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 wider aspects of the 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.
|
New This Week


This week brings another 100 new covers on
offer. These are from Africa Asia and South and
Central America. Please look for some nice
Portuguese Colonies in Africa, South and Central
America First Flights and U.S. Postal Agency in
Cali and Barranquilla Colombia. Please click
here to see the covers.
There were another 100 new covers on the site
last week. These are U.S. covers, mostly
Twentieth Century, most sent overseas, most with
auxiliary markings. Please click
here to see the covers.


Stamps Plus offers 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. This week the biggest areas of new
additions are Greece, Guatemala, Portugal,
Switzerland, United States and worldwide stamps.
Please click here to
visit the site.
|
Browse This Site
Cover 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 1960
for larger countries and to about 1970 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 is
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.
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.
|
Upcoming Additions
September 18
Africa, Asia, South & Central America
September 25
United States
and
Canal Zone
Coming Soon
Eastern Europe
Canada
Mississippi
Pennsylvania
U.S. WWI A.E.F.
U.S.
A.P.O.'s
U.S. Ships
U.S. Fleet Post Offices
U.S.M.C.
|