New York City 2 Cents Postmaster's Provisional

United States · 1847 · 2 cents

The stamp features a central vignette of an eagle with outstretched wings, holding an olive branch and arrows. It is surrounded by the text 'POST OFFICE' at the top, 'NEW YORK' at the bottom, and '2 CENTS' on either side.

This is a Postmaster's Provisional stamp, issued by the New York City postmaster before the first general issue of U.S. federal stamps in 1847. It served as a temporary solution for prepayment of postage.