The Jim Petersen Postal Cover Collection.

My good buddy, fellow Iowa historian, and postal cover collector – Jim Petersen is president of the Iowa Postal History Society (IPHS). He grew up in the Waterloo & Cedar Falls area, is a 1976 graduate from the UI School of Pharmacy, and is a retired pharmacist – now living in Santa Fe, NM. Jim has a large collection of postal covers from across Iowa, and he has graciously agreed to share a few that have historical significance to Iowa City and Johnson County. Below – you will find those covers that we have included on our pages of Our Iowa Heritage. Thanks Jim!

(JP-001) 1853 stamp-less cover – Iowa City to Lancaster (Keokuk County), IA – Read more here.
(JP-002) U.S. #26  Series of 1857-61 3¢ Washington Type III  Earliest Known Use: September 14, 1857 – postmarked May 1, 1861 – Read more here.
(JP-003) U.S. #26  Series of 1857-61 3¢ Washington Type III  Earliest Known Use: September 14, 1857 – Postmarked May 13, 1861 – Read more here.
(JP-004) U.S. #26  Series of 1857-61 3¢ Washington Type III  Earliest Known Use: September 14, 1857 – Postmarked July 27, 1861 – Read more here.
(JP-005) U.S. #63  Series of 1861-62 1¢ Franklin  Earliest Known Use: August 17, 1861 – Postmarked Feb 15 1860? – yet the stamp wasn’t released until 1861? – Read more here.
(JP-006) U.S. #68 Series of 1861-62 10¢ Washington – Earliest Known Use: August 20, 1861 – Postmarked August 28, 1861. Read more here.

(JP-007) U.S. #213  – Series of 1887  2¢ Washington  First Day of Issue: September 10, 1887 Postmarked –  April 8, 1889 in Iowa City. (JP-008) U.S. #212  Series of 1887  1¢ Franklin.  Issued: June, 1887  Postmarked May 24, 1890 in Iowa City. Read more here.

(JP-008) U.S. #65  Series of 1861-62 3¢ Washington – Earliest Known Use: August 18, 1861 – Postmarked November 2, between 1868-1870 – when President Black was in office – in Iowa City, Iowa. Read more here.
(JP-009) U.S. #26  Series of 1857-61 3¢ Washington Type III  Earliest Known Use: September 14, 1857 – Postmarked November 5, 1860’s – Read more here.
(JP-010) U.S. #65  Series of 1861-62 3¢ Washington – Earliest Known Use: May 20, 1861 – Postmarked January 21, 1865 in Iowa City, Iowa. Read more here.

(JP-011a-d) U.S. #26  Series of 1857-61 3¢ Washington Type III  Earliest Known Use: September 14, 1857 – Postmarked June/July 1861 in Iowa City & Johnson County, Iowa – Read more here.

(JP-012a-c) U.S. #65  Series of 1861-62 3¢ Washington – Earliest Known Use: August 18, 1861 – Postmarked May/Sept 1861 in Iowa City, Iowa. Read more here.

(JP-012d-i) More Civil War covers postmarked between 1862 – 1865 in Iowa City, Iowa. Read more here.

(JP-012j-k) Two additional Civil War covers postmarked 1863/1865 in Sioux City, Iowa & Nashville, Tennessee. Read more here.

(JP-013a-013b) Two rare CDV cards – circa 1865 – that come from the studios of Iowa City photographers Isaac Wetherby and John (J.T.) Calkin, and include U.S. Revenue stamps – U.S. #R5 and U.S. #R15 – issued during the 1860’s to help raise funds for the Civil War. Read more here.

(JP-014) 1884 Postal Cover  U.S. #U231  Embossed Envelope 2¢ Washington  Postmarked July 30, 1884 in Iowa City. Read more here.

(JP-015) 1900 Postal Cover & Letter U.S. #267  1895 2¢ Washington Type III  Earliest Known Use: May, 1895. Postmarked November 12, 1900 in Iowa City. Read more here.

(JP-016) 1843 stamp-less cover & letter – Iowa City to Salisbury (Merrimack County), NH – Read more here.
(JP-017) 1923 Postal Cover  U.S. #U429  Embossed Envelope 2¢ Washington  Postmarked August 2, 1923 in Iowa City. Read more here.
(JP-018) 1846 stamp-less cover & letter – Iowa City to Parkhurst – Scott County – Iowa – April 13, 1846 – Read more here.
(JP-019) 1849 stamp-less cover & letter – Iowa City to Dubuque, Iowa – September 19, 1849 – Read more here.

(JP-020) U.S. #26  Series of 1857-61 3¢ Washington Type III  Earliest Known Use: September 14, 1857 – Postmarked on the Dubuque & Pacific Railroad in July/August between 1858 -1861 – mailed in Waterloo – headed for Dubuque & Fort Madison – Read more here.

(JP-021) U.S. #319  1903 2¢ George Washington  Issue Date: November 12, 1903  Postmarked November 8, 1907. Read more here.

(JP-022) 1887 Postal Cover  U.S. #206  1¢ Franklin.  Issued: November 2, 1881  Postmarked March 31, 1887 in Iowa City. Read more here.

(JP-023) U.S. #210  1883 2¢ Washington   Earliest Known Use: October 1, 1883 – Postmarked April 2, 1884 in Iowa City. Read more here.

(JP-024) U.S. #210  1883 2¢ Washington   Earliest Known Use: October 1, 1883 – Postmarked December 28, 1885 in Iowa City. Read more here.

(JP-025) U.S. #U73 1880’s 4¢ Jackson – Embossed & U.S. #235 – 6¢ Columbian Expedition 1893 – Postmarked October 6, 1897 in Iowa City. Read more here.

(JP-026) U.S. #71 Series of 1861-62 30c Franklin – Earliest known use – August 20, 1861 – Postmarked June 7, 1862 in Iowa City. Read more here.

(JP-027) U.S. #300 1903 1¢ Franklin – Postmarked September 28, 1908. Read more here.

(JP-028) U.S. #300 1903 1¢ Franklin – Postmarked May 26, 1908. Read more here.

(JP-029) U.S. #26  Series of 1857-61 3¢ Washington Type III  Earliest Known Use: September 14, 1857 – Both letters are postmarked in Iowa City – Circa 1857 – Read more here.

(JP-030a & JP-030b) U.S. #26  Series of 1857-61 3¢ Washington Type III  Earliest Known Use: September 14, 1857 – Both letters are postmarked in Iowa City – Circa 1857 – Read more here.

(JP-031) 1855 stamp-less cover & circular letter – Iowa City to Hastings (Barry County), Michigan – Read more here.

(JP-032a & b) 1842 stamp-less covers & letters – Postmarked in Iowa City on January 2, 1842 to Beverly, Mass – Read more here.

(JP-033) U.S. #406 2¢ Washington – Postmarked in Iowa City, Iowa – June 9, 1915 – Read more here.
(JP-034) U.S. #11A Series of 1851-57 3¢ Washington Type II Earliest Known Use: October 6, 1851 Postmarked in Iowa City on July 20, 1853 – Read more here.

(JP-035) 1843 stamp-less cover – Iowa City to Waynesburg (Greene County), PA – Read more here.

(JP-036a & JP-036b) 1898 Postal Cover – U.S. #267  1895 2¢ Washington Type III and 1899 Postal Cover – U.S. #286  1898 2¢ Trans-Mississippi Exposition: Farming in the West – both postmarked in Kalona, Iowa Read more here.

(JP-037a) 1845 stamp-less cover – Iowa City to Defiance (Defiance County), Ohio – Read more here.

(JP-037b) 1846 stamp-less cover – Iowa City to Defiance, Ohio – Read more here.

(JP-038)1900 Postal Cover & Letter – U.S. #267  1895 2¢ Washington Type III Earliest Known Use: May, 1895. Postmarked October 5, 1900 in Iowa City. – Read more here.

(JP-039) Two Civil War-era Letters – March 21 & April 5, 1865 from Captain A.B. Cree – stationed in Morehead City, NC to his wife in Iowa City. – Read more here.

(JP-040) 1850 stamp-less cover – Iowa City to Hartford, Connecticut – Read more here.

(JP-041) 1847 stamp-less cover – Iowa City to New York City – Read more here.

(JP-042) 1885 Postal Cover  U.S. #U279  Embossed Envelope 2¢ Washington  Postmarked August 28, 1885 in Iowa City – Read more here.
(JP-043) U.S. #26  Series of 1857-61 3¢ Washington Type III  – Postmarked September 19, 1857 in Iowa City – Read more here.
(JP-044) U.S. #210  1883 2¢ Washington   Earliest Known Use: October 1, 1883 – Postmarked October 3, 1884 in Iowa City. Read more here.

(JP-045) 1883 Postal Cover w/ U.S. #U84 3¢ Washington Embossed & U.S. #206  1¢ Franklin.  Postmarked January 20, 1883 in Amish, Iowa. Read more here.

(JP-045a) This rare postal cover comes from Jim Petersen’s friend – Bill Dall in Dubuque – 1881 Postal Cover w/ U.S. #U163 3¢ Washington Embossed & U.S. #187  10¢ Jefferson.  Postmarked April 23, 1881 in Amish, Iowa. Read more here.
(JP-046) 1842 stamp-less cover & letter – Iowa City to Berlin – Scott County – Iowa – January 30, 1842 – Read more here.
(JP-047) 1848 stamp-less cover & letter – Iowa City to Defiance, Ohio – Postmarked January 1, 1849 – Read more here.
(JP-048) 1850 stamp-less cover & letter – Iowa City to Burlington, Iowa – Postmarked October 2, 1850 – Read more here.

(JP-049 a/b) U.S. #65  Series of 1861-62 3¢ Washington – Earliest Known Use: August 18, 1861 – Postmarked (dates uncertain) in Amish, Iowa Johnson County. Read more here.

(JP-050) U.S. #65  Series of 1861-62 3¢ Washington – Earliest Known Use: August 18, 1861 – Postmarked on May 4, 1864 in Iowa City. Read more here.
(JP-051) 1842 stamp-less cover & letter – Iowa City to Lockport, Illinois – Postmarked February 16, 1842 – Read more here.
(JP-052) 1847 stamp-less cover & letter – Andrew, Iowa to Iowa City – Postmarked July 20, 1847 – Read more here.

(JP-053) 1840 stamp-less cover & letter – mailed from along the existing Bloomington/Napoleon Trail to Iowa City with no postmark but marked ‘Free’ – Read more here.

(JP-054) 1841 stamp-less cover & letter – Bloomington to Dubuque – Postmarked February 19, 1841 – Read more here.

(JP-055) 1849 stamp-less cover & letter – Red Rock, Marion County, Iowa to Iowa City – “Free” government-related – mailed December 29, 1849 – Read more here.

(JP-056) 1839 stamp-less cover & letter – West Point, Lee County, Iowa to Burlington, Iowa – “Free” government-related with no postage markings – probably hand-delivered to the Governor in September 1839 – Read more here.

(JP-057) 1840 stamp-less cover & letter – Montrose, Lee County, Iowa to Burlington, Iowa – Marked February 12, 1840 – Read more here.

(JP-058) 1851 stamp-less cover & letter – postmarked on July 29, 1851 in Garnavello in Clayton County, Iowa to Honorable G. Folsom, Iowa City, Iowa. Read more here.
(JP-059) 1839 stamp-less cover & letter – Lafayette, Indiana to Burlington, Iowa – Postmarked January 12, 1839 – Read more here.

(JP-060) 1833 stamp-less cover & letter – Piketon, Ohio to Columbus, Ohio – Postmarked in Portsmouth, Ohio on August 23, 1833 – Read more here.

(JP-061) #300  1¢ Washington Postmarked May 6, 1905 in Iowa City, IA. – Read more here.

(JP-062) #406  2¢ Washington Postmarked December 9, 1915 in Iowa City, IA. – Read more here.

(JP-063) 1852 stamp-less cover & letter – Iowa City to South Berrick – York County, Maine – Postmarked on March 16, 1852 – Read more here.

(JP-064) 1875 – UX1 Postcard – Iowa City to Des Moines, Iowa – Postmarked November 13, 1875 Read more here.

(JP-065) 1845 stamp-less cover & letter – Bloomington, Iowa to Iowa City – Postmarked on December 8, 1845 – Read more here.
(JP-066) 1849 stamp-less cover & letter – Birmingham – Van Buren County, Iowa to Iowa City – written on February 7, 1849 – Read more here.
(JP-067) 1841 stamp-less cover & letter – Dubuque to Burlington – postmarked January 23, 1841 – Read more here.
(JP-068) 1844 stamp-less cover & letter – Fort Madison to Iowa City – postmarked January 20, 1844 – Read more here.
(JP-069) 1846 stamp-less cover & letter – Bloomfield (Davis County) to Iowa City – postmarked January 4, 1846 – Read more here.
(JP-070a) 1854 stamp-less cover & letter – Washington D.C. to Iowa City – Free U.S. Mail – written December 30, 1854, hand-delivered January 1855. (JP-070b) 1858 stamp-less cover & letter – Dubuque to Iowa City – Free U.S. Mail – postmarked July 21, 1858 – Read more here.