The Fifteen-cent Prexie

James Buchanan, the fifteenth President of the United States, is featured on the fifteen-cent value of the Prexies. The likeness came from a bust by Henry Dexter that is in the National Museum in Washington. Fifteen-cent Prexies were issued in sheet format only. These were first released on October 13, 1938. A total of 1,931,122,400 were issued through 1960.

Fifteen-cent Prexies were often used to pay airmail rates. At various times these included postage to and from Hawaii and to and from the Panama Canal Zone, as well as Newfoundland, some South American countries, and some Central American countries and Caribbean islands. In November of 1946 fifteen cents became the airmail rate to Europe, North Africa, Turkey and the USSR.

For domestic postal use, the fifteen-cent Prexie can be found paying the minimum registry fee, and later, the special delivery fee or the certified mail fee, on otherwise free mail. Fifteen cents was also the minimum charge for first class COD mail, including postage and fee, during part of the Prexie period.

Fifteen cents was the small packet surface rate to UPU countries from late 1940 to late 1953, and was the charge for customs clearance and delivery of incoming small packets from 1930 until 1957. Other domestic solo uses mainly consist of fourth class mailings.

Multiple charges can also result in use of a solo fifteen-cent prexie.

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