The U.S. Postal Service made an unwise bet on the the popularity of television's number one fictional family.
According to the Postal Service inspector general audit report, the company produced 1 billion stamps of "The Simpsons" at $1.2 million printing costs.
The U.S. Postal Service sold 318 million of the commemorative stamps.
The five stamps feature the likeness of Simpsons family members Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie.
The stamps probably seemed a safe bet provided "The Simpsons" is the longest-running show in primetime history. The series will commence its 24th season this fall.
Earlier this month, the Postal Service said it had a loss of $5.2 billion in its third quarter.
In 2011, the Postal Service printed 21 billion stamps at a price of $43 million, a cut from last year's $56 million for 29.7 billion.
Best-sellers include the now-iconic 29-cent Elvis Presley and 32-cent Marilyn Monroe stamps.