Author Archives: MysticStamp

Canada Centenary Issue

US #1324 was the first US stamp with First Day ceremonies outside of the US.

On May 25, 1967, the Canada Centennial stamp was issued in Montreal – the first time a US stamp had a First Day ceremony in another country.

The stamp, designed by Ivan Chermayeff, was first made available at the United States Pavilion at Expo ’67 in Montreal Canada. The First Day Covers created there were the first US covers with a first-day cancellation from another country.   The stamps were then made available at US post offices the following day.

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Opening of the Brooklyn Bridge

US #2041 was issued for the bridge’s 100th anniversary.

On May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge opened to traffic after 14 years of construction.

German immigrant John Augustus Roebling designed the Brooklyn Bridge. Previously, Roebling had designed several other shorter suspension bridges, including Roebling’s Delaware Aqueduct in Pennsylvania and the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky. Continue reading →

Founding of the New York Public Library 

US #3447 – The library’s two lion statues are named Patience and Fortitude.

On May 23, 1895, the New York Public Library was established. Exactly 16 years later, on May 23, 1911, the main branch of the library opened its doors to the public.

At the suggestion of friend and librarian Joseph Cogswell, businessman John Jacob Astor included a donation of $400,000 in his will to be used to start a public library. After his death in 1848, a board of trustees founded the Astor Library, which opened in the East Village of New York City in 1854.

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First Alphabet Rate Change Stamp 

US #1735 – The first A-rate stamp.

On May 22, 1978, the US issued its first in a long series of Alphabet rate change stamps.

In the years prior, other stamps had been issued non-denominated for impending rate changes. Because postage rates for late 1975 were uncertain, both of the Christmas stamps that year (#1579 and #1580) were issued without denominations. These were the first non-denominated US stamps.

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Opening of SIPEX

US #1310 was issued on the opening day of SIPEX.

On May 21, 1966, the Sixth International Philatelic Exhibition opened in Washington, DC.

All five previous US international philatelic exhibitions had been held in New York City. Initially, SIPEX was also to be held there, but disagreement among the show’s planners nearly canceled the event.

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Trans-Atlantic Airmail Service

US #C24 was issued four days earlier specifically for this flight.

On May 20, 1939, the US Post Office inaugurated its official trans-Atlantic airmail service to Europe.

The flight wasn’t the first to carry mail from the US to Europe. As early as 1919, individual pilots had carried mail across the Atlantic. And in the early 1930s, German and French airlines started airmail service across the South Atlantic between West Africa and Brazil.

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