What kinds of philatelic material and postal history does USPCS cover?
USPCS (uspcs.org) is the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, and its site presents research on classic United States stamps and 19th-century postal history. The material shown is concentrated in the mid-1800s: U.S. imperforate and early perforated issues, transoceanic mail routes, rate markings, cancellations, and notable covers. If you are looking for study of pre-1870s U.S. stamps, rates, and routes, this is the scope; if you need modern stamps or general collecting guides, it falls outside what the site documents.
Stamps and multiples
The site's examples center on classic U.S. issues, often in multiples or on cover rather than as single mint stamps.
- 1847 10¢ black — the "Bible Block," described as the largest unused multiple of the 10¢ 1847 stamp, a block of six (three by two), positions 71–73/81–83R, named for being found in a family bible over a century ago.
- 1851 3¢ — used on a Boston Penny Post local combination cover sent August 27, 1851, and on an 1861 3¢ rose Washington (Scott 63) paying a letter rate to a captain aboard the USS Transport Kennebec.
- 1851 1¢ — on an unsealed printed circular from Boston to Beverly, Mass., July 14, 1851, one of two known covers with the small red Boston PAID in Grid handstamp.
- 1856 5¢ imperforate — a strip of three paying the 15¢ rate for a 0–½ oz. letter sent December 22, 1857, canceled with the large Boston PAID in Grid.
- 1870–79 ½d rose-red (SG-48) — a block of six on an 1874 envelope from Leamington, England, to Boston, paying the 6d UPU rate.
Routes and destinations
Cover descriptions trace specific journeys rather than only the stamp:
| Example | Route / context |
|---|---|
| Salem to Canton | Via Portland, London, Marseilles, and Hong Kong; March 19, 1865; Allan Line Moravian and P&O steamers Euxine, Candia, Behar to India |
| England to Boston 1874 | Leamington, England, to Boston under the 6d UPU rate |
| 3d due to Yorktown | 1861 3¢ rose to a captain at Yorktown, tied by a New York duplex |
| Double Rate to England | Double-rate cover with a 2-shilling handstamp and an 1847 stamp |
| Canada Through Rate | First day of the through rate between the U.S. and Canada, April 6, 1851; before that date prepaid mail could only go to the border with domestic postage |
Rates, markings, and cancellations
The material treats postal markings as evidence of rate and handling:
- Boston PAID in Grid — appears in small red, small black, and large forms across several covers.
- New York duplex — a black single-circle NEW-YORK / MAY / 1 with 4-ring target, tying an 1861 3¢ stamp.
- "144" in grid — a black single-circle numeral cancel on the 1874 England-to-Boston cover.
- 2-shilling handstamp — on the double-rate cover to England.
- Rate periods — British mails from the U.S. to Africa are noted as beginning in July 1849; the U.S.–Canada through rate begins April 6, 1851.
What else the site includes
Beyond cover studies, the site reports exhibition results, such as the 2026 IndyPEX Race, 2026 NAPEX results (society members took the top two medals), BALPEX 2026, and the 2026 Minnesota Stamp Show awards. These are society news items rather than catalog content.
If your interest is classic U.S. stamps on cover, 19th-century transatlantic and trans-Pacific routes, or rate and cancellation research, the site's examples map directly onto that ground.