The first Duck Stamp is sold in 1934 to Ding Darling. I don't collect Duck Stamps, but they appear to be beautiful stamps. http://arago.si.edu/index.asp?con=2&cmd=1&id=186086&img=1&pg=1
Today in 1861 the Post Office Dept. banned papers "disloyal" to the war effort: the “Freeman’s Journal,” "News" & “Brooklyn Daily Eagle.”
Today in 1978 the U.S. Postal Service announced ZIP + 4, the nine digit ZIP code that marks a more specific location.
Love the Duck stamps, at one time I had my Grand father's, Father's, brother's and my signatures on 1957 and 1958 duck stamps, before the ex wife threw them out, while she was "cleaning up". Still have my deceased brother's stamps. Yes, I know that the Ducks are generally collected mint, but that wouldn't mean the same.
Used to be a requirement. It was not valid until the hunter signed the stamp. Duck Stamps are more than just pretty stamps, they are also a permit to take migratory waterfowl.
Today in 1782, members of Congress, and selected departments, were granted the franking privilege allowing them to send mail at no cost.
Eighty seven years later,the 1869 Postmaster General's report stated that no less than 31, 933 persons were authorized to employ the franking privilege and estimated the annual expense to the Post Office Department for transporting free mail matter to be $5,000,000.
31,933 people with the privilege were costing the Post Office $156.58 each, there were claim that folks were mailing laundry. Let's see at 03 cents for the first ounce, and each ounce there after.. I think some were mailing barrels of floor to the kin. John N. Luff says after the paragraph that I paraphrased in my post above that.... "There appeared to be but one remedy for this abuse, to abolish the franking privilege and to provide, by means of appropriations, for ther payment of postage on all matter sent through the mails by the various departments." This led to the issuance of the Departmental stamps, and eventually to the use of penalty envelopes.
