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.
 |
|
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.
 |
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.
|
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
|
scarceness has only increased. Serious collectors around the world dream of owning them. |
|
|
|
|
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:
|
|
|
|
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...
|
 |
|
2023 “Banksy At War” Stamps |
|
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.
|
s |
|
|
|
|
On February 1, 1995, the USPS issued two Love stamps that were both popular and controversial. They featured child angels taken from Raphael’s massive masterpiece, the Sistine Madonna. The USPS thought they’d be perfect for new stamps in the Love Series. However, C. Douglas Lewis, a curator at the National Gallery of Art and vice chairman of the Citizen’s Stamp Advisory Committee, warned that child angels represented death – not love.
|
|
 |
US #2949 |
Booklet Stamp |
We collectors love commemorative stamps, and it all began with the Columbians. The set was issued 130 years ago today marking a milestone in American history…
|
 |
US #230-45
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!
 |
