Stamp Sunday

Issue Date: September 3, 1957

This Special Delivery stamp is one of my favorite stamps. I don't know why. Perhaps it's just the fact that is shows mail on the front. I love the red color and the fact that it was printed on rotary press. Or maybe it is because uses techniques that I would have used in printmaking class in college. Either way this stamp is placed among some of my favorites in a stamp album. (I collect stamps, but I collect only those I really like.) 

Special Delivery stamps were pre-payments added to regular postage for an extra service. The stamp allowed immediate delivery of that letter within one mile of any special delivery post office. A post office was a special delivery office if it had free routine delivery service or if it were in a community with at least 4,000 people. 

Special delivery was first introduced in 1885 and in its first year became so popular that all post offices began to offer the service. Special delivery ran from 1885 until 1997 when the USPS officially terminated the practice. Above is just one example of special delivery postage that was issued. Overall, there are 23 special delivery postage stamps and 3 airmail postage stamps that were issued during its run. These postage stamps are not rare in used form as the service was pretty common though unused postage has a slight rarity. The USPS offered to accept the unused stamps back when the service was ended in 1997 because these special delivery stamps are not able to be used as regular postage (who knew?). Therefore, a lot of unused stamps went back to the USPS and I would guess they destroyed them. 

Do you have any Special Delivery stamps in your collection?