U.S. Special Delivery (postal service) facts for kids
U.S. Special Delivery was a special mail service in the United States. It cost extra money to use. This service made sure urgent letters and packages arrived faster than regular mail. It was different from today's express mail. When a Special Delivery item reached the local post office, it was delivered right away. It didn't wait for the next normal mail delivery.
How Special Delivery Started
The U.S. Post Office began this special service in 1885. They worked with the Universal Postal Union to create it. At first, Special Delivery was only available in towns with more than 4,000 people. But in 1886, the U.S. Congress changed the rules. This allowed all U.S. post offices to offer Special Delivery. The service ran from 1885 until 1997. It meant your letter would go straight from the post office to the person receiving it.
Special Delivery Stamps
In 1885, Congress decided that a special stamp was needed. This stamp cost ten cents. When you put this stamp on a letter, along with regular postage, it meant the letter would be delivered right away. The first Special Delivery stamp came out on October 1, 1885. It showed a running messenger. This stamp could not be used to pay for regular mail. It said, "Secures immediate delivery at a special delivery office."
In 1886, the service became available everywhere. So, a new stamp was designed. It looked like the first one but said, "Secures immediate delivery at any post office." This new stamp was released in 1888. Special Delivery stamps had some rules. They had to be put on the envelope with all other postage. Also, the service couldn't promise delivery by a certain time.
Over the years, the stamps changed designs.
- The running messenger appeared on five different stamps.
- In 1902, messengers started using bicycles. So, a new stamp showed a messenger riding a bike. This design was used for 20 years.
- In 1908, a stamp briefly showed the helmet of the god Mercury. People sometimes called it the "Merry Widow" stamp.
- The bicycle design came back after that. Later stamps had small differences in their holes (perforations) and watermarks.
- In 1922, a stamp showed a messenger on a motorcycle.
- By 1925, the stamp showed a delivery truck.
- Later stamps continued to show trucks and motorcycles as prices changed.
Finally, in 1954, a stamp showed hands passing a letter. The very last design, from 1969, showed arrows. Stamp collectors recognize 23 different Special Delivery stamps from 1885 to 1971. There were also three Airmail Special Delivery stamps in the 1930s. Most of these stamps are not rare today.
In 1977, the Postal Service started a new service called Express Mail. Both Special Delivery and Express Mail ran at the same time for 20 years. On June 7, 1997, the U.S. Postal Service stopped the Special Delivery service. Many people had unused Special Delivery stamps. The Post Office allowed people to return these stamps for their original value.
| Issues of 1885, 1888, 1902, 1908 |
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| Issues of 1922, 1944, 1925, 1944 |
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| Issue of 1925 |
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| Issues of 1954, 1957 and 1969, 1971 |
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| Plate Block section from die proof sheet |
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