MUSEUM EXHIBIT. The United States issued its very first postage stamps in 1847, and the National Postal Museum (NPM) has created an exhibit that offers a fascinating history of the stamps, the postal system and the country that existed at that time. The NPM is part of the Smithsonian Institution, and is located next to Union Station in downtown Washington, DC.

The exhibit shows some extremely rare pieces for the first time, including two full proof panes of 100 stamps for each denomination, discovered only in the past few years in an engraving company's files. The 1847 stamps include a 5-cent value depicting Benjamin Franklin — the first U.S. Postmaster General — and George Washington, 10 cents, the first President. At that time, mailers were not required to prepay postage, but the practice was gaining acceptance. Only about 2% of letters in 1847 bore postage. And four out of five Americans still lived in the country, but cities and territories were growing and expanding.

The exhibit shows a variety of envelopes and folded letters bearing the stamps and more than a dozen colors of cancellation ink in use at the time. There are small "ladies envelopes" and fancy Valentines of the era. The display offers an interesting snapshot of American life about 150 years ago, and the museum is open from 10-5 every day. Admission is free.

SAVING MILLIONS. USPS has extended the warranty coverage for its computer servers provided by Compaq. Originally set to expire Dec. 1, the coverage has been extended through Sept. 6, 2003, while USPS completes its transition to the Advanced Computing Environment (ACE). USPS will save about $2.4 million in warranty costs during ACE deployment. Desktops and laptops are being replaced with new equipment with three-year warranties, so no additional warranty coverage will be necessary.

"Information Technology remains focused on providing our customers with the best service possible," says IT VP Robert Otto.

HOLIDAY ADVICE. 'Tis the season ... for preparing holiday packages. USPS reminds customers that it is not uncommon to reuse packaging for holiday parcels. It's a good idea to obliterate all markings that might indicate the former contents of the package, since they could be misleading. Additionally, customers should put the mailing address inside the package, as well as on the box and on any wrapping that covers the box. Local post offices can provide more advice on holiday shipping rules and regulations, along with packaging supplies.