Stamps and postal history

Philadelphia mail, near and far

I collect stamps and covers that went to, came from or passed through Philadelphia. My favorites are the letters that crossed the Atlantic, carried by sailing packet or steamer, and marked along the way by every post office that handled them.

Drawing of a letter from Philadelphia to Liverpool, with two stamps, a Philadelphia postmark and the endorsement Per Steamer via Liverpool PHILADELPHIA 5 CENTS PHILADELPHIA PA. MAR 12 PAID Per Steamer via Liverpool Mr. Thomas Whitaker 14 Water Street Liverpool England LIVERPOOLAMERICAN PACKET

What I collect

📬

To Philadelphia

Letters addressed to the city's merchants, families and institutions, especially those that arrived from overseas with their foreign postmarks and rate markings intact.

📮

From Philadelphia

Covers posted in Philadelphia, from early stampless letters with handstamped town marks to the city's many postmarks, cancellations and ship departures.

🚢

Through Philadelphia

Mail that changed hands in the city: forwarded letters, items routed through its port, and covers that tell the story of how the post really moved.

Three original stamp-style drawings: the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and a transatlantic steamer LIBERTY BELL 5 INDEPENDENCE 10 VIA LIVERPOOL 24

Original drawings in the spirit of the city, not actual stamp issues.

Across the Atlantic

A transatlantic cover is a small travel record. The writer's endorsement, the ship, the rate and the postmarks on both sides of the ocean together show how the letter made the crossing and what it cost.

Map of North Atlantic mail routes linking Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Halifax with Queenstown and Liverpool Philadelphia New York Boston Halifax Queenstown Liverpool Cunard via Halifax, from 1840 New York to Liverpool packets American Line from Philadelphia, 1873 N Drawn by hand, not to scale
  • 1818The Black Ball Line begins scheduled sailing packets between New York and Liverpool.
  • 1840Cunard steamers start carrying British mail between Liverpool, Halifax and Boston.
  • 1849The United States and Britain put their 1848 postal treaty into effect: 24 cents for a half-ounce letter.
  • 1850Collins Line steamers begin carrying United States mail between New York and Liverpool.
  • 1873The American Line's Pennsylvania sails from Philadelphia for Liverpool by way of Queenstown, opening a direct steamer service from the city.
  • 1875The General Postal Union takes effect and the letter rate to Britain drops to 5 cents.

Reading a cover

📍 Postmarks
The town and date where the letter entered the mail, and often a receiving mark where it arrived.
💰 Rate markings
Numerals in pen or handstamp showing what was paid or what was still owed, sometimes split between two countries.
⚓ Ship and packet markings
Words such as "Ship Letter", "Packet" or "Am. Pkt." that say how the letter crossed the water.
✍️ Endorsements
The sender's own routing instructions, like "per Steamer" or the name of a particular ship.
🔁 Forwarding
Agents' marks and notes from merchants who passed a letter along to the next ship or post office.
🔍 Backstamps
Transit and arrival marks on the reverse that fill in the dates of the journey.

On my want list

✉️ Get in touch

Have something that fits, or a question about Philadelphia mail? I would be glad to hear from you.

Steve Kennedy
steve@phillystamps.com