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Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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Registered mail sign

Object Details

Description
On March 3, 1855, in the act that required prepayment of postage on domestic letters, Congress also authorized the establishment of registered mail service, the first additional special service offered by the Post Office Department. To ensure proper handling of registered mail, all items remained locked in mail pouches while in transit. Only postmasters and clerks assigned especially to registered mail had keys to access registered letters.
Initially, registered mail cost five cents plus the price of postage. However, the fees varied considerably over the next few decades, usually remaining between eight and ten cents through the 1920s. The fee was eight cents, as advertised on this sign, from 1893 to 1909.
Reference:
Scheele, Carl H. A Short History of the Mail Service. Smithsonian Institution Press: City of Washington, 1970.
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
c. 1893-1909
Object number
0.234863.97
Type
Structures & Furnishings
Medium
metal; enamel
Dimensions
Height x Width x Depth: 14 × 10 × 1/8 in. (35.56 × 25.4 × 0.32 cm)
Place
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Topic
The Gilded Age (1877-1920)
Post Office Structures
Record ID
npm_0.234863.97
Usage
Not determined
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8a8142b74-cc89-4a8d-a8c5-ac96c6bb5e07
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IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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HomeSmithsonian National Postal Museum

Plan a Visit

TEMPORARILY CLOSED
Open every day (except December 25)
10:00 am to 5:30 pm

Admission is always free!

2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

street map of Postal museum

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Owney, the Railway Mail Service Mascot

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