Baltimore, MD Postmaster Provisional

United States · 1845 · 5 cents

The stamp features 'BALTIMORE' at the top, 'MD' below it, and '5 CENTS' at the bottom, all within a simple rectangular frame. The center is blank, intended for a handwritten signature or initials.

This is a Postmaster Provisional stamp, issued before the first general issue U.S. federal stamps in 1847. It allowed local postmasters to create their own stamps to prepay postage, a crucial step in the development of a national postal system.