The first governmental issued airmail stamp was issued by Italy in May 1917. It was an Italian Express issue over printed for experimental service between Rome and Turin.

The 3-cent 1869 pictorial wood burning locomotive stamp, Scott #114, which was the workhorse for the mail at the time due to the 3-cent letter rate, was chosen in the advance to commemorate the transcontinental railroad. The stamp was issued 6 weeks before the completion.

The first non-denominated US stamps were Christmas stamps. Scott #1579 and 1580 were issued on October 14th, 1975.

Many of Nicaragua’s stamps were issued depicting volcanos. Backers of the Panama route used these stamps on mail to the U.S. Congress to dissuade them from building the canal through Nicaragua due to the dangers of the volcanos.

Postage rates are going up again on January 23rd, 2023. A first-class letter up to 1 ounce rises 3 cents to 63 cents, the postcard rate goes up 4 cents to 48 cents, but hey, the additional ounce rate stays the same at 24 cents. At least something didn’t increase!

The APS had no library from 1929 until 1968. Really? Wow. Then Daniel Vooys, one of the founders, got it started back up. Look at the library (APRL) now!

The Australia’s first stamps, issued in 1902, were postage due stamps. Even more oddly they borrowed the same design from colonial New South Wales postage due stamps, who borrowed the design from the first United
States postage due stamps.

The first stamp catalog was published in France in 1861 by Oscar Berger-Levrault. Even though it was titled as a catalog, it was really nothing more than a dealer’s price list.

Postage rates are going up again July 1st 2022. The cost to send a 1-ounce letter will rise to 60 cents, additional ounce to 24 cents, and post cards to 44 cents. Ugh!

There have been over 8,000 episodes of the TV game show Jeopardy! Stamps has appeared as a final jeopardy clue once.