Alexandria 'Blue Boy' Provisional

Overview

Before the United States federal government authorized uniform national postage stamps in 1847, local postmasters across the country printed their own provisional stamps to simplify mail collection. In Alexandria, Virginia, Postmaster Daniel Bryan issued a simple round stamp reading 'ALEXANDRIA POST OFFICE * PAID 5 *'. Most were printed on buff or pale green paper, of which six copies are known. However, exactly one copy was printed on striking blue paper. The legend of the 'Blue Boy' is tied to a forbidden romance. In 1847, a young Presbyterian minister name James Wallace Hooff secretly mailed a love letter to his forbidden cousin, Jannett Brown, using the only known 'Blue Boy' stamp. Because they were closely related, their families vehemently opposed the relationship. He instructed her to burn the letter after reading it to destroy the evidence. She burned the letter, but could not bring herself to destroy the envelope with the beautiful blue stamp. She hid it in her sewing box, where it was discovered by her daughter decades later. Today, it remains unique and is considered one of the most romantic and valuable items in American philately.

Design & Technical Details

A crude, circular, typeset design slightly larger than a coin. It features a ring of asterisks framing the words 'ALEXANDRIA POST OFFICE.' with 'PAID 5' in the center.

Historical Facts

• Issued by the Alexandria, Virginia postmaster before standard US stamps existed.
• The 'Blue Boy' is the only copy printed on blue paper instead of buff/green.
• The envelope is addressed to Jannett Brown and contained a forbidden love letter.
• It achieved over $1 million at auction in 2019.
• Its story was famously featured in Life Magazine in the 1950s.

How to Identify This Stamp

If you believe you may have found a Alexandria 'Blue Boy' Provisional, here are key identification characteristics to check:

• Because only one genuine copy exists (which is heavily documented), any loose 'Blue Boy' encountered in the wild is guaranteed to be a reproduction.
• Genuine provisionals were cut into crude circles using scissors.

Frequently Asked Questions