1879 1c Douglas' City Dispatch, Slate Blue on White Paper, Imperf.

Own 1879 1¢ Douglas’ City Dispatch Local Stamp – 
Missing from Most Collections

Local stamps are a neat corner of philatelic history.  They’re stamps that were issued by local posts (for city delivery), independent mail routes and services, express companies, and other private posts that competed with or supplemented official government services.

This stamp was printed in slate blue and is a Type II design. It was issued with 11, 12, and compound-gauge perforations. After the service closed, the printer sold the remaining stock to collectors without perforations.

The story behind Douglas’ City Dispatch:
The Douglas’ City Dispatch was established in 1879 by George H. Douglas. His service was in New York City. It seems the post didn’t last long, and only two stamp designs were used. They were printed in shades of red and blue.
The first, known as Type I, featured the service’s name in circular text over a lathework background. The word dispatch was spelled “Despatch.”
The Type II stamps show the company’s name in lines inside an oval with a shield-shaped border surrounding it. The spelling error was corrected. The second design included the dispatch’s address: 251 Broadway. The Type I stamps were printed in sheets of 25, while the Type II stamps were printed in sheets of 50.

This Douglas’ City Dispatch stamp is a window into a pivotal time in American history.  It reminds us of the ingenuity and determination of an individual who found a way to improve communication and commerce in a rapidly growing nation. Order your stamp today.