SCOTT #O121 OFFICIAL MAIL 2 CENT

 

Did you know 112 years ago today (December 22, 1910), the US Post Office Department issued the first Postal Savings Official Mail stamp (US #O121)?  These stamps were issued in five denominations to be used when sending mail related to the US Postal Savings System.  

The stamps were only active until 1914, when unused quantities were returned to the post office and destroyed.  That makes unused stamps scarcer than used today!

 

LATVIA FIRST POSTAGE STAMP

 Did you know they were printed the backs of German WWI maps?  That’s right!  But why were these maps used?  It’s unlike any other stamp story I’ve ever heard…

During WWI, Germany and Russia fought tooth-and-nail over Latvia, a region along the shores of the Baltic Sea.  The war nearly crumbled the territory.  But a week after WWI ended, Latvia finally claimed its independence.

To prove its newfound sovereignty to the world, producing postage stamps was a top priority for Latvia.  The war left the country with a severe paper shortage.  High-quality paper was nowhere to be found!  That’s when the printers remembered the unused German maps and decided to use the back of the maps to print the stamps.

#MA1509

SCOTT #Q8 PARCEL POST 20 CENT

 

On December 16, 1912, the United States issued the world’s first stamp picturing an airplane.  It was a 20¢ Parcel Post stamp – #Q8.  Surprised?  If so, you’re not alone.  Many collectors think of the first three US Airmail stamps (#C1-3) as the first to picture airplanes!

In all, 12 Parcel Post stamps were issued to prepay the fourth-class rate.  Their denominations range from 1¢ to $1, featuring mail delivery methods and common ways people made a living.  All 12 stamps were red and used the same border design.

US #Q8

1913 U.S. 20¢ Parcel Post Stamp
World’s 1st Stamp to Picture an Air

SCOTT #740-49 ASSORTED PRICES 1 CENT TO 10 CENT

 

President Franklin Roosevelt personally oversaw the selection of these stamps!  They were issued during the National Parks Year of 1934, advertising the national parks system.  In 1935, the series was issued imperforate as part of the infamous “Farley’s Follies” scandal…

US #740-49 1934 National Parks Collection

SCOTT #3178 MARS PATHFINDER $3.00

It was July 4th, 1997 – were you (like me) camped wide-eyed in front of the TV watching never-before-seen views of the Martian landscape?  I’ll never forget it – the panoramic images were sent to us from an ancient flood plain on the surface of Mars.  (I remember wishing I was there, too.)  All these fantastic images were brought to us courtesy of the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft and robotic rover Sojourner.

The Pathfinder mission used the latest technology to place, for the first time, a lander and free-ranging robotic rover directly onto the surface of the planet.

US #3178 Largest U.S. Postage Stamp Ever Issued 1997 $3 Mars Pathfinder

Remember how NASA scientists used a parachute to slow the spacecraft as it entered the Martian atmosphere?  And all those giant airbags to cushion its landing.

 

SCOTT #F-1 REGISTRATION STAMP 10 CENT

 

On December 1, 1911, the US Post Office Department introduced the only registration stamp ever issued.  It prepaid registration fees and guaranteed special care and handling of a letter or package.  The stamp was valid towards the registration fee only, and could not be used as postage.

The new stamps were intended to simplify the registration process, but ended up confusing customers and postal clerks.  People mistook the stamp for regular postage.  As a result, further printing was discontinued in 1913, while the remaining stock was still used.  Though often overlooked by collectors, the expertly engraved US #F1 is one of the most beautifully designed Back-of-the-Book stamps!  .

US #F1

1911 U.S. 10¢ Registration Stamp Only Stamp Issued to Pay Registration Fee