Reduction of Postal Rates

Postal reforms continued in the 1850s. At this time, letters could be sent with postage either prepaid by the buyer or paid by the recipient upon delivery. Concerned that service was being performed without compensation, the post office made it a priority to encourage the prepayment of postage by reducing the standard rate from 5c to 3c (mail sent collect was still charged 5c). This, combined with an increase in the distance a single-rate letter could be sent from 300 miles to 3,000 miles, meant that essentially the entire country was united under a uniform 3c postal rate. In 1855 the post office mandated that all mail be sent prepaid, while the following year they eliminated the option to pay for a letter with cash—solidifying postage stamps as the sole means of sending a letter.

As postage rates evolved, new stamps were required. This 3c stamp (left) was used July 1, 1851, the first day of the new rates. 5c stamps (center) were typically used on international mail, while 10c stamps (right) generally carried mail to and from California.