Ever wonder how to date or identify an old postcard? Read on, a short guide to postcards...

        Postcard Archaeology Helper
                                                            
History facts of the US postcards-                          
Private postcards were first copyrighted on Dec. 17, 1861,  
by JP Charlton and published by HL Lipman of Philadelphia.  
The basic design used today was established at that time- 
3 lines for address, a stamp box, and a tag line. The first   
"post" cards had an advertisement appearing on the back that
read: "This Postal Card offers great facilities for sending 
Messages or for rapid correspondence. It is only about half 
the price of paper and envelopes. It is ready for instant   
dispatch. It is a convinient mode for ordering goods. It is 
valuable to Travellers, affording ready communication. It is
useful to societies for sending notices. It is of advantage 
to merchants for circulars. It lightens the mails,  cheapens
the postage..."                                             

The Lipman cards started a trend that is still popular over 
130 years later. But it did have a slow start and the United
States government did not produce cards until May 1, 1873,  
under the Postal Card Act of June 8, 1872.                  

The Universal Exposition in Paris in 1889 issued a single   
souvenir postcard that was purchased at the base of the     
Eiffel Tower and the owner would carry it to the top of the 
tower for posting at a government station. This novelty     
encouraged the idea of souvenir issues sold in 1893 at the  
World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago consisting of       
commercially produced picture postcards.The souvenir sets of
post cards sold at the Chicago Exposition was a very        
important part of the picture postcard history. The cards   
were printed by American Lithographics Co. in NY with the   
agent Charles W. Goldsmith, Chicago, responsible for the    
marketing of these cards. They are rare and sought after by 
collectors, but the other "rarer" cards of the Columbian    
were unofficially issued by Girsch and Roehsler, NY with the
agent Joseph Koehler resonsible for marketing.              

Collecting postcards became popular in 1905 but the main    
popularity started in 1909 (another subject for later). The 
early cards were mailed at a postage rate of 2 cents if it  
contained a message, and one cent without. Later is was     
changed to just one cent for any card.                      

The early cards were crude compared to the European cards   
and Germany was mass producing cards with a technology far  
advanced from US cards. Later Germany became the main source
for a period of time for cards sold here in the US.         
Post cards and postage stamps have been an important part of
history. The have carried news of good tidings, sad news,   
announcements, advertisements, religious messages, orders,  
propaganda, jigsaw puzzles, paper dolls, spy messages during
wartime, and a host of other information.                   

Many small town postmasters had a lucrative side-line with  
the selling of one cent stamps for the postcards and the    
government helped to encourage the extensive use of the     
souvenir cards. Postcard albums was on most drawing room    
tables alongside the family photograph albums starting in   
1907. The fact that so many were stored in albums has given 
the collector today a chance to obtain cards that are over  
90 years old.                                               

Arcade Cards - postcard size, but plain back.               
Chrome - Any card after 1939 with a shiny paper surface.    
Deckle-edge - ripple or serrated edge cards
Linen - Postcards from 20s thru 50s using textured          
        cross hatched surface.                              
Real Photo - Actual photo on photographic paper, not a      
             printed image of a photograph.
Home Made Photo - A photograph with a postcard back, non-commercial.                
View Cards - Cards that feature cities and places within cities.
Pioneer Postcards - 1870-1898   (these are the first ones!) 
Private Mailing Cards 1898-1901 
        (these are what postcards were called at this time)                                                                          
Also, postcards are often dated by whether they had a       
divided or undivided backs (the line down the middle)
Undivided back - 1901-1907                                  
Divided back - 1907-1915   (and to present, of course)

Many people also refer to "Pre-Linens",
it indicates any view card that predates
linen cards.  Usually they're artificially colored.  There  
are tons of these around, usually pre-1930.                 

The Amt. of postage can help date the card.(1)
1872 (1 cent),               1975 (7 cents),
1917 (2 cents),              1976 (9 cents),
1919 (1 cent),               1978 (10 cents),
1925 (2 cents),              1981 (12 cents),
1928 (1 cent),               1981 (13 cents),
1952 (2 cents),              1985 (14 cents),
1959 (3 cents),              1988 (15 cents),
1963 (4 cents),              1991 (19 cents),
1968 (5 cents),              1995 (20 cents).
1973 (8 cents),

USPS Zipcode instituted in 1962
Extended Zip for automation added 1990's

Phone Numbers:
Where four or five numbers until ???? (2)
Dropped Exhange Names in ????
Introduced direct-dial Area Code + seven numbers ????

        Postcard Grading Guidlines (3)

    M - Mint - Perfect, just as it comes from the printer.
New card or very perfect old card.                          
    NM - Near-mint - Like mint, but very light aging or     
discoloration. Not quite as fresh looking as M.             
    EX - Excellent - Like M in appearance, but postally     
used, on address side only.                                 
    VG - Very Good - Corners may be a bit blunt or rounded, 
almost undetectible crease, may be postally used, picture   
side should be fresh.                                       
    G - Good - Corners may be noticeably blunt with         
noticeable slight bends. May be postally used on address    
side.                                                       
    AV - Average - More pronounced creases or bends. Margins
on picture side may be written on.  Postmark may show       
through to  picture side, but not on main part of picture.  
    PR - Poor - Card is intact, but with excess soil, stain,
or cancel marks.  Could be written on on either side.       
    SF - Space Filler - Card in poor condition that might be
included in a multi-card lot.  If these occur in lots,      
please indicate how  many Space Fillers are in the lot.     

(1) Postage information, from Kovels' Antique guide.
(2) Some rural companies still allowed, just the last
    four numbers, after the move to seven numbers.
(3) Barr's Post Card News

Pete Porro