It Happens Every Time

Every time that there's a postal rate increase, we inevitably see the very old, very unusual stamps come crawling out of the woodwork. Today, I saw a letter that took the prize. I jotted down quick descriptions of the 13 different stamps that were on the letter and covered about half of the front side:

• 1/2 cent George Washington (brown)
• 3 cent Farragut (USS Hartford) and Porter (USS Powhatan)
• 3 cent US Army Postage - Arc de Triomphe victory celebration from World War II (olive drab)
  
• 6 cent US Airmail (red with eagle)
• 3 cent 1939 300th Anniversary of Printing in Colonial America (light purple)
  
• 4 cent Abraham Lincoln (purple)
• 10 cent US Airmail (red)
• 4 cent Winslow Homer (painting of two fishermen in boat)
• 2 cent 1929 George Rogers Clark - Battle of Vincennes commemorative
• 1 cent John Paul Jones (Bonhomme Richard) and Barry (some other ship; didn't write it down)
• 3 cent Golden Gate Exposition (purple)
  
• 1-1/2 cent Mount Vernon (brown)
• 2 cent Red Cross 50th Anniversary 1881-1931

I figure that someone inherited Grandpa's stamp collection, but it seems just short of criminal stupidity for him to be using historical stamps like that for postage at face value. I hope the recipient at least has the presence of mind to save them.