Donating Collection Objects or Archival Materials

Refer to caption — Wells Fargo Virginia City Pony Express Cover acquired in 2002

Offers to donate collection objects and/or archival materials to the National Postal Museum are reviewed by the museum’s Collections Committee—a panel of curators, collection managers, and the archivist. The Committee’s approval is necessary to acquire any objects or archival materials for the collection. Prior to the Collections Committee review, all offers are carefully considered by the Curatorial and Collections Department.

If you believe that you own historic objects or archival materials that will augment the National Postal Museum’s Collections or Archives, we invite you to use the form or email address below to make a formal gift offer to the museum. Please allow up to 8 weeks for the Museum to review and respond to your offer.

The National Postal Museum does not accept unsolicited donations either by mail or delivered in person. Unsolicited donations may be disposed of at the sole discretion of the National Postal Museum.

Instead, please tell us about the items you wish to donate by completing the form below. Photographs of your collection objects and/or archival materials should be emailed to NPM-Objectdonation@si.edu in .jpg format.

Additionally, do not mail or deliver items from United States Postal Service (USPS) property to the Museum.

If your items were found on United States Postal Service property, please email the USPS historian’s office at phistory@usps.gov for further guidance.

Please tell us about your proposed item donation by completing the form below:

(*All fields are required)

Your Full Name *

Email Address *

Phone *

Item Name *

Description *

Brief description of item(s) including material/media and philatelic catalogue number if applicable.

Date of creation or origin of item(s) *

Approximate dimensions of item(s) *

Number of items in proposed donation *

Condition of the item(s)? *

Are you the current owner of the item(s)? *

How did you obtain the item(s)? *

What do you know about the history of the item(s)? *

What kinds of documentation do you have concerning the item(s)? *

Please send item photographs (.jpg format), to: NPM-Objectdonation@si.edu.

Signature *

I certify that I intend to donate the abovementioned item(s) and all information submitted herein is true to the best of my knowledge.

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