History of United States postage rates

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History of United States first class & postcard rates
Amounts in parentheses reflect equivalent in 1982-84 dollars [1]
Date Introduced Rate for first ounce (USD) Additional ounces Postcard rate Comments
March 3, 1863 .03 (.23) per half ounce .03 (.23) per half ounce
March 3, 1883 .02 (.19) per half ounce .02 (.19) per half ounce
July 1, 1885 .02 (.20) .02 (.20)
November 3, 1917 .03 (.23) .03 (.23) War Years
July 1, 1919 .02 (.12) .02 (.12) Dropped back by Congress
1926 .02 (.11) .02 (.11) .01 (.06)
July 6, 1932 .03 (.22) .03 (.22) .01 (.07)
January 1, 1952 .03 (.11) .03 (.11) .02 (.08)
August 1, 1958 .04 (.14) .04 (.14) .03 (.10)
January 7, 1963 .05 (.16) .05 (.16) .04 (.13)
January 7, 1968 .06 (.17) .06 (.17) .05 (.14)
May 16, 1971 .08 (.20) .08 (.20) .06 (.15)
March 2, 1974 .10 (.20) .10 (.20) .08 (.16)
September 14, 1975 .10 (.19) .09 (.17) .07 (.13)
December 31, 1975 .13 (.24) .11 (.20) .09 (.17)
May 29, 1978 .15 (.23) .13 (.20) .10 (.15) A Stamp Used
March 22, 1981 .18 (.20) .17 (.19) .12 (.13) B Stamp Used
November 1, 1981 .20 (.22) .17 (.19) .13 (.14) C Stamp Used
February 17, 1985 .22 (.20) .17 (.16) .14 (.13) D Stamp Used
April 3, 1988 .25 (.21) .20 (.17) .15 (.13) E Stamp Used
February 3, 1991 .29 (.21) .23 (.17) .19 (.14) F Stamp Used (also 4 cent F makeup rate stamp)
January 1, 1995 .32 (.21) .23 (.15) .20 (.13) G Stamp Used (also 3 cent G makeup rate stamp)
January 10, 1999 .33 (.20) .22 (.13) .20 (.12) H Stamp Used (also 1 cent H makeup rate stamp)
January 7, 2001 .34 (.19) .21 (.12) .20 (.11) Nondenominated Stamps Used
July 1, 2001 .34 (.19) .23 (.13) .21 (.12) Nondenominated Stamps Used
June 30, 2002 .37 (.21) .23 (.13) .23 (.13) Flag and Antique Toy Stamps Used
January 8, 2006 .39 (.20) .24 (.12) .24 (.12) Lady Liberty Flag Stamp Used
May 14, 2007 .41 (.21) .17 (.09) .26 (.13) Shape-based postage pricing Introduced
May 12, 2008 .42 (.21) .17 (.09) .27 (.14) Price change announced February 11, 2008
May 11, 2009 .44 .17 .28 Price change announced February 10, 2009

Contents

[edit] Plot

Nominal and inflation adjusted first-class postage rates in the US

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 2008 US cents.

This plot shows that, despite the rise in the nominal cost of a first-class stamp, the adjusted cost of the stamp has stayed relatively stable. 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 2007 dollars was not fixed over time which added to larger jumps in adjusted prices.



[edit] History notes

Domestic Parcel Post service was adopted in 1913, a full 25 years after the Post Office had agreed to deliver international parcel post packages pursuant to the Universal Postal Union treaty and various bilateral agreements with other nations.[2] Initially, there were few or no postal regulations governing packages mailed parcel post. To construct a bank in Vernal, Utah in 1916, a Salt Lake City Company figured out that the cheapest way to send 40 tons of bricks to the building was by Parcel Post. Each brick was individually wrapped & mailed. Postal rules were promptly rewritten.[3]

Bulk postal rates were restructured in 1996:

  • Second Class became Periodicals
  • Third and Fourth Class Mail became Standard Mail (A) and (B)
  • Special Fourth Class Mail was renamed Special Standard Mail.

In 2007, First Class Mail was restructured to include variable pricing based on size, not just on weight. "Shape-based postage pricing" is a form of dimensional weight.

At this time, International Parcel Post air service was rebranded as Priority Mail International, and Parcel Post surface service was discontinued for international destinations.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Adjusted per United States Consumer Price Index
  2. ^ Parcel Post: Delivery of Dreams http://www.sil.si.edu/ondisplay/parcelpost/cf/view.cfm
  3. ^ Utah State History, Markers and Monuments: The Parcel Post Bank http://history.utah.gov/apps/markers/detailed_results.php?markerid=1525
  4. ^ 2007 Comprehensive Statement on Postal Service Operations http://www.usps.com/strategicplanning/cs07/chpt2_007.htm

[edit] Sources

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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