Who paid the postage?

There's an interesting bit of postal history detailed on the HMS Richmond Web site, dedicated to the historical re-creation of a British ship's company from the American War for Independence time period (18th century).

According to the section of the Web site titled "Letter Writing Style of 1775," at that time, the recipient paid the postage due and the amount of postage was based on the number of sheets of paper in the letter.

I guess the friends and family of those of us who can be a bit long-winded in our letter writing are happy that this practice has changed. Fortunately for those with a lot to say, mailing a letter today is quite economical.

Now, go write a letter!

It'll cost more on Monday

For those of us mailing in the United States, postage will go up Monday, May 11. It will cost 44 cents for the first ounce and 17 cents for additional ounces for letters. Postcard postage will cost 28 cents.

I'm not complaining...just reminding you. In my opinion, 44 cents is a good deal for someone to come to my house, pick up a letter and deliver it anywhere in the United States.

Of course, more information, including all of the postage rates are at the United States Postal Servive Web site, www.usps.com.

You can also order postage there and have it delivered to your mailbox. There are some new 44-cent stamps on there. But, to me, one of the fun things to do is come up with combinations of stamps to equal the correct postage.

For example, you can use one 41-cent Beautiful Blooms stamp and one 3-cent Star FP stamp. Or you could use a Polar Bear (.28), one Navajo Necklace (.02), one American Clock (.10) and one Chippendale Chair (.04). Or, how about this combination: one Tropical Fruit (.27), one Silver Coffee Pot (.03), one American Toleware (.05), one Chippendale Chair (.04), one Tiffany Lamp (.01) and two Navajo Necklaces (.02 each).

Just remember to use the correct amount of postage on Monday!