# I've got some 5-year-old \*generic\* first class stamps. What's their value?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-some-5-year-old-generic-first-class-stamps-whats-their-value/406457>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 2, 2007, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-some-5-year-old-generic-first-class-stamps-whats-their-value/406457 "2007-06-02T04:17:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-some-5-year-old-generic-first-class-stamps-whats-their-value/406457/1 "2007-06-02T04:17:33Z")

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I’ve got three unused first class US postage stamps. Two of them are five years old (dated 2002); the third has no date, but I suspect it’s probably no older than ten years old. None of them has a value printed on its face. They’re the generic interim stamps that were issued when the postage rates went up, before the new value-marked stamps were ready.

Can someone tell me their purchase value so I know how much additional postage I have to add to use them? Thanks.

1. No date; vertical format rectangle; beige background; solid blue dove in foreground with flapping wings and an olive branch in its beak; along top edge it reads “USA” in red letters; along bottom edge it reads, “The ‘G’ Rate make-up stamp.”

2. Dated 2002; horizontal format rectangle; the stamp shows a photo of a red toy mail wagon on a gray background; the wagon has four large stage coach-style radial wheels and a gold oval nameplate on its side; along the top left edge of the stamp it reads, “First-Class” in black lettering; along the top right edge it reads (sideways), “USA” in black lettering.

3. Dated 2002; vertical format rectangle; the image is an illustration of a close-up of the center of a wafting US flag; the image fills the frame such that the edges of the flag can not bee seen; there are three “pleats” of the waving flag visible; the blue star field is in the left corner; along the bottom edge it reads “USA First-Class” in black lettering.

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**Author:** ![SetApart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@SetApart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SetApart)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-some-5-year-old-generic-first-class-stamps-whats-their-value/406457/2 "2007-06-02T04:36:10Z")

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From [here](http://alphabetilately.com/G2.html):

1. 3 cents
2. 37 cents
3. 37 cents

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-some-5-year-old-generic-first-class-stamps-whats-their-value/406457/3 "2007-06-02T04:36:16Z")

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In order of appearance…

That’s [a three-cent stamp.](http://alphabetilately.com/G.html) (scroll way down).

That’s a [37 cent stamp.](http://www.usps.com/news/2002/philatelic/sr02_047.htm)

That’s [another 37 cent stamp.](http://www.usps.com/news/2002/philatelic/sr02_020.htm)

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**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2007, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-some-5-year-old-generic-first-class-stamps-whats-their-value/406457/4 "2007-06-02T04:44:53Z")

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Thanks all!