Q1 - 1912-13 1c Parcel Post Stamp - Post Office Clerk - Mystic Stamp Company

By A Mystery Man Writer

Last updated 29 May 2024

Q1 - 1912-13 1c Parcel Post Stamp - Post Office Clerk - Mystic Stamp Company

Buying and Selling U.S. and worldwide postage stamps for stamp collectors.
U.S.%20%23Q1%201912%201%26Acirc%3B%26cent%3B%20Post%20Office%20Clerk%20Parcel%20Post%20%26Acirc%3B%26nbsp%3B%20Issue%20Date%3A%201913%20City%3A%20Washington%2C%20DC%20Quantity%3A%26Acirc%3B%26nbsp%3B209%2C691%2C094%20%20Printed%20By%3A%20Bureau%20of%20Engraving%20and%20Printing%20Printing%20Method%3A%20Engraved%20Perforations%3A%2012%20Color%3A%20Carmine%20rose%20%26Acirc%3B%26nbsp%3B%20%20Parcel%20Post%20Service%20Begins%20%20On%20January%201%2C%201913%2C%20the%20US%20Post%20Office%20Department%20initiated%20its%20Parcel%20Post%20Service%20for%20fourth-class%20mail.%20%20Before%201912%2C%20private%20companies%20controlled%20package%20deliveries%20throughout%20the%20United%20States.%20Because%20delivering%20packages%20in%20larger%20cities%20could%20make%20more%20money%2C%20these%20companies%20often%20overlooked%20small%20towns.%20That%20changed%20when%20Congress%20passed%20a%20law%20on%20August%2024%2C%201912%20creating%20a%20parcel%20post%20service%20for%20fourth-class%20mail.%20Instead%20of%20private%20companies%2C%20the%20Postal%20Department%20would%20now%20deliver%20packages%20to%20all%20parts%20of%20the%20country.%20Rural%20Americans%20would%20now%20have%20access%20to%20goods%20and%20merchandise%20they%20could%20not%20have%20gotten%20before.%20This%20gave%20rise%20to%20mail%20order%20giants%20like%20Sears%2C%20Roebuck%20and%20Co.%2C%20and%20Montgomery%20Ward%20and%20Co.%20Parcel%20Post%20service%20could%20be%20used%20for%20sending%20items%20weighing%2016%20ounces%20or%20more%20through%20the%20mail.%20The%20mail%20is%20divided%20into%20four%20classes%2C%20with%20Parcel%20Post%20making%20up%20the%20fourth%20class.%20Almost%20any%20type%20of%20merchandise%20can%20be%20mailed%20parcel%20post%2C%20including%20day-old%20chicks%2C%20baby%20alligators%2C%20and%20honeybees.%20Only%20items%20that%20could%20be%20dangerous%20to%20handle%20cannot%20be%20sent%20through%20Parcel%20Post.%20%20Special%20Parcel%20Post%20and%20Parcel%20Post%20Postage%20Due%20stamps%20were%20produced%20for%20the%20new%20service.%20Like%20other%20Postage%20Due%20stamps%2C%20these%20showed%20that%20amount%20of%20postage%20due%20on%20packages%20that%20were%20insufficiently%20prepaid.%20The%20recipient%20of%20the%20package%20rather%20than%20the%20sender%20paid%20this%20amount.%20The%20Parcel%20Post%20Postage%20Due%20stamps%20were%20all%20dark%20green%20with%20a%20large%20numeral%20indicating%20the%20amount%20to%20be%20paid.%20%20The%20Parcel%20Post%20service%20began%20on%20January%201%2C%201913.%20The%20special%20Parcel%20Post%20stamp%20were%20required%20on%20all%20fourth%20class%20packages.%20The%20stamps%20were%20an%20instant%20success.%20During%20the%20first%20five%20days%2C%20post%20offices%20reported%20that%20they%20handled%20over%20four%20million%20packages.%20However%2C%20despite%20this%20early%20surge%20in%20popularity%2C%20the%20stamps%20would%20quickly%20lose%20favor.%20Philatelic%20author%20Henry%20M.%20Gobie%20later%20dubbed%20these%20stamps%20the%20%26acirc%3B%26%23128%3B%26%23156%3BFourth%20Class%20Follies%20of%201913.%26acirc%3B%26%23128%3B%26%23157%3B%20%20Postal%20employees%20objected%20to%20the%20Parcel%20Post%20stamps%20for%20several%20reasons.%20They%20stated%20the%20large%20stamps%20just%20didn%26acirc%3B%26%23128%3B%26%23153%3Bt%20fit%20where%20they%20needed%20to%20be%20applied.%20They%20also%20complained%20that%20they%20were%20all%20the%20same%20carmine%20color%2C%20making%20them%20difficult%20to%20distinguish%20one%20from%20the%20other.%20And%20they%20also%20disliked%20the%20odd%20number%20of%20stamps%20(45)%20per%20sheet.%20%20As%20a%20result%2C%20the%20use%20of%20Parcel%20Post%20stamps%20for%20this%20designated%20purpose%20ended%20in%20June%201913.%20But%20the%20rural%20delivery%20of%20parcels%20by%20the%20US%20Postal%20Service%20continued.%20The%20only%20difference%20was%20that%20regular%20stamps%20could%20be%20used%20on%20parcels%2C%20and%20Parcel%20Post%20stamps%20could%20be%20used%20on%20regular%20mail.%20The%20stock%20of%20Parcel%20Post%20stamps%20was%20allowed%20to%20run%20out.%20In%20use%20for%20just%20six%20months%2C%20the%20Parcel%20Post%20stamps%20were%20one%20of%20the%20shortest-lived%20US%20series.%20%20Though%20these%20stamps%20had%20caused%20confusion%2C%20no%20one%20complained%20about%20their%20beauty%2C%20as%20the%20pictorial%20centers%20(vignettes)%20were%20some%20of%20the%20most%20interesting%20yet%20produced.%20The%20lower%20denomination%20stamps%20paid%20tribute%20to%20the%20postal%20service%2C%20showing%20mail%20carriers%2C%20clerks%2C%20and%20other%20vehicles%20that%20carried%20the%20mail.%20One%20Parcel%20Post%20stamp%20featured%20the%20first%20airplane%20ever%20shown%20on%20a%20government%20issued%20stamp.%20The%20four%20Parcel%20Post%20stamps%20with%20the%20highest%20denomination%20featured%20manufacturing%20and%20agriculture.%20The%2075%26Acirc%3B%26cent%3B%20stamp%20features%20a%20grain-harvesting%20scene.%20The%20threshing%20machine%20and%20team%20of%20horses%20stand%20in%20front%20of%20a%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