Noteworthy Mentions

In 1861, the United States Postal Service printed the 1 cent  Ben Franklin stamp that would pay for nearly all the letters that were mailed. The 1 cent Ben would pay for a 2 oz letter, circular, and even books that weighed less than 4 pounds! If you think that's outrageous, it's true! Fast forward to today... it will cost you 55 cents to mail your letter and another 15 cents for each additional ounce. So, if you're writing a 9-10 page letter plus a standard-sized envelope, prepare to fork over your hard-earned pennies. Just imagine for a second if...

You're lucky if you have one of these in your stamp collection. The 90 cents George Washington stamp is the last and highest denominated stamp in the 1850s. Approximately 29,000 stamps were printed as postal rates at the time did not call for 90 cent stamp to be used in most domestic mails. Only a very few of these stamps ended up in the hands of stamp collectors making these a very collectible item.  

"The presidency is more than a popularity contest." Al Gore Stamps that depicted George Washington and Ben Franklin were favored in the 1800's. Five decades later, in 1856 the US Postmaster General released the 1st Thomas Jefferson stamp to ride off that popularity wave. However, unlike previously issued stamps, this Jefferson stamp  was used primarily on mail to foreign destinations like France. But why was Thomas Jefferson chosen over John Adams or James Madison as the "breakaway" stamp? One can only guess.