Outskirts Press, INC.

Want to learn more about our country's stamps?

Do you collect United States stamps? Perhaps you save stamps from old envelopes or new issues from the post office. Maybe you are interested in delving more into the hobby of United States stamp collecting. But you cannot find a general book on the topic. Sure there are wonderful catalogs, books on all specific aspects of the hobby, and even periodicals. The author was so frustrated by not locating a general information book on United States stamps, he decided to write one himself! "United States Stamps. A History" is the result of his efforts. This is the first volume of a series of books on United Stamps that will cover all aspects of the hobby. It travels from the stampless covers of the colonial days until the end of the private company printing of stamps, the Columbian commemorative issue. The author hopes you enjoy this journey through United States stamps as much as he enjoyed writing it!

The five-cent 1847 stamp was made imperforate, that is, without perforations. They are on thin bluish wove paper. There is a range of shades, thickness and texture of the stamp paper.
The gum is yellow, thin, and crackled. An apprentice engraver or printer applied it. They gummed the sheets of newly printed stamps and hung them up overnight, like laundry, to dry!
The stamp appears drab, disappointing the neophyte stamp collector. Margins are tiny, as the stamps were plated close together.
Faults are common among surviving stamps. These include corner creases, pinholes, minor defects, and repairs that have accumulated on most stamps after over a century and a half of time.