Pony Express: Back at the Ranch covers

Though it operated for only 19 months, the Pony Express mail service has captivated the minds of children and adults since it began in 1859. Galloping horses from the Atlantic to the Pacific allowed a letter to be transmitted in ten days, making it the fastest means of east-west communication before the introduction of the telegraph.

A handful of postmarks from the Pony Express survive on cover. The postmarks are reproduced on these covers by Joshua McGee of @McGeekiest Cachets, along with the Pony Express Messenger Badge that identified the couriers. They bear a Pony Express Centennial stamp (Scott #1154) and an Arizona Centennial of Statehood stamp (Scott #4374), and are postmarked with "Back at the Ranch — Pony Express — Pass It On" pictorial postmark from Gilbert, Arizona, 85234 dated November 4, 2016.