Letter

Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson · March 29, 1847

The engraving firm of Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson was chosen to engrave and print the first United States postage stamps because of their prior experience in the production of stamps, particularly the 1845 New York Postmaster Provisional. As of the date of this letter, the firm had only been informed that the Post Office Department preferred they do the work and had tentatively approved designs for the stamps. No contract had yet been signed despite the fact that the Department intended to issue the stamps in just three months, on July 1.