In 1908, Congress authorized post offices aboard ships and stations of the U.S. Navy. These post offices offer the same service as do post offices in cities and towns, and have identifiable postmarks. Around 1930, collectors began sending their own covers to U.S. Navy ships to be cancelled and returned.

If you’re a fan of naval covers, and have thought about creating your own collectibles, the Universal Ship Cancellation Society (USCS) can help. You can contact them for more information on how and where to send for ship cancellations, reference materials for learning about collecting, and a well-written monthly magazine called the USCS Log. The log includes articles about the current and historic fleet, as well as other information of interest.