The September 2023 post to our “Civil War History” tab examined postal activities during the Civil War. The article referenced the use of postage stamps in lieu of small change in response to the shortage of small denomination coins. One result of the coin shortage was the emergence of so-called “encased postage stamps.” The use of encased postage stamps provided a means to advertise and addressed the coin shortage problem at the same time. The front of the stamp was protected by thin, clear layer of mica.*
Photo courtesy Paul M. Zebiak.
* Q. David Bowers, A Guide Book of Civil War Tokens (Atlanta: Whitman Publishing, 2013), 418-424.