Purgatory Post marks anniversary of Second Continental Congress
Purgatory Post earlier this month released the latest in its series of stamps leading up to the United States of America’s semiquincentennial celebration. The 9-sola stamp marking the 250th anniversary of the start of the Second Continental Congress was issued may 10.
Purgatory Post 9-sola Second Continental Congress stamp
The stamp’s vignette is comprised of a portion of Robert Edge Pine’s Congress Voting Independence of Confederation
The Second Continental Congress is perhaps best known for producing the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain, but it also served as the fledgling nation’s de facto government until it was disbanded in 1781 once the Articles of Confederation came into effect.
As longtime readers of this blog will know, Purgatory Post is a private local post based in New Hampshire.
Philosateleian Post FDC shows some scrapes and bumps
When I released Philosateleian Post’s new prickly pear cactus stamp earlier this month, I sent a first day cover to myself. That envelope was in my post office box last week, and it has signs of some rough handling.
Philosateleia 1s Prickly Pear Cactus first day cover
As you can see, the Philosateleian stamp has a long horizontal scrape across roughly 75% of its width. Additionally, there’s a bite “missing” from the bottom edge of the envelope, a chunk that was apparently removed by mail processing equipment somewhere along the way.
On the plus side, the Appalachian Trail (Georgia) stamp I used survived unscathed, and since I used my mailer’s postmark to cancel it, I have a nice used copy with little of the image obscured.
The newest local post stamps from Beverly Hills-based Bat’s Private Post celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of Italian adventurer Giacomo Casanova (1725–1798).
The designs of the 10¢, 20¢, 83¢, and $1.75 stamps, all of which were issued April 2, 2025, are based on a portrait credited to Francesco Narici.
Bat’s Private Post 10¢, 20¢, 83¢, and $1.75 Giacomo Casanova stamps
Today, Casanova’s name is synonymous with that of a playboy due to his many amorous exploits during his lifetime, but his lasting claim to fame is an autobiography detailing customs and norms of 18th-century European social life.
According to a release included with the stamps, the 10¢ value pays the Bat’s Private Post fee to carry a letter to a United States Postal Service facility, while the 83¢ value covers the cost of local transport plus domestic postage (which Bat’s Private Post pays). The 20¢ stamp pays either Bat’s Private Post’s parcel fee or its fee to carry a letter to the Servicio Postal Mexicano, and the $1.75 stamp covers the cost of local transport plus US postage to international destinations.
Cinderellas promote heritage railway, Penny Black anniversary
Today, I want to share images of stamps I received in the mail last week from two correspondents of mine. One of the sets could, I suppose, perhaps qualify as local post stamps, while the stamps in the other set are strictly cinderellas, but they’re all pretty neat.
The first item is a souvenir sheet for Colne Valley Railway, which describes itself as a “heritage steam & diesel railway in Essex” and operates a full-size steam locomotive and post office car and has other miniature an model trains on display.
This souvenir sheet, which contains 50p, £1, and £2 stamps, was printed by Alan B. of Adanaland fame for a fundraiser in 2007.
The other cinderella stamps of note came from Donovan B., formerly of the Letter Writers Alliance, and celebrate the 185th anniversary of the Penny Black.
Penny Black Day 185th Anniversary cinderella stamps
As you can see, Donovan produced these stamps in two different sizes in the same block. I’m not sure if she removed pins from her perforator to achieve this layout, or if she fed only the left edge of the sheet under the perforating pins, but the result is really slick in either case.
Purgatory Post commemorates Paul Revere, Lexington & Concord
New Hampshire-based Purgatory Post last month issued a pair of stamps in its ongoing series commemorating important events of the American Revolution.
On April 18, Purgatory Post released a 7-sola stamp commemorating Paul Revere’s famous ride from Boston to Lexington to warn other American colonists of British troop movements in the area.
Purgatory Post 7-sola Paul Revere’s Ride & 8-sola Lexington & Concord stamps
On April 19, an 8-sola stamp was issued to commemorate the Battles of Lexington & Concord in which “minutemen” faced off against British forces who were on a mission to seize weapons and ammunition. The skirmishes were the first battles of the Revolutionary War.
The frames of both of Purgatory Post’s new stamps are modeled after the design of the Sesquicentennial Exposition stamp the United States issued in 1926.
