PARCEL POST STAMPS

Before 1912, private companies controlled package deliveries throughout America.  Since delivering packages in big cities made more money, these companies often overlooked small towns.

That changed when Congress passed a law in August of 1912 creating a Parcel Post service for fourth-class mail.  Instead of private companies, the Postal Department would now deliver packages all over the country.  That meant rural Americans got access to goods and merchandise they didn’t have before.  With Parcel Post, you could send items weighing 16 ounces or more through the mail.  This gave rise to mail order giants like Sears Roebuck & Co. and Montgomery Ward & Co.

The Parcel Post service began January 1, 1913, and special Parcel Post stamps were required on all fourth-class packages.  The services was an instant success.  During the first five days alone, post offices reported handling over four million packages!  However, despite their early surge in popularity, the stamps quickly lost favor.  Philatelic author Henry Gobie later dubbed these stamps the “Fourth Class Follies of 1913.” Old Parcel Post delivery wagons – Click to enlarge

Postal employees didn’t like the Parcel Post stamps for several reasons.  One being they were too large and didn’t fit where they needed to be applied.  And since they were all the same color, it was hard to quickly tell them apart.

These are a few reasons why Parcel Post stamps ended in June 1913.  But the rural delivery of parcels by the USPS continued.  The only difference – regular stamps could be used on parcels, and Parcel Post stamps could be used on regular mail.  The stock of Parcel Post stamps was allowed to run out.