Alexander Hamilton free frank cover to Customs Collector Stephen Smith

Alexander Hamilton, American, 1757 - 1804 · October 22, 1789

As secretary of the treasury, Hamilton was permitted to send official correspondence for free by signing his name. This ensured that customs inspectors and collectors all over the country were kept busy responding to ceaseless requests for information about imports and exports, tonnage and construction of ships, trade routes, and ports of call. His ability to interpret and remember this data made Hamilton the best informed member of Washington’s first Cabinet.