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History of United States postage rates facts for kids

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Seal of the United States Department of the Post Office
Seal of the former U.S. Post Office Department (1792–1971), predecessor to the USPS

The system for mail delivery in the United States has developed with the nation. Rates were based on the distance between sender and receiver in the early years of the nation. In the middle of the 19th century, rates stabilized to one price regardless of distance. Rates were relatively unchanged until 1968, when the price was increased every few years by a small amount. Comparing the increases with a price index, the price of a first class stamp has been steady. The logo for the Post Office showed a man on a running horse, even as the railroads and then motorized trucks moved mail. In 1970, the Post Office became the Postal Service, with rates set by the Postal Regulatory Commission, and some oversight by the Congress. Air mail became standard in 1975. In the 21st century, prices were segmented to match the sorting machinery in use; letters too large for the machines required slightly higher postage.

Postal rates to 1847

Initial United States postage rates were set by Congress as part of the Postal Service Act signed into law by President George Washington on February 20, 1792. The postal rate varied according to "distance zone", the distance a letter was to be carried from the post office where it entered the mail to its final destination. Rates were adopted in 1847 for mail to or from the Pacific Coast and in 1848 for mail sent from one place in the west to another place in the west. There were double and triple rates as a letter's size increased. There were ship fees which were also added (i.e. mail to Hawaii). The ship fee, including the ship rate on letters for delivery at the port of entry, were on a per letter basis, rather than weight. The United States issued its first postage stamps in 1847. Before that time, the rates, dates and origin of the letter were written by hand or sometimes in combination with a handstamp device.

US Postal Service

Since enactment of the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, postage rates have been set by the Postal Regulatory Commission.

Historical rates

United States domestic first class & postcard rates, 1863–present (USD)
Date Introduced Letters
(for first ounce)
Packages
(for first ounce)
Additional
(per ounce)
Postcard rate International rate (letters) Comments
March 3, 1863 .06
(.03 for 12 oz)
.06 .06
(.03 per 12 oz)
.06 .02 per half ounce in drop boxes
October 1, 1883 .04
(.02 for 12 oz)
.04 .04
(.02 per 12 oz)
.04
July 1, 1885 .02 .02 .02 .02
July 1, 1898 .02 .02 .02 .01
November 2, 1917 .03 .03 .03 .02 War Years
July 1, 1919 .02 .02 .02 .01 Dropped back by Congress
April 15, 1925 .02 .02 .02 .01 (stamped cards)
.02 (postcards)
July 1, 1928 .02 .02 .02 .01
July 6, 1932 .03 .03 .03 .01
January 1, 1952 .03 .03 .03 .02
August 1, 1958 .04 .04 .04 .03
January 7, 1963 .05 .05 .05 .04
January 7, 1968 .06 .06 .06 .05
May 16, 1971 .08 .08 .08 .06
March 2, 1974 .10 .10 .10 .08
September 14, 1975 .10 .10 .09 .07 Last surface mail rate
December 31, 1975 .13 .13 .11 .09 All domestic first class & postcards by airmail
May 29, 1978 .15 .15 .13 .10 A Stamp Used
March 22, 1981 .18 .18 .17 .12 B Stamp Used
November 1, 1981 .20 .20 .17 .13 C Stamp Used
February 17, 1985 .22 .22 .17 .14 D Stamp Used
April 3, 1988 .25 .25 .20 .15 E Stamp Used
February 3, 1991 .29 .29 .23 .19 F Stamp Used (also 4 cent F makeup rate stamp)
January 1, 1995 .32 .32 .23 .20 G Stamp Used (also 3 cent G makeup rate stamp)
January 10, 1999 .33 .33 .22 .20 H Stamp Used (also 1 cent H makeup rate stamp)
January 7, 2001 .34 .34 .21 .20 Nondenominated Stamps Used
July 1, 2001 .34 .34 .23 .21 Nondenominated Stamps Used
June 30, 2002 .37 .37 .23 .23 Flag and Antique Toy Stamps Used
January 8, 2006 .39 .39 .24 .24 Lady Liberty Flag Stamp Used
May 14, 2007 .41 1.13 .17 .26 Shape-based postage pricing introduced; Forever stamps introduced; different prices for letters and packages for the first time
May 12, 2008 .42 1.17 .17 .27 Price change announced February 11, 2008
May 11, 2009 .44 1.22 .17 .28 Price change announced February 10, 2009
April 17, 2011 .44 1.71 (3 oz) .20 (letters)
.17 (packages)
.29
January 22, 2012 .45 1.95 (3 oz) .20 (letters)
.17 (packages)
.32
January 27, 2013 .46 2.07 (3 oz) .20 (letters)
.17 (packages)
.33 Price change announced October 11, 2012
January 26, 2014 .49 2.32 (3 oz) .21 (letters)
.17 (packages)
.34 Price change announced September 25, 2013
May 31, 2015 .49 2.54 (3 oz) .22 (letters)
.20 (packages)
.35
April 10, 2016 .47 2.54 (3 oz) .21 (letters)
.20 (packages)
.34 Price change announced February 25, 2016
January 22, 2017 .49 2.67 (3 oz) .21 (letters)
.18 (packages)
.34 Price change announced October 12, 2016
January 21, 2018 .50 3.50 (4 oz) .21 (letters)
.35 (packages)
.35 Price change announced October 6, 2017
January 27, 2019 .55 .15 (letters) .35 1.15 Price change announced October 19, 2018
January 26, 2020 .55 .15 (letters) .35 1.20
January 24, 2021 .55 .20 .36 1.20 Price change announced October 9, 2020
August 29, 2021 .58 .20 .40 1.30 USPS notice post-dated September 16, 2021 after effective increase date.
July 10, 2022 .60 .24 (letters) .44 1.40 Price change announced April 6, 2022

Historical trend

US Postage History
Actual and inflation-adjusted first-class postage rates in the U.S.

Taking the above data and plotting it yields the graph shown to the right. The dark plot is the actual issued price of the stamp and the light plot is the price adjusted for inflation and is shown in 2019 US cents.

This plot shows that, despite the nominal rise in the cost of a first-class stamp, the adjusted cost of a stamp has stayed relatively stable. Since at least the early 1980s, the price of a stamp has closely followed the consumer price index. The large jumps in the early 1900s are because a change by a single penny was large compared to the cost of the stamp. For example, the price increase from $0.02 to $0.03 on July 6, 1932, was a 50% increase in cost. Additionally, while the cost of the stamp itself remained fixed, the adjusted price in 2019 dollars was not fixed over time which added to larger jumps in adjusted prices.

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