Book excerpt: The 43rd Edition of The Postal Service Guide to U.S. Stamps presents 171 years of U.S. stamps, from the Postmasters' Provisionals of 1845, through the final issuance of 2016. Beautiful high-resolution imagery and updated values accompany stamps and postal stationary from across the Postal archive. Special "back-of-the-book" sections include the 19th century Newspaper and Periodical stamps, Airmail, Special Delivery, Official Mail, and Federal Duck Stamps. The Guide opens with an introduction to the hobby and tips on stamp collecting, and mini stamp stories are sprinkled throughout the book. Each era of the U.S. stamp program is introduced with a story about the International Philatelic Exhibitions hosted in the United States over the past 110 years.