Until now, many people still use postcards to mail and write greetings and messages to their loved ones in various parts of the world. They are usually made of thin cardboards or thick papers, which carry different colorful and highly attractive designs. The term deltiology refers to the act of collecting or studying postcards. Let’s have a closer look at other interesting details about these wonderful cards including how much it costs to mail them.
The Cost of Sending a Postcard
How much does it cost to mail a postcard? As of the 11th day of May in 2009, the cost of sending postcards is set at 28 cents each. The maximum size under this particular rate must be 6 inches by 4.25 inches. Meanwhile, larger cards are charged with a higher rate of 44 cents, which is just like mailing regular letters. A patent was granted to Philadelphia’s John P. Charlton some time in 1861, which was later sold to H. L. Lipman. Various countries in Europe soon followed several years after. In terms of usage, Turkey was actually the first country that made use of it in 1876.
Additional Information and Other Interesting Details
In 1873, the U.S. Post Office started to issue pre-stamped cards. This was actually made in effort to create a faster way to send notes. At that time, the establishment was the only one permitted to print such kind of cards. This institution monopolized the cards until May 19, 1898. Later on, private printers and publishers were also allowed to print cards, thanks to the Private Mailing Card Act of the U.S. Congress.
Before, postcards were referred to as souvenir cards. The very first card in the U.S. was made in 1893. It was initially used as advertisement for the World’s Columbian Exposition, which was held within the City of Chicago in Illinois. After that, the so-called Penny Postcards were introduced. By the year 1908, over 677 million of these cards were mailed. In earlier forms, people were only allowed to write messages in front of the card, while the address was written at the back.
In 1907, the so-called divided back card was introduced in the U.S. At the back of a postcard, the right portion was allotted for the address, while the left part was for the messages. This novel idea started the Golden Age of American postcards, which eventually ended some time in 1915. Between 1916 and 1930, this period was referred to as the white border era. Soon after, the so-called linen card period followed, which lasted from 1931 until the early years of the 1950s. The chrome era arrived in 1939, which dominated the world in 1950.
