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Express/Special Delivery Rates 1891-1993 - Introduction

Express delivery originally meant payments for a messenger sent for the express purpose of carrying a particular letter, although the more modern sense is simply speeded-up mail. The modern system was introduced in 1891; there were a large number of services, rates, and options, for many of which payment was made on a separate form rather than on the actual cover.

The main ones were:

  • By special messenger all the wayService I
  • Express delivery after transmission by ordinary post
    (at the request of the sender) – Service II
  • Special delivery in advance of the ordinary mail (at the request of the addressee) – introduced under Service II, later Service III
  • Express delivery on Sunday – originally for London addresses only as part of Service II, from 1921 included other cities and renamed Service IV
  • Express delivery of telephoned messages – originally called Service IV, from 1921 Service V

From 1938 the services were revised, with Service II and IV now becoming Special Delivery and the others various forms of Express Delivery. From 1980 Special Delivery (the old Service II type) was the only service offered.

1923 - Service II, 1½d postage + 6d express fee