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1845 Standardized Postal Rates & Postmasters’ Provisionals

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About H.R. Harmer

About H.R. Harmer

Priorto 1845 postage rates in America were complex, confusing, expensive, and dependent on both weight and distance. Mirroring what Great Britain had done half a decade earlier, the Postal Act of 1845 overhauled the entire structure by standardizing and reducing rates to 5c for a half-ounce letter sent under 300 miles, or 10c for further distances. Not only did this reform make the mail accessible to more Americans, but it paved the way for postmasters to produce locally-recognized adhesive stamps or stamped envelopes for the prepayment of postage. The philosophy was twofold: stamps would not only make it easier for the public to send mail, but would increase revenue for local post offices. The Postmasters’ Provisionals, as collectors have termed them, were produced by at least 11 municipalities and represent some of the greatest rarities of American philately.

Postmasters’ Provisionals range from beautifully engraved stamps such as the St. Louis Bears (top left) to primitive and utilitarian creations like that of Boscawen, New Hampshire (bottom left). The most famous Provisional is the unique Alexandria, Virginia “Blue Boy” (right).

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