March 1, 1870, is the earliest known use of one of the Bank Note stamps, a long-running series of stamps produced by three different bank note companies. These stamps have interesting differences thanks to secret marks, grills, paper varieties, fancy cancels, and more!
On February 22, 1921, experimental overnight transcontinental airmail flights between San Francisco and New York were launched. Despite a rocky start, the flights were a resounding success, earning support and funding for expanded service.
On February 20, 1792, George Washington signed the Postal Service Act, creating the US Post Office.
On February 10, 1941, the first Highway Post Office began service in the United States. These Highway Post Offices provided mail service to areas that didn’t have passenger train service to bring in the mail.
On January 25, 1932, the US Post Office Department issued its first stamp honoring the Olympic Games. Those games were the first to be held in the US.
On January 17, 1898, the first US stamp created to conform to the change in colors recommended by the Universal Postal Union was issued. The UPU had recommended the standardization of colors to make international mail easier to process.
On January 11, 1978, the USPS issued its smallest postage stamp, featuring the famed Indian Head Penny. The stamp was a USPS experiment to cut costs and increase output.
On December 29, 1908, the US Post Office Department issued its first coil stamps on a national scale. These stamps ushered in a new era in both mail delivery and philately.
On December 10, 2014, the USPS issued the scarce $2 circus souvenir sheet. Issued in two formats, it sold out before it was even issued, and even scarcer errors were later discovered…