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The Winton M. Blount Postal History Symposia - Smithsonian ...

The Winton M. Blount Postal History Symposia - Smithsonian ...

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America’s First Carrier Service:<strong>The</strong> U.S. City Despatch PostLarry Lyons<strong>The</strong> origin of organized carrier service using carrier adhesives is the basisof the 1842 U.S. postal reforms. <strong>The</strong> Greig’s City Despatch Post localstamps were the first adhesive stamps printed in North America. <strong>The</strong>Post Office Department purchased this company for use as the first carrier serviceand adopted this first stamp. <strong>The</strong> postal reforms established in the UnitedStates by the U.S. City Despatch Post, America’s first carrier service, can be summarizedas follows:1. <strong>The</strong> first use of a stamp for government purposes.2. <strong>The</strong> established rate of three cents per stamp or $2.50 per hundred.3. <strong>The</strong> first government handstamp. <strong>The</strong> creation of the “U.S.” in an octagonto cancel stamps and prevent their reuse.4. <strong>The</strong> first government datestamp to show the date and time of delivery.5. <strong>The</strong> first adhesive design for use by the United States City Despatch Post, theScott Specialized Catalogue listed 6LB3 stamp.6. <strong>The</strong> creation of various color adhesives on unsurfaced paper coloredthrough.7. <strong>The</strong> first adhesive stamp printed on glazed surface colored paper for use bythe government.8. <strong>The</strong> first double impression errors.9. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Postal</strong> Act of March 1845, effective July 1, 1845, putting the independentmail companies out of business for intercity mail.10. <strong>The</strong> first use of adhesive stamps by the government for pre- payment of postageon intercity mail.11. <strong>The</strong> first government overprinted stamp due to a change in the fee for carrierservice.This is a unique story about how the government started a carrier servicein New York City with the issuance of carrier adhesives and handstamp devicesand was forced to close down due to competition from the local posts. For once,free enterprise triumphed over the government. This was a first attempt at U.S.postal organization using carrier adhesives.By an order of the postmaster general on August 1, 1842, a carrier servicewas established in New York known as the “United States City DespatchPost.” In order to get started with carrier service, the Post Office Department felt

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