# O1 - 1873 1c Yellow, Department of Agriculture, Franklin, Hard Paper
1873 1¢ Franklin
Official Stamp – Agriculture
Return Of Official Mail Stamps
The roots of Official stamps stretch back nearly 200 years. In 1791, Congress met and passed an act establishing post offices and routes in the United States. One of the clauses of the act allowed for franking privileges.
With every change of the law, more people were added to the list of those who had franking privileges. In an 1869 report, Postmaster General John Creswell noted that 31,933 people were then permitted to send mail for free. That meant a $5,000,000 yearly expense for the Federal government!
Abuses ranged from using franking to send laundry to the cleaners, to more serious complaints surrounding elections. Incumbent congressmen were able to send vast amounts of campaign material through the mail for free, giving them a sizable advantage over challengers. One legend also tells of a senator who sent his horse home to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by franking its bridle!
In 1884, the Officials were declared obsolete and were replaced with the “penalty” envelope. These envelopes were imprinted with an official emblem and carried a warning against unauthorized use by private individuals.
1873 1¢ Franklin
Official Stamp – Agriculture
Return Of Official Mail Stamps
The roots of Official stamps stretch back nearly 200 years. In 1791, Congress met and passed an act establishing post offices and routes in the United States. One of the clauses of the act allowed for franking privileges.
With every change of the law, more people were added to the list of those who had franking privileges. In an 1869 report, Postmaster General John Creswell noted that 31,933 people were then permitted to send mail for free. That meant a $5,000,000 yearly expense for the Federal government!
Abuses ranged from using franking to send laundry to the cleaners, to more serious complaints surrounding elections. Incumbent congressmen were able to send vast amounts of campaign material through the mail for free, giving them a sizable advantage over challengers. One legend also tells of a senator who sent his horse home to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by franking its bridle!
In 1884, the Officials were declared obsolete and were replaced with the “penalty” envelope. These envelopes were imprinted with an official emblem and carried a warning against unauthorized use by private individuals.