Before 1900

The Blog

The “Cheap Postage Movement” and the Advent of the First U.S. Postage Stamp

The 1844 U.S. presidential election between Democrat James Polk and Whig Henry Clay was a nailbiter. Marked by controversies over slavery...

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One-Page Exhibits

Some stamp societies invite collectors to submit one-page exhibits that are then displayed on their websites. These are noncompetitive...

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Two Letters to Charles Earl Carpenter, Ice Baron, 1844 and Circa 1863

We take ice for granted. As Amy Brady writes in Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks - A Cool History of a Hot Commodity, "Ice is...

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A Civil War-era Fancy Cancel - Oh Yeah, and a Heartfelt Letter from a Union Soldier

When it comes to Civil War postal history, I would describe myself as a dabbler. I don’t specialize in this period, but occasionally I...

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Hugh Nelson McAllister - A Pennsylvanian Who Deserves to be Remembered

On the surface, the folded letter in Figure 1 is not all that remarkable. There are, of course, only about 11,500 covers and folded...

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"First Air Mail to Arrive in New York from the East": Close But No Cigar

The cover shown in Figures 1 and 2 caught my attention when it was offered at auction in July 2023. I had heard of the recipient Edward...

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Par Ballon Monte Letter from the Siege of Paris in 1870

On July 16, 1870, fearing the loss of its dominant position in continental Europe, France declared war on the North German Confederation...

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Abraham Lincoln Campaign Cover from 1860

This is a great Abraham Lincoln campaign cover (Figure 1). The cover is postmarked "October 29" but without a year. I'm fairly confident,...

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"The Striding Messenger": A Philadelphia Local Post Circa 1846 to a Budding Chemist

For a short period in the mid 1800s until they were put out of business by Congress and the Post Office, there were a number of companies...

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Registered Cover to Germany from 1893

To streamline the complex maze of postal services for international mail, 22 countries met in 1874 to establish the General Postal Union,...

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Civil War "Adversity Cover" Circa 1862

During the U.S. Civil War, the Union blockade prevented many supplies from entering the Confederacy. That included paper and envelopes....

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Advertising Covers - A Fascinating Collectible

Attached is a presentation that I delivered at the Philatelic Gathering on March 23, 2024. It's the final version of a presentation that...

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Funding the Spanish-American War

Between April and August 1898, the U.S. and Spain fought a war that Spain lost and that resulted in the U.S. taking over Cuba, Puerto...

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New York Postmaster Provisional Covers, 1845-46

In March 1845, the U.S. Congress passed a law establishing new uniform rates of postage: 5-cents for a single sheet letter or a letter...

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"My Darling Leila": A Confederate Civil War Cover from 1863

The Confederate States of America (CSA) was formed by seven seceding states on February 8, 1861. Four more states joined the CSA after...

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Chickering & Sons Pianos, 1859

This cover (Figure 1) was postmarked in Conway, New Hampshire on August 15, 1859, and was addressed to Colonel Thomas E. Chickering of...

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A Trio of Mini-Covers from the 19th Century

Today, the smallest postcard or envelope that you can mail through the US Postal Service has to measure at least 5 inches long and 3-1/2...

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The Royal E. House Collection

Early in 2023, I purchased at auction a box full of covers. I don't know the exact number, but it was certainly more than a couple of...

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“Our Dear Ella”: A Civil War Soldier's Letter from 1863

This is a Civil War-era cover that includes the original letter from a Union solider to his wife. The cover (Figures 1 and 2) has a...

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A Civil War Patriotic Cover from 1862 Addressed to a Future Wisconsin US Senator

(This was published in the Badger Postal History , Volume 64, Number 2, November 2024. A PDF is attached.) Many covers with patriotic...

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