What is postmark and cover collecting?
Collect old letters, postmarks and envelopes that have been sent through the mail. Additionally, collect envelopes with stamps that have been canceled the first day they were issued. Become a detective and figure out all of the clues to find out where the letter has been and who the sender and recipient were.
A.Postmarks
- Publication 186 – Celebrating with Pictorial Postmarks (USPS) http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub186/welcome.htm
- Postal Bulletin http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/pb.htm
- http://www.postmarks.org/
- Myriad possibilities to postmark collecting http://linnsonline.com/howto/refresher/myriad_20040119/refreshercourse.asp?uID=
B. Maps
- Library of Congress Map Collections Home Page http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gmdhome.html
- Find Locations http://www.placenames.com/
C. U.S. Postal History & Cover Collecting
- Postal History FAQ http://www.stamporama.com/faq/faq.php?faq=postalhistory
- State Postal History Register http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/statepostalhistory/index.html
- Stamps on Cover http://www.stamps.net/posthist.htm
- Universal Ship Cancellation Society http://www.uscs.org/
- Postmark Collectors Club http://www.postmarks.org/
- Congressional Biographical Directory http://bioguide.congress.gov/biosearch/biosearch.asp
- Statutes at Large http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwsl.html
- USPS - Postmaster Finder http://www.usps.com/postmasterfinder/
- Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/
- Jim Forte's Post Office Search http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp
- State Postal History Registry-US Post Offices http://www.postalhistory.com/Post_Offices/index.htm
- California Post Offices and Counties http://pbbooks.com/caindex.htm
D. Worldwide Postal History
- Postal History Society http://www.stampclubs.com/phs/index.htm
- Postal History Definitions http://www.stamporama.com/faq/faq.php?faq=postalhistory
- Postal History Definitions & Terms http://www.1840on.co.uk/HELP%20OLD%20LETTERS%20PAGE.HTM
- British Commonwealth Postmarks http://pbbooks.com/cr1.htm
- Forwarding Agents by Cities http://pbbooks.com/webfa.htm
E. Postal Rates
- Postal Rates.info http://www.postalrates.info/
- Rate Calculator http://www.usps.com/tools/calculatepostage/welcome.htm
F. Museums, Archives, and Libraries
- Museums http://www.askphil.org/b23.htm
- Archives & Libraries http://www.askphil.org/b36.htm
- Smithsonian National Postal Museum http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu
- Smithsonian National Postal Museum Library http://www.sil.si.edu/libraries/npm/
- American Philatelic Research Library http://www.stamplibrary.org/thelibrary/lib_abouttheaprl.htm