First Major Sanitary Fair
On October 27, 1863, the first major Sanitary Fair was held to raise money during the Civil War. Special stamps were produced and sold at these fairs, which were not valid for use outside of the fairs.
Postal History
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U.S. Places Embargo on Cuban Goods
On October 19, 1960, President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the first embargo on Cuba. It banned most US exports to Cuba, including postage stamps!
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The 1916 5¢ Washington & Its Errors
On October 17, 1916, the US Post Office issued a 5¢ Washington stamp. The stamp had small changes from previous issues that went overlooked by collectors, so few were saved. Plus, this stamp spawned some famous errors…
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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.
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First U.S. Commemorative on Colored Paper
On September 22, 1956, the US Post Office issued its first commemorative stamp on colored paper. The stamp celebrated the 200th anniversary of Princeton’s Nassau Hall.
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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.
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Entirely Microprinted U.S. Stamp
On September 15, 1997, the USPS issued a stamp whose vignette consisted entirely of microprinting. The experimental printing technique was used to discourage and protect against counterfeiting.
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World War II 50th Anniversary Stamps
On September 3, 1991, the USPS issued the first of five souvenir sheets (later classified as commemorative sheets) honoring the 50th anniversary of America’s entrance into World War II.
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Computer Vended Postage Stamps
On August 20, 1992, Computer Vended Postage stamps were first made available for sale in five test cities.
