how much did it cost to mail a postcard in the past?
postcards were introduced in 1873 and could be mailed at a rate of 1 cent (less than the first class letter rate). prior to July 1, 1898, postcards could only be sent if the first-class letter rate was paid; They were first authorized for use at a rate lower than the letter rate on July 1, 1898. Since then, they have adopted the same rate and functioned at the same level as postcards, except during the period between April 1, 1925 and June 30. , 1928, when the post card rate was 2 cents, the post card rate was 1 cent. (U.S. Domestic Postage Rates, 1872-1993, by Henry W. Beecher and Anthony S. Wawrukiewicz, p. 12)
from November 2, 1917 to June 30, 1919, the rate for postcards and postcards was 2 cents.
The 2-cent rate continued from January 1, 1952 to August 1, 1958, when the rate was raised to 3 cents. From then on, the changes in the national surface rate were:
January 7, 1963
4 cents
January 7, 1968
5 cents
May 16, 1971
6 cents
March 2, 1974
8 cents
September 14, 1975
7 cents
December 31, 1975
9 cents
May 29, 1978
10 cents
March 22, 1981
12 cents
November 1, 1981
13 cents
February 17, 1985
14 cents
April 3, 1988
15 cents
February 3, 1991
19 cents
January 1, 1995
20 cents
July 1, 2001
21 cents
June 30, 2002
23 cents
January 8, 2006
24 cents
May 14, 2007
26 cents
May 12, 2008
27 cents
current mail & shipping prices on usps.com
As working definitions, a “postcard” is considered a privately prepared card, usually with a photo or image on one side and sold by a stationer, while a “postcard” is a card issued and sold by the counter of a post office.
There was a third category of card known as a “private postcard”, which was a business card prepared for a special occasion or for a special reason. they actually had the legend “private postcard” printed on them. the domestic postage rate for these cards was the same as for the other card rates, except for the period from April 15, 1925 to approximately June 1928, when the rate was increased to 2 cents, while the card rates postcards and postcards remained at 1 cent.
additional readings
henry w. Beecher and Anthony S. wawrukiewicz. U.S. National Postage Rates, 1872-1999 (Shawnee-Mission, KS: Traditions Press, 1999).
antonio s. Wawrukiewicz and Henry W. be to us. International Postage Rates, 1872-1996 (Portland: Cama Publishing, 1996).