USA Meter Stamp, Type AR-ARM2.1A

United States · 1957 · 3 cents

This is a red meter stamp impression from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, dated April 15, 1957. It features 'US POSTAGE' and 'PAID 03' for a 3-cent denomination, along with the specific meter type AR-ARM2.1A. Meter stamps like this were used by businesses to apply postage directly to mail.

Meter stamps became widely adopted in the mid-20th century as an efficient method for businesses to handle large volumes of mail. The 3-cent rate was the standard first-class letter rate in the United States from 1932 to 1958, making this a typical example of postal usage during that period.