Welcome to Jim Forte Postal History
Please enjoy browsing or searching through about 120,000 covers for sale.
What is Postal History?There are any number of precise and intimidating definitions of postal history. While these are all technically correct, in many ways they miss the the wider aspects of hobby. In a word, postal history is about mail. All over the world almost everyone receives mail. This mail, where it is from, where it is going, how it is paid, how it got to its destination and tribulations it faced in its journey is postal history. It speaks of the time and place it was mailed, the way it traveled and the scars it picked up along the way. Since mail touches almost every person, postal history touches almost every interest. If your interest is in a place, perhaps your home town, the country of your ancestors or your favorite vacation spot, postal history will enhance that interest. If transportation is a passion, the movement of mail encompassed most modes of transport. Mail was the first mover in the development of some air travel and significant in utilizing rail network. Most every significant event of the last 250 years can be traced in the mail. Since every army provides mail for its soldiers, if the military is important to you, then postal history is intertwined. Mail is a window to the past and a mirror of the present. Postal history opens that window wide and focuses the mirror. It tells us about ourselves, our ancestors, our nation and our world. The simple journey of a letter can be the start of a personal journey to wonders of the world.
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New This WeekThe U.S. Twentieth Century Postal History is now online. The sale will close on February 12 This is a very nice sale highlighted by Prexies, Fourth Bureaus, Trans Pacific Airmail, scarce overseas airmail rates, Censored, war time routings, Special Delivery and more. Click here to look over the covers. The next sale will be France and Colonies to close in March and then U.S. Town cancels to close in April.
There are almost 400 new covers on the site this week. There is a run of U.S. covers with 1930's Commemoratives and Prexies. Both feature nice usages and lots of foreign destinations. There is group of Philippines with some more interesting Spanish American War and first flights. In foreign covers look for Ethiopia and Russia. There are nice markings and WWI censors among the Russia. Please click on the country name or category name to view the new covers.
Last week brought just over 200 new covers to the site. I have continued adding Canada with a wide range of covers. There is a good showing of Latvia. A small group of St. Pierre Miquelon is added to the site. The final additions are from Algeria. Please click on the country name or category name to view the new covers.
South Dakota is now updated. There are over 550 covers for you to browse. It is best to look here to get to the covers you care about. Tennessee will be ready in 2-3 weeks. Once again, I am slow in getting out new state lists. I have put in some time working on South Dakota. I expect to have it posted no later the third week in November. I do not imagine getting beyond Texas in 2011. Unless the U.S. dollar suddenly gains great strength and curtails my overseas sales, expect my 2012 state list output to be as glacial as it has been for the last few years. Sorry. Save Your Cart- You may now save your shopping cart for up to 90 days. Simply click on Save Cart on the menu bar at the left or bottom link bar and log into your account. Come back any time within the next three months to review and purchase your selections by clicking Retrieve Cart. to check out the cart. Do please understand that saving items does not remove them from inventory or place them on hold for you. Now Open! A number of the features of this site make it impossible to offer less expensive covers. The scans, descriptions, free shipping and unlimited return privilege mean that most of the covers here are $10 and up. That doesn't mean there aren't lots of interesting covers and postal history that sell for less. I have a new website called Discount Covers. Enjoy browsing though thousands of covers priced at $1.25, $2.50 or $3.75. Over 60,000 covers are available. You'll have a good time. Please visit http://discountcoverstore.com. Just under 3000 covers will be posted December 12 at about Noon Pacific Time. The biggest sections in world covers this time are Canada, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Japan and Scandinavia. In U.S. the biggest sections is First Days. Most of the first days are part of a newly acquired collection with a nice range of unusual cachets and unofficial cancels. In the thematic section look for many new Scout covers. There is should be something for almost everyone. The next upload will be on January 16. |
Browse This SiteCover Notification Service - Receive an e-mail notification every time a new cover that fits your interests is added to this site. You can set up the notifications yourself or have me set them up for you. If your interests are fairly general, for example a single country, you can set them yourself. If your interests are more specific, like a particular issue, you might find it easier to ask me to set them up. If you choose to set up your interests yourself, I'll review them to make sure they will work the way you intend. Worldwide Postal History - Browse here for the country of your interest. Covers begin in the 18th Century and continue to the modern era. The emphasis is on 20th century up to about 1950 for larger countries and to about 1960 for smaller countries, You will find International Airmail, Town Cancels, Auxiliary Markings, Stampless, Registered, Advertising, Censors, Special Delivery and just about anything else you can imagine. U.S. Postal History - Explore thousands of U.S. covers arranged to be browsed by issue. The stock is strongest in foreign destinations after 1920, but you'll find a bit of everything including 19th century. U.S. Postal History By State - Use this section to browse for covers based upon the place where they were used. Explore local postal history in hundreds of covers for each state, a bibliography of literature available for each state, and market analysis. United States Post Offices - This is a reference that lists the name and dates of operation of every post office in the U.S. The list is the best reference ever published in one place. A far better representation of both Alabama and Georgia are now online. Despite constant additions and corrections, it is still a work in progress. Military Postal History - Browse here for war covers I have a strong stock of military covers of all types, with an emphasis on U.S. World War II material. Look for U.S. A.P.O. covers, U.S. Ship covers, Worldwide Civil Censors, U.S. Naval Shore Stations, Field Posts from most parts of the world and Prisoner of War and Internee mail. . You're welcome to use on-line copy of my book A Price Guide to U.S. A.P.O. Covers of the Second World War. Airmail Postal History Browse for first flights, catapults, zeppelins, crash covers, trans pacific and all range of international airmail. New! My newest web site is Stamps Plus. The goal is to offer a wide range of material, both basic stamps and specialty items. Expect to see used and unused, sets and singles as well as unused stationery, first days, revenues, and the gamut of philatelic items not listed in the catalog. While there are only about 1100 items to start, expect to see the site grow. Please visit http://www.stamps-plus.com/.
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