St. Louis Postmaster's Provisional 10 Cent

United States · 1845 · 10¢

This 10-cent provisional stamp, printed in black on pale green paper, features the Coat of Arms of Missouri, supported by two bears, with the motto 'Salus populi suprema lex esto'.

This stamp is a significant example of early U.S. postal history, issued by a local postmaster before the establishment of uniform federal postage stamps, reflecting the decentralized nature of postal services at the time.