According to Failor, there are certain rules which dictate what type of subject matter may be used as stamps.
For example, individuals cannot be on a postage stamp unless they have been dead for over 10 years. The only exception is the president.
“Usually, on the next anniversary of their death, they get a stamp,” said Failor. “We feel that a person or individual needs to stand the test of time.”
These rules don’t apply everywhere, and in Ghana, Gates was honored with a stamp in 1998.
“A few years ago, I was put on a stamp there,” he said. “It’s an unnerving experience, but it is quite nice.”
The U.S. postal service prints approximately 35 billion stamps a year. The most popular stamp—of Elvis—had a distribution of 512 million.
—Staff writer Risheng Xu can be reached at xu4@fas.harvard.edu.