Special Delivery stamps from the 1890–1900 period in the United States are a really interesting collecting area. These were not regular postage stamps, but rather special service stamps that prepaid an extra fee for immediate delivery by a messenger after normal mail delivery.
Here’s a quick guide to what was issued in that decade:
Special Delivery Stamps (1890–1900)
1. First Design (Bicycle Messenger) – Issued 1893
- Scott E3 (1893)
- Denomination: 10¢
- Design: Bicycle messenger speeding to deliver mail
- Color: Orange
- Replaced the earlier 1885 design (messenger on foot).
- Printing method: Engraved
- Significance: First stamp to show a bicycle, reflecting new technology.
2. Second Design (Running Messenger) – Issued 1902, so just after 1900
- The “messenger running” design (Scott E6, 1902) actually comes just after your requested decade.
Other Context
- The Special Delivery service began in 1885 (10¢ stamp with messenger on foot).
- In 1893, during the Columbian Exposition era, the bicycle messenger design (E3) was introduced.
- This remained in use through the 1890s, so for the decade 1890–1900, the only true new issue was E3 (1893).
- Postal stationery and overprints also exist, but in terms of adhesive stamps, that’s the key one.
✅ Summary:
Between 1890–1900, the only Special Delivery stamp issued was the 10¢ orange Bicycle Messenger stamp (Scott E3, 1893). It’s one of the most iconic U.S. stamps of the 19th century.
