United States Postage Stamps
A History

Regular, Commementive, Memorial Issues
Introduction ~ Series of 1847
Series of 1851
Series of 1861
Series of 1869
Issues of 1870
Issues of 1890&3
Columbian Series of 1893
Isues of 1894
Trans-Mississippi Exposition Stamps of 1898
Pan-American Stamps of 1901
Series of 1902-3
Lousiana Purchase Commemorative Stamps of 1904
Jamestown Commemorative Stamps of 1907
Issues of 1908-9
Issues of 1909
Issues of 1912
Panama-Pacific Commemorative Stamps of 1913
Issues of 1914-5
Issues of 1918
Issues of 1919
Pilgram Tercentenary Commemorative Stamps of 1920
Issues of 1922-23
Issue of 1923
Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary Stamps of 1924
Issues of 1925
Issues of 1926
Issues of 1927
Issues of 1928
Issues of 1929
Issues of 1930
Isues of 1931
Washington Bicentennal Commemorative Stamps of 1932 & other Issues
Issues of 1933
Issues of 1934
Issues of 1935
 Special Souvenior sheets of 1935
Issues of 1936
Issues of 1937
Issues of 1938
Issues of 1939
Famous Americans Commem's of 1940 & Others
Vnmont Statehood of 1941
Issues of 1942
Overrun Countries commem's of 1943-44 & Others
Issues of 1944
Roosevelt and Armed Forces Series of 1945 & Others
Issues of 1946
Issues of 1947

Air Mail Stamps
 Issues of 1918-1947
Carriers' Stamps
Issues of 1851
Newspaper & Periodical Stamps
 Issues of 1865
Issues of 1875
Issues of 1895
Offical Postage Stamps
 Issues of 1873-1884
Parcel Post Stamps
Issues of 1912-1913
Postage Due Stamps
Issues of 1879-1930
Parcel Post Postage Due Stamps
  Issues of 1912
Postal Savings Offical Stamps
Issues of 1910-1911
Postal Savings Stamps
 Issue of 1911
Registry Stamp
Issue of 1911
Special Delivery Air Mail Stamp
Issue of 1934-1936
Special Delivery Stamps
 Issues of 1885-1925
Special Handling Stamp
Issue of 1925

United States Postage Stamps

1847 through 1947 ~ The first 100 years

PARCEL POST POSTAGE-DUE STAMPS - 1912

The parcel postage due stamps are of the same size as the parcel post postage stamps. The color is green for all denominations. In a horizontal panel across the top are the words "U. S. parcel post" and, in a similar panel at the bottom, "Postage due", in Roman capital letters. In the center, upon a background of lathework, and within a circular frame, is a larger numeral expressing the denomination. The upper half of the circular frame carries the denomination in words which are repeated in the lower half, except that the words expressing the denomi­nation appear but once upon the 25.cent stamp. Small numerals of denomination are on both sides of the large central numeral.While the parcel post stamps were of appropriate design and sufficiently distinctive to identify at a glance mail to which they were affixed as parcel post matter, objections to them began to develop from the outset. All denominations being printed in the same color caused difficulty in handling which the large numerals failed to prevent. Another objection was the size of the stamps, which was too large for small parcels and labels, particularly when more than one stamp was required for postage. The issuing of the stamps in sheets of 45, made necessary by the size of the stamps, was troublesome to the Department, to postmasters and their em­ployees, and to the public, because of the difficulty experienced in counting and computing multiples of 45 as compared with the sheets of 100, to which the Postal Service and the public are accustomed.

The objections to the stamps led to steps to reduce the size and change the designs and color scheme. On March 21, 1913, the Postmaster General approved a design for a new parcel post stamp, which was of the same size and shape as the ordinary postage stamp but with the long dimension horizontal instead of vertical, and having a large numeral expressing the denomination in the center in place of the usual picture. The colors were to correspond with those of the ordinary stamps of similar denominations.

No stamps of the new design were printed, however, as the Department decided that the distinctive parcel-post stamps could be dis­continued entirely. These stamps served but one useful purpose; that is, to indicate the parcel post revenue. This could be accom­plished by other means. The distinctive stamps were expensive to produce, handle and account for, and were a source of serious embarrassment and vexation to the public as well as to the Postal Service. These disadvantages far out-weighed the single advantage possessed by the stamps as a medium of revenue statistics. The ordinary stamp should be sufficiently elastic for every postage pur­pose (except payment of postage due) so that it can be used for prepayment of postage on all classes of mail, special delivery service, and re/!:istry, insurance, and C.O.D. fees. Such a broad usefulness saves the public and the Postal Service the inconvenience and an­noyance involved in the restricted validity of special stamps, and simplifies and facilitates public patronage of the service.

The parcel post law provided for the use of distinctive stamps on fourth class mail, but it also authorized the Postmaster General, with the consent of the Interstate Commerce

Commission, to reform the conditions of mailability for the purpose of promoting the service to the public. Under this latter provision, the Postmaster General, with the approval of the Interstate Commerce Commis­sion, in Order No. 7241 of June 26, 1913, effective July 1, 1913, directed that ordinary postage stamps should be valid for postage, insurance, and C.O.D. fees on parcels, and that distinctive parcel post stamps should be valid for all purposes for which ordinary stamps are valid; also, that the regular issue of postage due stamps and the distinctive parcel post due stamps should be valid for the collection of unpaid and short paid postage on all classes of mail.

It was further ordered that the issuance of distinctive parcel post stamps and parcel post due stamps be discontinued after the existing stocks were exhausted and that no additional supplies should be printed.