General Discussion

Beginning with the foundation of the postal system in 1775, the stamps were large, ornate works of art, with a cost of 1/4¢. As you read down the poster, the period changed -- the Federalist Era, Civil War, Gilded Age, etc. Each epoch, the stamps got smaller, the artwork plainer, and the cost rose substantially. Finally, the last stamp, labeled "Future Postage," was a twenty dollar bill stapled to the envelope.