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legendarypre-1900
St. Louis 'Bears' Provisional Stamp
United States · 1845 · 5 Cents
A black stamp featuring the St. Louis city seal, depicting two bears supporting a shield with a steamboat, 'ST. LOUIS' above, and '5 CENTS' below.
Issued by the St. Louis postmaster in 1845, these provisional stamps served as local postage before the U.S. federal government issued its first general postage stamps, making them highly significant in American postal history.
Printing Method
Engraved
Catalog Numbers
scott11
Image: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:BFolkman" title="User:BFolkman">BFolkman</a> · License: CC0
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