from
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
POSTAGE STAMPS. The act of congress, approved March 3, 1847, section 11, and
the act of congress of March 3, 1841, sections 3, 4, provide that, to
facilitate the transportation of letters in the mail, the postmaster general
be authorized to prepare postage, stamps, which, when attached to any letter
or packet, shall be evidence of the payment of the postage, chargeable on
such letter. The same sections declare that any person who shall falsely or
fraudulently make, utter, or, forge any postage stamp, with the intent to
defraud the post office department, shall be deemed guilty of felony, and be
punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or by imprisonment
not exceeding five years, or by both such fine and imprisonment. And if any
person shall use or attempt to use, in pre-payment of postage, any postage
stamp which shall have been used before for like purposes, such person shall
be subject, to a penalty of fifty dollars for every such offence, to be
recovered in the name of the United States in any court of competent
jurisdiction.