1882 Allen's City Dispatch, Black on White Paper

Allen’s City Dispatch Local Stamp

Scott #3L2 is a black, non-denominated local post stamp issued in 1882 by Allen's City Dispatch of Chicago, Illinois, operated out of 125 Clark Street. The stamp's striking design features a bald, bearded winged figure flying through the air, carrying a scythe and a mail valise marked "ACD," with an hourglass floating near his feet. The stamps were printed on white paper with perforations, and unused remainders were sold to collectors after the service was shut down, making examples available to collectors today.

Allen's City Dispatch was founded by Edwin Allen in 1882 to deliver letters and circulars within the city of Chicago. Private local post services like Allen's were common in the 19th century, operating in cities where entrepreneurs saw a chance to offer faster or cheaper delivery than the U.S. government postal service. Allen's operation ran for less than a year before federal postal authorities stepped in. In February 1883, Edwin Allen was arrested for establishing a private mail service in violation of postal laws, and the service was immediately shut down.

Local post stamps like this one are a fascinating corner of American philately. They tell the story of a time when postal delivery was contested ground, with private carriers competing against — and sometimes clashing with — the official postal system. Because Allen's City Dispatch operated for such a short time, genuine examples of its stamps are scarce and historically significant. This black-on-white example is a tangible piece of Chicago postal history from one of the city's most short-lived stamp-issuing enterprises.