1881 1c American Rapid Telegraph Company Stamp

United States · 1881 · 1¢

Two se-tenant stamps for the American Rapid Telegraph Company, each featuring '1' and 'ONE CENT' with the company name. One stamp is marked 'COLLECT' for payment on delivery, and the other 'DUPLICATE' for record-keeping.

These stamps were issued by a private telegraph company in 1881 for internal accounting and payment collection, reflecting the era of private telegraph services in the United States before widespread government regulation or consolidation.