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Alcatraz and cable car, San Francisco
Unused Hill card 5P29836 probably from 1960s and in as-new condition. It’s Hyde Street. Grade: 1
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Al Capone’s cell, Alcatraz (San Francisco)
Two Mike Roberts cards from the 1980s are available, serrated edges, and aging along with the cell. One is unused (Grade: 3, $3) and the other was mailed in 1985 with three different stamps and Seattle postmark (Grade: 2, $4). Yes, we can say, having visited there: the cell is bleak
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Alcatraz, San Francisco
Very old, real photo card from Pillsbury Picture Co. No. 966, of Alcatraz Island while it was very much in operation. Unused, unmarked. Grade: 1
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Alcatraz, aerial view (San Francisco)
Selithco card 1619, unused but with travel agent’s rubber stamp on reverse. If you have an eagle eye, you can spot small differences in Alcatraz photos over time. Grade: 4
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Old Jail, Nantucket (Massachusetts)
Old, battered, unmailed American Art Post Card Co. card 628, folded in half and with a travel agent’s rubber stamp on the reverse. Not so nice but if you’ve been looking for a card of Nantucket’s old jail, here it is. Grade: 5
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Sing Sing Prison (Ossining, New York)
This unmailed card has a small purple diamond-shaped marking inside the postage area. The card itself was published by J. Ruben, Photographer, of Newburgh NY and bears index number 104860. It may just have been bad luck but we couldn’t find anything about this specific card in Google. Only because of the rubber stamp, Grade: 4
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Bilibid Prison (Manila)
Apart from normal aging, this unused Cardinell-Vincent card is undamaged. Manufactured for Roberts, Inc. Grade: 2
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Fannie Bay Gaol (Darwin, Australia)
Card was never mailed, and is beginning to age a bit on reverse, but otherwise in excellent condition. Dates from about 1996. Grade: 2
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Montgomery County Courts Building, Dayton (Ohio)
It’s all here: the county’s judicial center, sheriff’s office, and jail. Unused Dexter Press card 90048-C. Grade: 1
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Jail, Barrie (Ontario)
Unused card with a thumbtack hole that goes through the tree leaves so you don’t see it. Grade: 4
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Tower of London
Mailed in 1972 with one stamp, a blue Air Mail sticker affixed, and faint postmark. Grade: 2
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Ross Female Factory, Tasmania (Australia)
The card depicts a UNESCO World Heritage-nominated site that served as a prison for female convicts in the 1840s. That’s the good news. The other news is that the card has two rows of orange postal barcoding on the front, and the back is a mess of stickers, labels, and even one of the stamps is pasted right over the other one. Generously we will call this Grade: 4.
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Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine (Florida, USA)
Unused Curteich-Chicago linen card 5A-H730 (and S.A. 94) of this former prison. Grade: 1
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Marquette Branch Prison Sunken Gardens, Marquette (Michigan)
Unused L.L. Cook card 1529V (112447) of these gardens in front of the prison. Grade: 2
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Historic Jail and Museum, Independence (Missouri)
Unused Tetricolor card 69658, not to be confused with our entry #34700017 which has a completely different photo but identical caption. Grade: 2
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Historic Jail and Museum, Independence (Missouri)
Unused Tetricolor card 69659, not to be confused with our entry #34700016 which has a completely different photo but identical caption. Grade: 2
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Texas State Prison, rodeo (Huntsville)
Quirky unused View-Gram card 57001. Just fading a bit. Grade: 2
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The Public Gaol, Williamsburg (Virginia)
Unused “local” card 2733. Grade: 2
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Dachau, concentration camp (Germany)
It hurts to enter cards like these, and we are not always certain how to handle them. This B&W entry was mailed from Finland (big stamp; no postmark) with Priority label. Grade: 3
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Inside the Walls, State Prison (Lansing, Kansas)
In 1910, Anna mailed this card to Cousin Oscar with a nice tongue-in-cheek message–at least we hope it was. Stamp and full postmark are there. Edge abrasions. Grade: 2
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New Jersey State Reformatory
Mailed in 2011 with 98-cent stamp and Albany (NY) postmark. Red air mail marking on reverse, along with address label affixed. Grade: 3
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St. George River and Bridge showing Prison, Thomaston (Maine, USA)
Unused Hugh C. Leighton Co. postcard 4356. Grade: 2
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Turku, Kakolan Vankila (Finland)
Two of these are available, both mailed. There are six stamps of small denominations on one, but none of them are postmarked. There’s also a green “Economy” label affixed (Grade: 4, $3). The other was mailed with one stamp and postmarked in 2012 (Grade: 1, $3).
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Hameenlinna, the old county prison/museum (Finland)
Mailed in 2012, this card has three different Åland Islands stamps and two full postmarks, with 1 Klass Priority blue label. There is some postal battering and abrasion, which in this case just gives the card more character. Grade: 3
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Working Dogs in Government Services (Hong Kong) (set)
Issued by Hongkong Post in 2012, this is a set of six different cards, each showing a different breed of dog, including that used in the prison system. The cards in this set have no postage on either side: they are just postcards. Eight sets are available. Grades: 1
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Working Dogs in Government Services (Maximum Cards) (set)
Issued by Hongkong Post in 2012, this is a set of six different cards, each showing a different breed of dog with corresponding Maximum Card stamp. Of the six sets we have available now, two have special “Working Dogs in Government Services” postmarks; two have special “Philatelic Bureau” postmarks; and two have “GPO” postmarks. Prices are the same regardless. Each set in original Hongkong Post cellowrap. One of the dogs in the set is the German Shepherd, used by the Correctional Services Department. Grades: 1
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Prison in Trubetskoi Bastion, Peter and Paul Fortress (Russia)
Captioned in eight languages, this card was mailed in 2012 with a very large stamp and full St. Petersburg postmark. Grade: 2
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Kingston (Ontario) Penitentiary (Canada)
Unused card of a facility that will become (or has already) a museum. Grade: 1
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Alcatraz, San Francisco
Mailed in 2012 with $1.05 stamp, illegible postmark, and address label affixed. Grade: 3
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Alcatraz Cell Block B (Broadway), California
Mailed in 2012, the card has a $1.05 stamp, heavy postmark, and bar coding. Grade: 2
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Andoman and Nicobar Islands, Cellular Jail (India)
Unusual card, not often seen. Mailed from India in 2012, with two stamps and mostly readable postmark–consder that to be a bonus! Some creasing along upper edge. Grade: 2
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San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz Island
If you’re looking for the iconic Alcatraz postcard, you’ve found it. Mailed in 1911 with stamp and postmark, and some ink transfer on the front (clearly visible in the scan). Grade: 3
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Castle of Turku (Finland)
Maybe not vintage, but older card mailed from Tampere in 2013 with “Moomin” stamp and postmark. The caption informs that The Castle was a prison from the 18th century. Grade: 2
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Kakola Prison, Turku (Finland)
Mailed in 2013 with stamp, special large postmark, and Priority label. This is quite a grim postcard when you see it in real life. Grade: 1
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Alcatraz (San Francisco)
Mailed in 2013 with two stamps and fuzzy postmark. Address label affixed. Grade: 3
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Southampton, Old Gaol
Unused, very old postcard. Grade: 2
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Prison/Museum (Russia)
Nice “domestic” postcard, and as you’ll note, we have not gone on to translate the extensive captioning to know exactly where this is. The card does say, but it’s all in Russian. Mailed in 2013 with Sochi Olympics stamp and postmark. Grade: 2
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Yuma, Territorial Prison (Arizona, USA)
Unused card with a quirky caption. The prison was in that use from 1876-1909. Grade: 1
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Hameenlinna, Prison Museum (Finland)
Vankilamuseo, the Prison Museum, on this card mailed in 2013 with stamp, postmark, and blue Priority label. Grade: 1
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Kamyanets-Podilsky Prison (Ukraine)
Captioned in Ukrainian and English; mailed in 2013 with “E” stamp and full Kyiv postmark. Grade: 1