Old US Postal Rates

How can I find out what the U.S. postal rates were in 1932? I can find basic first class and airmail rates in my Scott's, but what about other rates like third class, registered and certified. Is there a place on the web that can be found a complete listing of rates?

Ok, maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree. How can I find out what rate, specifically, certain stamp values in a particular set were issued to satisfy.
I like the Washington Bicentennial set of 1932 and would like to find each value on a cover, satisfying a particular rate or fee. Is it possible?

I've also been buying covers that have multiple combinations of stamps on them from that set, as long as it pays an actual rate or fee.

What would the 1/2c stamp have been issued for? What rate or fee would it have paid, as a single stamp?

Don't get me wrong, the links you posted are useful. It's just that I'm new at trying to decipher covers and the rates, especially on that set since there are ALOT of "contrived" covers with fancy cachets that don't seem to pay any rate at all.

Thanks, STALLZER ... now if there was a rite that broke down the Registered Rates & Insured Rates with effective dates I would be happier than a "pig-in-#@#) (a pigpen)

Heck, I'd be happy to have them for the brief period between 1940 and 1965!

Thanks again!

Hal

Anything with mixed and unnecessary franking would be considered Philatelic by nature. Have a look here and you can see why there is no one set rate / purpose for each individual Stamp.

http://www.jamesmccusker.com/edu/article.cfm?id=39

Get this book:
U.S. Domestic Postal Rates, 1872-1999, by Beecher and Wawrukiewicz

I have the 2nd edition, but believe that there is now a 3rd edition
You can probably borrow it from the APRL.
Jim Lee (http://jameslee.com/book21.htm) or Leonard Hartmann (http://www.pbbooks.com/rates.htm) would probably be happy to sell you a copy.
C.

chipg - As soon as I saw the reference to those books in the link stallzer provided, I was off searching. Found several available here and there, including the 2 sites you provided. Will also have to have the "International Postal Rates" book as well. They aren't that expensive, and I'll probably get both, but I'll have to start setting aside some stamp funds.

Now is the time I wish I was still an APS member.

Stallzer - I love the Wash. Bi. issues, even though they seem to have been produced as so much fluff for collectors. Not really interested in FDC's, so that eliminates quite a few I have to look at.

Thanks CHIPG for the heads-up on the book

You can check to see if there is a philatelic library close to you. I frequently travel to Denver which has the Rocky Mountain Philatelic Library. For a minimum of $25 per year you can check out their books (of course you can also pay shipping instead of going there). These libraries are a great resource and loining really helps them to expand their offerings.

"I love the Wash. Bi. issues, even though they seem to have been produced as so much fluff for collectors".

The real reason was to honor Washington's 200th birthday. And they were all valid for postage. The registry fee was 10 cents, so there were any number of combinations that would make up the correct rate. Also a return receipt requested was 3 cents; I have a cover using a 3 cent Bi-Ci for that purpose. Covers to Europe were 5 cents, etc. There are all kinds of mixed uses, but not all kinds of solo uses.

"What would the 1/2c stamp have been issued for?"
The most obvious use would be to add to a one cent stamp to make up the third class rate, which was why the 1 1/2 cent had been issued.

Not sure if anyone has seen this site yet, I stumbled across it accidentally. A complete digitized collection of Postal Bulletins from 1880-1971! It looks like you might be able to find all the information found in the Beecher books here. I'll be spending some time tomorrow going through it.

http://www.uspostalbulletins.com/