Topical Stamp Collecting
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Postal stationery pre-dates stamps by more than two centuries! Venice produced and sold letter sheets as early as 1608, with the city’s coat of arms. Use of these letter sheets was mandatory for written communication to and from government officials.

New South Wales issued the first “true” letter sheet—with an embossed indicia—in 1838. Two years later saw the Mulready (named for its designer, William Mulready) in Great Britain, and postal stationery became popular. Mulreadys were available both as letter sheets and envelopes.

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