Owney was a stray puppy who became the mascot of the US Railway Mail Service. He was first found at the Albany, NY, Post Office in 1888, curled up on a pile of mailbags. The pup’s love for mailbags sent him around the world aboard railway post office trains and steamships. After his trip to Asia and Europe in 1895, he became famous around the world.
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On May 14, 1918, stamp collector William Robey discovered the world’s most famous stamp – the Inverted Jenny.
America’s
first airmail stamp (US #C3) was rushed. Engraving started May 4 and
the stamps were printed just three days before release. Because they
were bi-colored, the sheets were printed twice, starting with the red
frame. Then, the stamp sheets were set aside to dry and later printed
with the blue plate showing the airplane. A single sheet made its way
to the New York Avenue post office branch in Washington, DC.
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On May 13th, 1918,
just two days after President Woodrow Wilson signed an act allowing
mail to be carried by airplane, the US Post Office Department released
the world’s first airmail stamp. To highlight the importance of the
occasion – and to help postmasters differentiate the new stamp from
regular issues – a bi-color design was created. Two-color stamps were
uncommon at the time.
The stamp was designed by Clair Aubrey
Huston at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Huston had trouble
finding a photograph of the plane to model for the stamp’s design, as
only 6 Curtiss Jenny planes in the world had been specially modified to
carry mail. In a stroke of luck, the very plane engraved onto the stamp
(Jenny #38262) was chosen for the inaugural airmail flight!
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The world’s first-ever Transcontinental Railroad was completed in Promontory Summit, Utah, 154 years ago today! The amazing railroad marked an exciting time in our nation’s history. That’s why it’s been the subject on several US stamps including the classic 1869 Pictorials…
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US #5378-80
On May 7, 1833, Abraham Lincoln became the postmaster of New Salem, Illinois. He was just 24 years old at the time and held the post for three years (the post office closed May 30, 1836). In exchange for his work, Lincoln received a small salary plus the privilege of sending and receiving letters for free. He was also delivered a free local newspaper each day.
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Lighthouses
are beautiful and historic landmarks, making them the perfect subject
for stamps. It’s no wonder they’re such a popular topic to collect!
The
US Lighthouse Series began on April 26, 1990, and commemorates “the
classic coastal sentinels that reflect our nation’s seafaring past.”
The first set of five stamps was issued to celebrate the US Lighthouse
Service’s 200th anniversary.
It’s unusual to see a US stamp
series issued over 31 years. Originally planned as one 5-stamp set
(#2470-74), the USPS kept issuing new lighthouse stamps because the
public loved them. Howard Koslow, the artist of the stamps, told me he
loved painting the designs but was surprised by their popularity.
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US #2470/5625
Over 130 years ago, Congress agreed to open previously closed territory in Oklahoma to settlement. The event took place on April 22, 1889, and is still considered to be one of the most famous land rushes. Settlers who took part in this rush were given the nickname “Eighty-Niners” or “Sooners.” They were responsible for developing the areas that later became Canadian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Logan, Oklahoma, and Payne counties in Oklahoma.
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The land offered for settlement in the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889 was called the “Unassigned Lands” and originally belonged to Native American tribes. This land was held by the federal government until the Indian Appropriations Act of 1889 was passed. This act allowed President Benjamin Harrison to open two million acres to settlers. |
Of the many reasons why we collectors treasure the 1930 Graf Zeppelin airmails, one is the history they tell. US #C13-15 went on sale April 19, 1930. They were issued to commemorate the Zeppelin’s
first round-trip voyage between Europe and the Americas. These famous
stamps are artifacts from that exciting time in postal history.
The Zeppelin
airmails are also really scarce. They were on sale for only five
weeks, and very few sold. All leftover stamps were destroyed! And with
the passage of almost a century, their
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scarceness has only increased. Serious collectors around the world dream of owning them. |
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Postal
inspectors fight to ensure the safety, security, and integrity of US
mail. They investigate postal-related crimes like identity theft,
postal robberies, burglaries, and more.
Did you know postal
inspectors existed back in the old wild west era? One even ran into the
famous outlaw Billy the Kid in 1881 – the same year Billy was killed!
Here’s an excerpt from a dispatch mailed January 11, 1881, to Col. D.B.
Parker, chief postal inspector of the Post Office Department:
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It’s been a year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Most people thought the smaller nation would be defeated quickly, but here we are a year later and they are still holding strong. Ukraine has been issuing war-themed postage stamps since the very beginning. They inspire citizens to fight for their lives, their freedom, and the continued independence of their nation. The stamps also raise money to fight Russia as well as ridicule Putin and increase global awareness of their struggle against tyranny.
Here are the newest Ukraine War stamps – and the first of 2023! Take a look below to discover the stamp designs and the stories behind them...
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2023 “Banksy At War” Stamps |
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Since
America’s first stamps, new experimental issues have been created to
save money, prevent fraud, and more. These stamps are a lot of fun to
collect!
The USPS first tested self-adhesive stamps in 1974.
They became really popular in the 90s, so the USPS looked for ways to
produce them more efficiently. Before 1997, the stamps came on a
backing paper, or liner, that they adhered to. To cut costs, the USPS
experimented with linerless self-adhesive coils. On March 14, 1997,
these new stamps were issued to test the potentially money-saving idea.
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