Prior to 1845, postage rates in the United States were excessively high. In addition, the rates were complex and difficult for the public to understand. The rates were not based on weight but on the number of sheets, including the cover sheet, in the letter. Personal correspondence was quite limited and there was very little business mail.

This situation brought about passage of the Act of March 3, 1845, effective July 1, 1845, whereby uniform postage rates were established. The basic provisions of the Act provided for the mailing of a letter for any distance of 300 miles or less, at 5˘ per half ounce, and for any distance over 300 miles, at 10˘ per half ounce. Drop letters for local delivery were to be charged 2˘.

This Act, however, did not authorize the Postmaster General to issue postage stamps in the above-mentioned denominations. This would not take place for two more years and the prepayment of the required postage would not be enforced until the mid 1850’s. The 1845 Act, however, did not prohibit local postmasters from issuing their own stamps for use on outgoing mail. This facilitation of prepaid mailing had the effect of increasing the postal receipts of the issuing postmaster, thereby raising his/her income.

These early stamps and stamped envelopes are known as postmasters’ provisionals. These were intended to be valid only at the post office where they were issued and were not to be accepted at other offices. These provisionals’ place in American philately is historically significant and the formation of a collection of these early primitives is considered to be one of the most challenging areas of advanced philately.

Numerous postmasters issued their own stamps and stamped envelopes; eleven of which are recognized by the Editors of the Scott catalogs. Ten of these postmasters are from states that border the Atlantic Ocean, the one exception being the Postmaster of Saint Louis. Some of the postmasters were located in major cities such as New York, Baltimore, New Haven, Providence and Saint Louis while others were located in smaller cities and towns like Alexandria, Virginia; Annapolis, Maryland; Boscawen, New Hampshire; Brattleboro, Vermont; Lockport, New York and Millbury, Massachusetts.

The postmasters in Annapolis and New Haven issued only stamped envelopes while James M. Buchanan in Baltimore issued both stamped envelopes and adhesive stamps. The other eight postmasters issued only stamps. The beautifully engraved New York stamps depicting George Washington were printed by Rawdon, Wright and Hatch which two years later printed our first general issue of stamps known as the 1847’s. Some people believe the figure on the Millbury provisional is that of Washington. None of the other stamps or envelopes show portraits. The Saint Louis stamps show the Bears from The Seal of the State of Missouri.

James M. Buchanan in Baltimore placed his full signature on both the stamps and stamped envelopes he issued while Brattleboro’s Postmaster Frederick Niles Palmer placed only his initials on the stamps used from there. In New York, Postmaster Robert Hunter Morris initiated a few sheets of stamps early on and then had his clerks initial most of the remaining sheets with their own initials. In New Haven, Postmaster Edward A. Mitchell, signed each of the envelopes sold there.

None of the postmasters issued 2˘ stamps and only the Saint Louis postmaster issued 20˘ stamps. Baltimore used both 5˘ and 10˘ stamps and 5˘ and 10˘ envelopes while Saint Louis issued 5˘, 10˘ and 20˘ stamps. Most of the mail out of Saint Louis were for destinations further than 300 miles, hence the greater need for 10˘ and 20˘ stamps.

The New York provisional offers the only good field for the postal historian both as to weights and destinations. Approximately 85 New York provisional covers are recorded going to Great Britain and the Continent. Thereafter, the number of covers to Europe drops to only three recorded used from Providence and just one used from Baltimore. The New York stamps are also found on covers to Canada, Mexico and the Republic of Texas.

For paper variety specialists, two colors of paper were used to print the stamps for both Alexandria and Baltimore and three colors of paper were used to print the New York provisionals. Saint Louis stamps were printed both on a greenish paper and a gray lilac paper plus some on a thin pelure paper, which stamps are seldom found. Approximately a half dozen New York provisionals have a large double line watermark showing parts of the letters "J" and either "E" or "F". Paper folds are found on the New York and Baltimore adhesives. The colors of paper used for the Baltimore and New Haven stamped envelopes varies extensively and some authorities believe that some and perhaps all of the envelopes, were furnished by the postal patrons, who, took the envelopes to the post office and had the clerk emboss their envelopes with the requested rate. The clerk would then collect the correct fee from his customer.

Unused postmasters stamps are rarely found except for the Providence stamps where a large number of remainder sheets were found after the stamps became invalid for use. While unused stamped envelopes may exist, I have never seen or heard of such an item. Stamps from Boscawen, Lockport and Millbury were apparently printed one at a time; the Alexandria stamps two at a time as there are two different types; the Saint Louis Bears in sheets of six (2x3); the Brattleboro stamps in sheets of ten (5x2); the Providence stamps in sheets of 12 (3x4); the Baltimore stamps in sheets of 12 (2x6) and the New York stamps in sheets of 40 (5x8).

In Providence, Postmaster Welcome B. Sayles used one plate to print eleven 5˘ stamps and one 10˘ stamp; the 10˘ stamp being in the upper right corner. His counterpart in Baltimore used a single plate to print the two different denominations; on a plate of 12 subjects in a 2x6 format, positions 1-6 and 8, 10 and 12 were 5˘ stamps and positions 7, 9, and 11 were 10˘ stamps. In Saint Louis, Postmaster John M. Wimer used several different configurations in printing the popular Bear stamps. The first layout had three 5˘ stamps in the left vertical row and three 10˘ stamps in the right vertical row on the plate of six (2x3). After a request for higher denomination stamps, the layout was changed and the top two 5˘ stamps (positions 1 and 3) were replaced with 20˘ stamps. Still later it was found that the demand for 20˘ stamps was not as great as originally anticipated and the plate layout was changed back to its first design with three 5˘ stamps and three 10˘ stamps.

The printing of stamps with two different denominations on one plate gives rise to the possible discovery of se-tenant examples. There are many se-tenant unused pairs and large multiples including full sheets of the Providence 5˘ and 10˘ stamps. No used 10˘ examples are known and there are no used or unused se-tenant pairs recorded from Baltimore. The only known se-tenant stamps come from Saint Louis where there are two recorded 10˘–20˘ se-tenant multiples (one on cover) and three recorded 5˘ –10˘ se-tenant multiples. All five of these se-tenant examples are used.

All eleven postmasters that issued provisional stamps used, as far as is known, local engravers and printers to prepare the stamps. The postmaster provisional stamps and envelopes all became invalid on July 1, 1847 when our first general issue, the 5˘ and 10˘ 1847 stamps, were placed on sale. However, there are few a New York provisional stamps on cover postmarked after July 1, 1847. In addition, there is one used off cover Brattleboro stamp used after the cut off date and there could be other late usages of which I have no record.