First Unwatermarked Stamp of the 20th Century
On September 27, 1916, the US Post Office issued its first postage stamp on unwatermarked paper in over 20 years. The change was in response to war-time constraints, but would become permanent.
Mail Delivery
Birth of Stamp Artist Howard Koslow
Howard Bertram Koslow was born on September 21, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York. Over the course of 40 years, Koslow produced artwork for more than 50 US stamps and postal cards, including the popular and long-running Lighthouse Series.
Computer Vended Postage Stamps
On August 20, 1992, Computer Vended Postage stamps were first made available for sale in five test cities.
U.S. #523 Color Error
US #523, the 1918 $2 orange-red Franklin error stamp, was first used on or around August 19, 1918. However, it would be two years before the error was discovered.
The Virginia City Pony Express
On August 11, 1862, Wells Fargo inaugurated its Virginia City Pony Express, which carried mail between Nevada mining towns and California business centers.
U.S. Issues Stamps in Guam
On July 7, 1899, the US issued its first overprinted stamps for use in Guam. The stamps were rushed into use after the US acquired Guam from Spain following the Spanish-American War.
Free City Mail Delivery
On July 1, 1863, the US Post Office inaugurated its free City Mail Delivery Service in part in response to the Civil War. By the end of the first year, 65 cities offered the service and employed 685 mail carriers.
Webster’s Stamp Proposal
On June 10, 1840, Senator Daniel Webster submitted a resolution to the US Congress recommending that the US issue stamps. He was inspired by the success of Britain’s recently issued Penny Black, and proposed the US follow their example.
First USPS ATM Stamp
On May 18, 1990, the USPS issued an experimental plastic stamp to test the popularity of selling stamps through Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs). While the plastic stamp proved unpopular, especially with environmentalists, the ATM format proved to be a success.