Pittsburgh, PA, receiving handstamp

c. 1850-1913

The Post Office Department procured this handstamp from the Chambers shop at Lodge, Virginia. Concurrent four-year contracts included this description for Item 165b: A receiving stamp for back-stamping letters and is similar to Item 165-A except that the die is round, not octagonal, and is coarse-milled to facilitate unscrewing with fingers. The circular border of the dial is to be 1-inch in diameter, with the town and state of the post office along with "Rec'd" cut in relief within the border.