RFOTD

torylynn1

The first U.S. postage stamps went on sale July 1, 1847

 

Here they are:

Mrs.BoomBoom

Very cool!  Think how much 5 cents was in 1847!

According to some information I found, a quart of milk in 1850 was a dime.  5 cents in 1847 is like $1.34 today.

wldktz10

Amazing how people complain when they go up 1 or 2 cents now, and they were so low all the way back then. So in 150 years, we've only increased 40ish cents. Perspective!

Mrs.BoomBoom

wldktz10:

Amazing how people complain when they go up 1 or 2 cents now, and they were so low all the way back then. So in 150 years, we've only increased 40ish cents. Perspective!

I was amazed that a nickel back then was only like $1.34 today.  I would have thought much more!

torylynn1

Here's some more info-Looks like they weren't used to mail a card to your neighbor-I got this on Wikipedia

 

The 5-cent stamp paid for a letter weighing less than 1 ounce and traveling less than 300 miles, the 10-cent stamp for deliveries to locations greater than 300 miles, or, twice the weight deliverable for the 5-cent stamp.

hannikan

Well they were probably sort of expensive because they were new.

"The post office had become so efficient by 1851 that Congress was able to reduce the common rate to three cents (which remained unchanged for over thirty years), necessitating a new issue of stamps. Values included a 1? profile of Franklin in blue, a 3? profile of Washington in red brown, a 5? portrait of Thomas Jefferson, and portraits of Washington for 10? green and 12? black values."