United States Postage Stamps
A History

Regular, Commementive, Memorial Issues
Introduction ~ Series of 1847
Series of 1851
Series of 1861
Series of 1869
Issues of 1870
Issues of 1890&3
Columbian Series of 1893
Isues of 1894
Trans-Mississippi Exposition Stamps of 1898
Pan-American Stamps of 1901
Series of 1902-3
Lousiana Purchase Commemorative Stamps of 1904
Jamestown Commemorative Stamps of 1907
Issues of 1908-9
Issues of 1909
Issues of 1912
Panama-Pacific Commemorative Stamps of 1913
Issues of 1914-5
Issues of 1918
Issues of 1919
Pilgram Tercentenary Commemorative Stamps of 1920
Issues of 1922-23
Issue of 1923
Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary Stamps of 1924
Issues of 1925
Issues of 1926
Issues of 1927
Issues of 1928
Issues of 1929
Issues of 1930
Isues of 1931
Washington Bicentennal Commemorative Stamps of 1932 & other Issues
Issues of 1933
Issues of 1934
Issues of 1935
 Special Souvenior sheets of 1935
Issues of 1936
Issues of 1937
Issues of 1938
Issues of 1939
Famous Americans Commem's of 1940 & Others
Vnmont Statehood of 1941
Issues of 1942
Overrun Countries commem's of 1943-44 & Others
Issues of 1944
Roosevelt and Armed Forces Series of 1945 & Others
Issues of 1946
Issues of 1947

Air Mail Stamps
 Issues of 1918-1947
Carriers' Stamps
Issues of 1851
Newspaper & Periodical Stamps
 Issues of 1865
Issues of 1875
Issues of 1895
Offical Postage Stamps
 Issues of 1873-1884
Parcel Post Stamps
Issues of 1912-1913
Postage Due Stamps
Issues of 1879-1930
Parcel Post Postage Due Stamps
  Issues of 1912
Postal Savings Offical Stamps
Issues of 1910-1911
Postal Savings Stamps
 Issue of 1911
Registry Stamp
Issue of 1911
Special Delivery Air Mail Stamp
Issue of 1934-1936
Special Delivery Stamps
 Issues of 1885-1925
Special Handling Stamp
Issue of 1925

United States Postage Stamps

1847 through 1947 ~ The first 100 years

NEWSPAPER AND PERIODICAL STAMPS - 1865

The 5-, 10-, and 25-cent newspaper and periodical stamps are alike in general style, 2 by 3 3/4 inches in dimension, the denominations being repeated in Arabic and Roman numerals, in the upper corners Arabic and midway of tIle sides Roman. The numbers "10" and "5", five-eighths of an inch high, are white-faced, while those at the side are the color of the stamp. On the 25-cent stamp the side figures are also Arabic. The numerals in the upper corners of the 10­and 25-cent stamps are inclined outward; those on the 5-cent are perpendicular.

The letters "U" and "5" appear near the top in horizontal line, and, immediately beneath, the word "Postage" in a line curved downward at each end. Next below this, in the middle of the stamp and surrounded by a border of lathe work, are the several profile medallion portraits in a misty style of engraving. The Washington medallion is circular, 1 1/8 inches in diameter. The Franklin is an ellipse 1 1/16 by 1 5/16 inches, while the Lincoln is a parallelogram with clipped corners 7/8 by 1 3/8 inches. Below the tablets are the words representing the denominations, and "Newspapers and Periodicals", in three lines. After this, reference is made as follows: "Sec. 38, Act of Congress approved March 3, 1863." Below the border line proper-the heavy white line­at the bottom, in very small type, are the words "National Bank Note Company, New York."

Volume 12, section 38 of the U. S. Statutes at Large (page 707) states: "* * * The Postmaster General may from time to time provide by order the rates and terms upon which route agents may receive and deliver at the mail car or steamer, packages of news­papers and periodicals delivered to them for that purpose by the publishers, or any news agents in charge thereof, and not received from nor designed for delivery at any post office."

The stamps were intended, therefore, to he purchased by publishers, that they might mail their publications where payment in money could not be made and the postage could not be collected at destination. The issue of these stamps began in the September quarter of 1865 and was terminated about February 1, 1869.