letter, which costs $0.58 per stamp.

If you send a 1.5oz letter using two Forever stamps, it will cost $1.16. Instead of using two Forever stamps, you can use one combined with an Additional Ounce stamp.

The Forever stamp costs $0.58, while an Additional Ounce stamp is $0.20. If you mail a 1.5oz letter, it will cost $0.78.

An Additional Ounce stamp will save you $0.38 compared to two Forever stamps.

What Do Additional Ounce Stamps Look Like?

Like other types of stamps, Additional Ounce stamps have an image in the center. The stamp also includes subtexts like “USA,” “additional ounce,” and the year it was released.

USPS currently offers two different Additional Ounce stamp designs for purchase.

In 2017, one design featured eight top graphic hats in the style of Uncle Sam. Each hat has an oval beneath it, representing a person’s face.

The faces on the stamps have different color tones, which may symbolize America’s rich ethnic diversity.

In 2021, USPS released a second stamp design featuring a brush rabbit—a small cottontail rabbit native to the U.S. West Coast.

Are Additional Ounce Stamps Good Forever?

Even if the cost of postage increases, all USPS stamps will remain valid for their stated purpose.

The only stamps exempt from this rule are those with a dollar value printed on them.

Is the Additional Ounce Stamp a Forever Stamp?

Additional Ounce stamps are similar to Forever stamps, as they both remain valid for future mailings.

But it is still essential to distinguish Additional Ounce stamps from Forever stamps.

Also, it is important to understand that an Additional Ounce stamp alone is not enough for sending a standard letter. 

However, you should use a Forever stamp or a Denominational stamp combined with an Additional Ounce Stamp.

A Denominational stamp is also known as a Definitive Stamp. This stamp is part of a country’s regular issue, available for sale by the post office for an extended period, and meant to serve as standard postage.

Can I Use a Forever Stamp and an Additional Ounce Stamp?

Yes, combining a Forever stamp and an Additional Ounce stamp on your mailpiece is advisable to ensure that the correct postage rate has been paid.

How Much Do Additional Ounce Stamps Cost?

USPS charges $0.20 for each Additional Ounce stamp. It costs $4 to buy a sheet of 20 Additional Ounce stamps and $20 for a roll of 100.

Info on the USPS Postage Rate Increase

The United States Postal Service announced new prices of postal stamps effective July 10, 2022.

The rate of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp increased from 58 cents to 60.

If the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) does not object to it, 24 cents would be paid for each additional ounce of letter mail.

The 1oz metered mail price would jump to 57 cents, and 44 cents will be the new price for a postcard stamp. A 1oz international letter would have an increase to $1.40. 

As mentioned before, the current price for Additional Ounce stamps is $0.2, but there is still a possibility that the rates might change in the future.

Where Can I Buy Additional Ounce Stamps?

You can purchase Additional Ounce stamps at USPS.com or your local post office. You can find the postal office nearest you by visiting FindPostOffice.org

You can ask a postal clerk about the Additional Ounce stamps available for purchase.

Another way of purchasing stamps is by checking them out on Amazon. 

You can also call USPS and order by phone. Call their number 1-800-782-6724, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and Saturday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, all Eastern Time.

Why Do My Stamps Say Additional Ounce?

The words “Additional Ounce” show that you can use the stamp to pay additional postage required for sending heavy packages.

As mentioned above, Additional Ounce stamps are combined with other postage stamps to ensure the required postage for standard mail.

This principle also applies to a Forever stamp. They are called “Forever” stamps because they will always be valid.

Brush Rabbit Featured on New U.S. Additional Ounce Stamp

The most recent Additional Ounce stamp was issued last January 24, 2021, to fulfill the postage rate for first-class domestic letter mail.

The new stamp had a price increase from 15 cents to 20 cents on the day it was released.

The stamp features a Sylvilagus bachmani, or a brush rabbit. It is a tiny brownish cottontail rabbit found on the U.S. West Coast and in Baja, California, Mexico.

The stamp design shows the animal crouching to the left. Its ears are erect and pointing outward. 

The name “BRUSH RABBIT” is lettered beneath the animal. There are also words like “USA” and “Additional Ounce” typography spelled out in gray sans serif type.

Both of these notations were made in the artist’s handwriting.

The Brush Rabbit stamp, individually sold for 20 cents, can also be purchased in a roll of 100 or for a pane of 20. 

The pencil and watercolor image was created by Dugald Stermer, a designer, and illustrator.

Stermer was a well-known illustrator in San Francisco and the former art director of Ramparts, an influential political magazine.

There are two distinct varieties of Additional Ounce stamps. Both versions were printed by Ashton Potter, a contractor to the U.S. Postal Service. 

Meanwhile, USPS art director Ethel Kessler was responsible for designing the stamp. 

This specific stamp is second to the first non-denominated U.S. stamp to show a single rabbit released in 2020.

The Cottontail Rabbit Forever stamp (Scott 5539) was issued on October 16, 2020, as part of the Winter Scenes set of 10 stamps.

The 2016 20-stamp Pets set also features a solo rabbit stamp (Scott 5112). The rabbits featured on the Lunar New Year stamps were more cartoonish than realistic.

Sacramento, California, has been named the official first-day city for the Brush Rabbit stamp.

But it is still being determined whether a USPS ceremony will be honoring this new postage stamp.

Brush Rabbit Stamps

The brush rabbit is a tiny, brownish cottontail that lives on the West Coast of the United States or in Baja, California, Mexico. 

This rabbit can be found near the Sierra Nevada range and south of the Columbia River. This river defines the Oregon-Washington border.

The brush rabbit is small mammal species with short legs and a short tail. Its sides and back are usually dark gray. Meanwhile, the underside of its tail and the belly are a pale gray.

Most of the whiskers are black, but some have white tips. Adult rabbits can grow to 303 to 369mm (11.9 to 14.5in) and weigh from 511 to 917g.

Brush rabbits are best suited to habitats with dense bramble clumps or thick brushes. These bramble clumps may have extensive networks of trails and runways.

The species occasionally inhabits burrows made by other animals but is not known to dig its own.

Brush rabbits live in chaparral vegetation, but you can also find them in oak and conifer habitats.

The rabbit, which lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, tends to stay at the edge of the brush and avoids grassy areas.

It tends to dwell in the wilderness, where there are more spaces and resources than in a chaparral environment.

The brush rabbit rarely strays from its habitat of thick undergrowth. This creature uses the brush during the dry season, and grasses are used during the rainy season as annual vegetation grows.

The use of habitat is likely related to the breeding season. Brush rabbits wander on their own or in small groups, and you can usually see them lounging in the sun during midday.

Although rabbits are relatively friendly, they tend to be secretive and wary. When startled, they thump the ground with their back feet.

Description

The U.S. Postal Service has created an Additional Ounce stamp featuring a brush rabbit with the scientific name Sylvilagus bachmani.

You can purchase Additional Ounce stamps in a pane of 20 or a roll of 100 individual stamps.

References:
1. U.S. Postal Service Announces New Prices for 2022
https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2022/0406-usps-new-prices-for-2022.htm
2. Postage Stamps – The Basics
https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Postage-Stamps-The-Basics#:~:text=The%20words%20%22Additional%20Ounce%22%20on,the%20rate%20printed%20on%20it.&text=First%2DClass%20Mail%C2%AE%20Presorted%20Sta