— Forerunner (USPOD/USPS) cards —
( prefix: FPS )
The US Post Office Department, later the US Postal Service, didn't issue its first official souvenir card until 1960, but a few forerunner cards exist. Most of these are varieties of the Philatelic Truck souvenir sheet, given out during the truck's national tour from 1939 through 1941. The original ungummed sheets are fairly common but the overprints are quite scarce. Special thanks to Gregg Hopkins, Sr. who provided images for most of the cards shown here.
FPS-1901A Pan-American Exposition
Year:1901
Size:3" x 5½"
# Printed:unknown
# Sold:unknown
Printer:unknown
Type:philatelic
Back:blank
Info sheet:none
Notes: Non-intaglio card with text, featuring special expo cancellation; souvenir of visit to USPOD exhibit.
FPS-1904A Louisiana Purchase Exposition
Year:1904
Size:3½" x 5½"
# Printed:unknown
# Sold:unknown
Printer:unknown
Type:philatelic
Back:blank
Info sheet:none
Notes: Offset printed card featuring special expo cancellation; non-mailable souvenir of visit to USPOD exhibit.
FPS-1939A Philatelic Truck visit
Year:1939
Size:4½" x 3"
# Printed:730,040
# Sold:unknown
Printer:BEP
Type:philatelic
Back:blank
Info sheet:none
Notes: Printed on bond paper; first 173,220 sheets issued were gummed, remaining 556,830 ungummed.
FPS-1939B Chicago Philatelic Society Rajpeepla
Year:1939
Size:4½" x 3"
# Printed:200 (est.)
# Sold:unknown
Printer:BEP
Type:philatelic
Back: IMAGE
Info sheet:none
Notes: FPS-1939A overprinted in black.
FPS-1940A 46th Annual SPA convention
Year:1940
Size:4½" x 3"
# Printed:100 (est.)
# Sold:unknown
Printer:BEP
Type:philatelic
Back:blank
Info sheet:none
Notes: FPS-1939A overprinted in red.
FPS-1940B Kent & Ravenna 3rd open house
Year:1940
Size:4½" x 3"
# Printed:100 (est.)
# Sold:unknown
Printer:BEP
Type:philatelic
Back:blank
Info sheet:none
Notes: FPS-1939A overprinted in red.
FPS-1940C San Antonio Philatelic Assn.
Year:1940
Size:4½" x 3"
# Printed:unknown
# Sold:unknown
Printer:BEP
Type:philatelic
Back:blank
Info sheet:none
Notes: FPS-1939A overprinted in black.
FPS-1950Aa Sixth Congress of Postal Union of the Americas & Spain
Year:1950
Size:5¾" x 8¼"
# Printed:300 (est.)
# Sold:unknown
Printer:BEP
Type:philatelic
Back:unknown
Info sheet:none
Notes: Three-post binder with foil embossed cover, pages secured by ribbon. Contains title page, and six engraved cards: (a) Portrait of PMG Donaldson and POD Bldg, (b) White House, (c) Capitol, (d) Supreme Court, (e) Jefferson Memorial, (f) Lincoln Memorial. Most vignettes match PV cards. Six pages of mounted postage stamps are interspersed.
Additional images for the FPS-1950Aa card:
FPS-1950Ac Sixth Congress of Postal Union of the Americas & Spain
Year:1950
Size:5¾" x 8¼"
# Printed:300 (est.)
# Sold:unknown
Printer:BEP
Type:philatelic
Back:unknown
Info sheet:none
Notes: Third card in album, shows vignette of U.S. Capitol with unusual view from NW.; three-hole punched
FPS-1954A Exec. & Liaison Commitee Mtg. of UPU
Year:1954
Size:6½" x 8½"
# Printed:unknown
# Sold:unknown
Printer:BEP
Type:philatelic
Back:unknown
Info sheet:none
Notes: Folder with embossed USPOD seal containing card with portraist of Pres. Eisenhower and PMG Summerfield, White House and POD Bldg.
FPS-2015A Rocky Mountain Philatelic Library volunteer dinner
Year:2015
Size:4½" x 3"
# Printed:81
# Sold:76
Printer:BEP
Type:philatelic
Back: IMAGE
Info sheet:none
Notes: Special souvenirs given to RPML volunteers, printed on back with dinner menu; five were autographed on front
This cell has been intentionally left empty.

Last updated: Sun Jan 8 10:52:21 2023