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Inaugurated in the early 20th Century, airmail was a premium service which required paying special postal rates. U.S. airmail stamps document the early history of aviation commerce - from biplanes to Zeppelins to flying boats.
The first airmail stamp - a 24-cent stamp that covered postage from New York to Washington - was issued in May 1918. The stamp pictured the plane that carried the mail – the Curtiss Jenny – and is widely recognized today because a pane of 100 was accidentally printed with the plane upside-down.
On July 1, 1924, regular airmail service across the country was established. Airmail was divided into three zones: New York to Chicago, Chicago to Cheyenne, and Cheyenne to San F...
In February of 1926, the Post Office contracted private air companies to distribute airmail. Three stamps were issued for use on these contract airmail routes (or CAMs), each depicting the U.S. map.
Charles Lindbergh’s historical flight in May of 1927 inspired one of the most popular airmail stamps issued, which featured his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis. The cost of airmail was reduced in 1928, and two new stamps were issued: Beacon on Rocky Mountains and the Winged Globe.
Airmail service across the Pacific was taken over by the Post Office Department in November 1935 as the threat of war with Japan increased, and Pan Am was chosen as the carrier. A stamp was issued for the three trans-Pacific zones: San Francisco to Hawaii, Hawaii to Guam, and Guam to the Philippine Islands. It originally cost 25 cents per zone, but in 1937, a 20 cent stamp was issued and the cost of mailing a letter from the mainland U.S. to the Philippine Islands was reduced to 50 cents and airmail was extended to Hong Kong.
Cross-Atlantic airmail began on May 20, 1939 as Pan Am delivered mail from New York to Marseilles, France, traveling through Portugal on the way. Although this service didn't last long because of World War II, a 30-cent stamp was issued specifically for this route.
During World War II, seven stamps known as Transports were issued, each with a different denomination and depicting a different twin-motored transport plane.
After World War II, many commemorative stamps were released, such as a stamp to honor the 75th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union in 1949 and another to honor the 50th anniversary of airmail service in 1968. Many commemoratives featuring aviators (such as Amelia Earhart, Robert Goddard, and the Wright brothers) were also released.
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Interviews & Articles
Cheryl Ganz of the National Postal Museum on Inverted Jennys and Burning Zeppelins
I’ve been a lifelong collector, even as a kid. There are just certain people for whom collecting seems to be part of their nature.… [more]
Stamp Collector Bob Allen on Stamp Design and Production Techniques
Like many collectors, I collected when I was a child, and then I became interested again in the ‘90s. I think eBay and other Inter… [more]
In Postal History, Every Stamp Tells a Story
I have a stamp collection, but I don’t consider myself a collector. I have a collection of my initials on stamps from Great Britai… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
1847USA
Bob Allen's beautiful and well organized catalog of US stamps from 1847 to 1970 is a fantastic resource for all US … [read review or visit site]
The Stamp Collecting Round-up
Don Schilling's long-running, in-depth blog on stamp collecting and postal operations. Schilling stays up on all th… [read review or visit site]
National Postal Museum
If you're into postal history or collectibles, check out the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum. This extensive s… [read review or visit site]
R. A. Siegel Auction Galleries
This auction house site offers an extensive online database of US stamp information. Includes PDF catalogs of past … [read review or visit site]
Post Office in Paradise
Post Office in Paradise showcases Hawaiian postal history from the years before Hawaii became a part of the United … [read review or visit site]
Private Die Proprietary Stamps
Bob Hohertz's impressive database of U.S. Private Die Proprietary stamps from the Civil War and Spanish American Wa… [read review or visit site]
Alphabetilately
First shown in 2008 to celebrate the Smithsonian National Postal Museum's 15th anniversary, Alphabetilately is esse… [read review or visit site]
Clubs & Associations: Stamps
Top eBay Auctions
Us Stamp:#c14 $1.30 Brown 1930 Graf Zeppelin Air Mail Mhr/og Stamp 
Us Sheets #c-46 Diamond Head Hawaii 80 Cent Fresh Mnh Og S-g Bcv $300.00
350+ U.s. First Flight Covers Lot 1930-1932! First Day Airport Airmail Etc Nr
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Canal Zone Co1- Co7 - Scenic Official Air Mail - Mint - F/vf - Cv$93.00
Lz-127 Graf Zeppelin Round The World Flight. Chicago To Germany Cds Aug 6, 1929
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(6) Better 1938 C23 National Air Mail Week Covers...all New Jersey Mailed
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U.s. # C 133- 150 American Landscapes Complete Airmail Set Mint Nh
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1938 National Airmail Week Covers Lot Of 44 Different Maine
Scott #c18 "graf Zeppelin", The Baby Zepp, Friedrichshafen, Chicago Federal
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(25) Us #c18 1933 50c Graf Zeppelin Used Stamp
Graf Zeppelin Lz-127 "around The World Flight" 1929 Multi Franked Spec Delivery
United States Sc# C18 Zeppelin 50c Mint Never Hinge Air Mail Clean S1470
Scott C3 24 Cent Jenny Mint And Lightly Hinged
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Recent News: Airmail Stamps
Source: Google News
MRS RONNIE: THE SOCIETY HOSTESS WHO COLLECTED KINGS BY SIAN ...
Daily Mail, May 23rdHe was keen on philately; her idea of a jolly evening was to sit quietly at home, knitting a sock while her husband admired his stamp collection. Mrs Ronnie was nothing if not adaptable when it came to the whims of exigent royalty. Having converted an...Read more
Bliss Happenings
Fort Bliss monitor, May 22ndAll those with debts to be collected under the name of Gilbert or for information regarding collections, call 1st Lt. Mario J. Salazar at (915) 744-3618. Pre-transition briefing. The 1st Armored ..... To learn more, call Dave Harkness at (575) 522...Read more
The Best Entries from Harvard's Class of 2003 Tenth Anniversary Report, Sans ...
Vanity Fair, May 22ndAs a frequent employer of Harvard graduates, we at Vanity Fair receive alumni mail in our office from time to time. This week, we were delighted to find a Collected 3,500 relationship diaries from around the globe, and published a series of books...Read more
Get Thousands Of High Quality Design Resources With The Mega Design ...
Cult of Mac, May 19thEmber Stock Label Collection: Ember Stock is known for a modern clean style with attention to the smallest detail. This label set Includes two bonus material files (Go Media Vintage stamp effect Photoshop action, and Airmail Postage by Mikemcd...Read more
Confessions of the REAL Billy Liar: Mail legend KEITH WATERHOUSE wrote the ...
Daily Mail, May 16thIt meant the blackout, and catchy songs, and gas masks, and air-raid sirens, and my brothers getting called up, and me trying on their tin hats and hitting myself over the head with the poker because it didn't hurt with a tin hat on. By the end of the...Read more
'Neither snow nor rain': Museum shows what it took to get your mail
WMUK, May 16th“We have a scaled-down version of the first air mail planes that were bought. They bought these after the war, the de Havillands,” Martin says. One display is a small rustic buggy for a rural carrier. He would have also sold stamps out on the route...Read more
On This Day in History
The Province, May 13thIn 1918, the first U.S. airmail stamps, featuring a picture of an airplane, were introduced. On some of the stamps, the airplane was printed upside-down, making them collector's items. In 1940, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and her daughter...Read more
Rare US stamp on display at Spellman Museum in Weston
Wicked Local- Weston, May 2ndCommonly called the “Inverted Jenny,” this red-and-blue 1918 air mail stamp features an upside-down plane. Only 100 of Activities are available for children, and all youngsters receive a free packet of stamps and tips about how to start a stamp...Read more