Stamps 101, Part 2

This article is taken from the American Philatelic Society website.  We thought this might be interesting for stamp collectors just getting started.  If you missed it, also check out Part 1 posted yesterday.


Stamp History


How much did the first United States stamp cost?

The first United States stamps were issued in 1847. One featured a picture of Benjamin Franklin and cost five cents. The other featured a picture of George Washington and cost ten cents. (A U.S. Postage Rates listing is available for you to see postage rates and when they have increased.)

Why does the United States of America put only dead people on stamps when other countries picture people who are still living?

Each of the world's stamp-issuing nations has its own set of rules governing selection of subjects for stamps. The United States does not consider putting an individual on a stamp sooner than 10 years following his or her death. The exception is former Presidents of the United States, each of whom is honored with a memorial stamp on the first birthday following their death. The United States believes the impact of a person's life cannot be assessed until it has ended and that at least 10 years after death are required to make a fair evaluation. Most historians would agree that this is a sound policy.

How did stamp collecting start?

Shortly after adhesive postage stamps were introduced by Great Britain in 1840, people began collecting them. In 1841, a women even placed an advertisement in the London Times in which she requested help in collecting stamps so that she could paper a bedroom wall.

In what state was the first U.S. post office built?

The first post office was established in 1639 at the home of Richard Fairbanks in Boston, Massachusetts. The first building created to serve as a post office was built in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1683.

How and why did the use of stamps get started?

The use of adhesive postage stamps, as we know them today, began in 1840 with the British postal system and was largely due to the efforts of Sir Rowland Hill. The 1840 stamps were created as a means of abolishing delivery charges based on distance and the number of pages. Weight of letters became the basis for delivery charges and stamps were used to indicate prepayment at a uniform minimum rate of one penny for a ½ ounce letter. Sir Rowland Hill believed lowering the rate would increase postal revenues through increased mail volume. History proved him correct.

In what year did the U.S. start printing stamps of different designs on one sheet? The Christmas issue of 1964 was the first year different designs were printed on the same pane of stamps. Four different stamps featuring holly, mistletoe, poinsettia and a sprig of conifer were issued in panes of 100 stamps, each pane containing 25 blocks of the four different stamps.

Where were the first U.S. airmail stamps used?

The United States began airmail service on May 15, 1918. Special stamps were issued to indicate prepayment of mail carried on the first flights. The first route, flown by Army pilots in Army planes, linked Washington, DC and New York City via Philadelphia, PA. The rate was 24 cents an ounce. This rate included special delivery to the addressee.

What was used before stamps?

Prior to the use of stamps, the person receiving a letter paid the delivery costs. Since rates at the time were very high, many people refused to accept a letter. Thus, the post office often suffered the cost of both delivery and return of the letter. Mainly for this reason, it turned to a means of prepaying postage.

When was the first time that meter stamps were used on mail?

Meters to pay postage were first used in New Zealand in 1904. The first use in the U.S. was on December 10, 1920 at Stamford, Connecticut.

When was Zip codes first used? The Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) code -- a five digit number -- began on July 1, 1963. The first number designates the state or area; the next two numbers, the area within that state or area; and the last two digits, the office itself. Mr. ZIP was created to help people remember to use the ZIP code to help the Postal Service move the mail. He was printed on the margins of many U.S. stamps issued between 1964 and 1986.

Who appears most on U.S. stamps?

Since 1847, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington have appeared on more stamps than any other Americans.

http://www.usacoinbuyers.com/

http://www.bjstampsandcoins.com/