ðə stˈæmps wɛnt ˌɔn sˈeɪl ɑːktˈoʊbɚ wˈʌn, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti wˈʌn, ɪn θɹˈiː dᵻnˌɑːmᵻnˈeɪʃənz kˈʌvɚɹɪŋ θɹˈiː ɹˈeɪts: ðə tˈuːsˈɛnt stˈæmp wʌz fɔːɹ nˈuːzpeɪpɚz ɡˌoʊɪŋ tə ðə jˌuːˈɛs, ðə fˈaɪvsˈɛnt vˈæljuː wʌz fɔːɹ ɹˈɛɡjʊlɚ mˈeɪl tə ðə jˌuːˈɛs, ænd ðə θˈɜːtiːnsˈɛnt vˈæljuː wʌz fɔːɹ mˈeɪl tə ðə jˌuːˈɛs ˈiːst kˈoʊst, kəmbˈaɪnɪŋ ðə fˈaɪv sˈɛnts ʌv həwˈaɪən pˈoʊstɪdʒ, ɐ tˈuːsˈɛnt ʃˈɪp fˈiː, ænd sˈɪks sˈɛnts tə kˈʌvɚ ðə tɹænskˌɑːntɪnˈɛntəl jˌuːˈɛs ɹˈeɪt.
The stamps went on sale October 1, 1851, in three denominations covering three rates: the 2-cent stamp was for newspapers going to the US, the 5-cent value was for regular mail to the US, and the 13-cent value was for mail to the US East Coast, combining the 5 cents of Hawaiian postage, a 2-cent ship fee, and 6 cents to cover the transcontinental US rate.