First Federal Postage Stamps

OnJuly 1, 1847, the first federal postage stamps of the United States were issued. A 5c stamp depicting the nation’s first Postmaster General, Benjamin Franklin, paid for a half-ounce letter being sent under 300 miles, and a 10c stamp of George Washington paid for the same letter sent over 300 miles. Their use was optional at first, as the idea of a postage stamp was not yet ingrained in the minds of the public. These two stamps remained in use for about four years before being replaced by a new series of stamps at the end of July, 1851. The designs of America’s first two postage stamps, produced by the firm of Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson, were adapted from banknotes of the time. To this day, both Franklin and Washington remain the two individuals who have appeared on more American stamps than anyone else.

The first federal United States postage stamps came in both a 5c denomination (left) and a 10c denomination for longer distances or heavier letters (right). Benjamin Franklin and George Washington have appeared on more American postage stamps than anyone else.