1885-95 Special Delivery, Messenger Running, Set of 5 Stamps

140 years ago, a new service let Americans send important messages faster than ever before. Special Delivery promised “immediate delivery” from the post office to the addressee, rather than waiting for the next regular delivery time.

Now you can own the first five stamps issued for this service – US #E1-5 – and save on each stamp or off Mystic’s U.S. Stamp Catalog price for all five.  As you might expect with century-old classics, these stamps have one or two small imperfections. The tiny flaws don’t detract from the stamps’ desirability, but they do save you money. Let me tell you aboutthese revolutionary issues...

These stamps were the perfect advertisement for Special Delivery and undoubtedly contributed to its great success. There’s no mistaking the purpose of the young man on these stamps. He’s running with an important letter in his hand – making a speedy delivery! Today collectors from all over the world immediately recognize the 10¢ stamps as “speedies.” They’re finely engraved classics.

Introduced in 1885, the first Special Delivery stamp (US #E1) was used only by post offices serving populations of 4,000 or more. So just 555 post offices nationwide provided the service when it was first established. Once a letter bearing a “speedy” reached a post office, it received immediate attention. Most were delivered within 20 minutes of their arrival.

The service was popular and expanded all across America in 1888. Instead of being offered in select post offices, Special Delivery became available throughout America. This new level of communication captured the imagination of the American public. References to Special Delivery became common in American literature, music and movies. Perhaps the most famous example is Elvis Presley’s song “Return to Sender,” in which he sends his girlfriend a letter by “Special D.”

In 1997, after 112 years, Special Delivery was discontinued. The end of the service had little effect on postal customers, as it had slowly been replaced by its descendants – Priority Mail and Express Mail.

How to Tell These Stamps Apart

• #E1 (blue) – The first Special Delivery stamp. Engraved by the American Bank Note Company and printed on unwatermarked paper. Earliest-known use was September 29, 1885. Central inscription reads “SECURES IMMEDIATE DELIVERY AT A SPECIAL DELIVERY OFFICE.”
• #E2 (blue) – Issued September 6, 1888. Identical to US #E1 but with a change to the central inscription. It now reads “SECURES IMMEDIATE DELIVERY AT ANY POST OFFICE.” This inscription continued to be included on Special Delivery stamps for the rest of the 19th century.
• #E3 (orange) – Issued January 24, 1893. Produced alongside the famous Columbian stamps, though technically not part of the series. Because the then-current blue Special Delivery stamp (#E2) was easily confused with the 1¢ Columbian, #E3 was printed in orange. All other design elements are the same as the previous two Special Delivery stamps.
• #E4 (blue) – Issued October 10, 1894. Produced by the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing on unwatermarked paper. It differs from earlier designs in that the engraving is heavier and the background lines are stronger. There is also a line under the inscription “TEN CENTS.”
• #E5 (blue) – Issued August 16, 1895. The US Bureau of Engraving and Printing used double-lined USPS watermarked paper, a change from all previously issued Special Delivery stamps.

Surprisingly, over the service’s long history, only 23 major Special Delivery varieties were produced.  So unlike some stamp series, getting a complete collection of speedies can be easy and affordable. You can get started today by getting #E1-5 at a significant savings!