1885-1925 Special Delivery Stamps 13v

1885-1925 Special Delivery Stamps
Set of 13

Here's what you get:

E1 1885 Perf 12 10c blue
E2 1888 Special Delivery 10c blue
E3 1893 10c Columbian Exposition
E4 1894 10c Messenger w/line under 10c
E5 1895 10c Messenger Running
E7 1908 DL Watermark 10c green
E8 1911 SL Watermark Perf 12 10c
E9 1914 SL Watermark Perf 10 10c
E10 1916 Perf 10 Unwatermarked 10c pale ult
E11 1917 Unwatermarked Perf 11 10c
E12 1922 Flat Plate Perf 11 10c
E13 1925 Flat Plate Perf 11 15c
E14 1925 Flat Plate Perf 11 20c

On October 1, 1885, the Special Delivery service was first available and the first stamp, U.S. #E1, went on sale.

Assistant Postmaster General Frank Hatton first proposed the Special Delivery Service in 1883. At the time, the Postal Service delivered twice a day in major cities. Private companies were used for urgent business mail that couldn’t wait for those scheduled deliveries. Hatton believed the companies were cutting into the Postal Service’s profits. On March 3, 1885, Congress approved the Special Delivery Service Act.

The Special Delivery stamps are larger than postage stamps, so busy postal clerks could easily recognize them. The stamps were issued on October 1, 1885, and pictured a running messenger boy. Used in addition to the regular service required, this stamp paid for an extra service – the immediate delivery of a letter within one mile of any other Special Delivery post office.

Originally, Special Delivery offices were located only in cities with populations over 4,000. However, the venture was such a success, the service was extended to all areas in October 1886.

Because the first Special Delivery stamp bore the inscription “Secures immediate delivery at a special delivery office,” the stamp needed to be revised when this new act was put into effect. On September 6, 1888, a revised stamp bearing the inscription “Secures immediate delivery at any post office” was issued.

The trademark of these new Special Delivery stamps was the running post office messenger, who was often referred to as the “running speedy boy.” Interestingly, he is one of the few postal figures who was modeled after a living person. In order to get the proper running action, the engraver Charles Skinner used his young nephew, Frederick Pauling, as a model.

During one session, Mr. Skinner was so engrossed in his work he didn’t realize the length of time the boy was forced to stand on one foot. Eventually, young Frederick became completely exhausted and collapsed to the floor! In 1902, the design was changed to picture a young messenger riding a bicycle. Designer R. Ostrander Smith used himself as the model for this stamp.

In the days when few people owned phones and the invention of the Internet was in the distant future, sending a letter by Special Delivery was the best way to get an urgent message to someone in a short time. The last Special Delivery stamp was issued in 1971. By that time, the quality of service and the need for Special Delivery were in decline. Today, Priority Mail and Express Mail have taken the place of Special Delivery services.