Envelope with canceled stamp (United States, 1847)
Sent from Boston, Massachusetts to New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1847
Robert T. Galkin Collection

The first stamps in the United States were established in 1842 by private businesses. The federal government soon took over operations and standardized rates, but postmasters handled stamp production locally for several years. Offered for sale on July 1, 1847, the 5-cent Benjamin Franklin was one of the first nationally issued postage stamps in the United States.