The Z Grill: America’s Rarest Stamp and the Mystery of Its Tiny Diamonds
In 1868, the U.S. Post Office tried to stop people from reusing stamps by pressing tiny diamond-shaped ridges into them, a process called “grilling.” The rarest of these, the Z Grill, was applied to a few 1¢ Benjamin Franklin stamps. Only two survive today, one locked in the New York Public Library and another once traded for $3 million. What began as a postal experiment became a legend: proof that even the smallest marks in history can hold the deepest stories.
Treskilling Yellow: The One That Made History
The Treskilling Yellow remains not only a philatelic holy grail but also a symbol of the unpredictable beauty of human error.
From its pallet swap to attic discovery, from record auctions to secret private collections, it has transcended what a stamp usually means.
From Islands to Icons: The Story of the Hawaiian Missionary Stamps
In 1851, the Kingdom of Hawaii issued its very first postage stamps. Today remembered as the Hawaiian Missionaries, they are printed on fragile blue pelure paper. These stamps carried the mail of an island kingdom that, while geographically remote was becoming increasingly connected to the rest of the world.
The Alexandria “Blue Boy”: A Love Letter That Time Refused to Burn
In the world of philately, some stamps are prized for their beauty, others for their rarity, and a precious few for the stories they carry. The Alexandria “Blue Boy” Postmaster’s Provisional is all three: a small, simple piece of blue paper that survived against the odds, carrying with it a tale of love, defiance, and history.
The One-Cent Magenta | The Most Mysterious Stamp in the World
It’s just a scrap of paper — tiny, faded, and roughly cut. But in the world of stamps, it's legendary. Known as the British Guiana 1c Magenta, this tiny postage stamp has traveled continents, crossed centuries, and passed through the hands of kings, murderers, and billionaires. It’s not just rare — it’s one-of-a-kind.
Empowering artists with a digital Stamp Store: Lettre’s Artist Program
As we roll out update 1.3.0 and officially launch the Stamp Store inside the Lettre Post Office, it's the perfect moment to delve into the mechanics of our artist program. This initiative isn't just a platform; it's a dynamic partnership designed to evolve.
How video games inspired Lettre.app’s “stamps” feature
At the heart of these gaming economies lies the core attraction: the value users can extract from participating. Whether it's through selling a rare in-game item, trading cards, or engaging in the virtual real estate market, players have the opportunity to gain both tangible and intangible rewards.