The Post Office Department issued its first postage stamps
on July 1, 1847.

Initial United States postage rates were set by Congress as part
of the Postal Service Act signed into law by President George Washington on February 20, 1792. The postal rate varied according
to "distance zone", the distance a letter was to be carried from the
post office where it entered the mail to its final destination.

Rates were adopted in 1847 for mail to or from the Pacific Coast
and in 1848 for mail sent from one place in the west to another
place in the west. There were double and triple rates as a letter’s
size increased. There were ship fees which were also added
(i.e. mail to Hawaii). The ship fee, including the ship rate on letters
for delivery at the port of entry, were on a per letter basis, rather
than weight. The United States issued its first postage stamps in
1847. Before that time, the rates, dates and origin of the letter
were written by hand or sometimes in combination with a
handstamp device.