Postal History

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882, in Hyde Park, New York.  As president during two of the most serious events of the twentieth century – the Great Depression and World War II – FDR implemented sweeping reforms and negotiated powerful coalitions with world leaders that led to an Allied victory. 

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 20, 1960, the US Post Office Department issued the first stamp in the American Credo Series. The stamps feature quotes from notable Americans, honoring “the ideals upon which America was founded.”

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 15, 1956, the US Post Office issued its first stamp designed by a student. The stamp was the result of a nationwide contest encouraging children to get involved in stamp design.

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…

On December 7, 1907, the first Christmas Seals went on sale. The first stamps were created to help save a Delaware tuberculosis sanitarium, but later issues went on to support the Red Cross, National Tuberculosis Association, and American Lung Association.