A. D. HAZEN, _Third Assistant Postmaster General_. ISSUE OF MAY 9TH, 1879. For use from and after July 1st, 1879. Large colorless numeral, 10 mm. high, representing the value, ornamented and shaded, on an oval disk, 17 by 13½ mm., with colored ground ornamented by colorless geometric lathe work, bordered by a solid colored band between two heavy colorless lines and an exterior fine colored line, interrupted by small white shields on the sides bearing "_U._" on the left, "_S._" on the right, in fancy colored capitals. The band is inscribed in white capitals, above, "_Postage Due_," below with the value in full letters, the whole on a tablet with vertically lined ground, with an irregular outline colorless line bordered by an extensive fine colored line, and a double rectangular frame, the interior formed by parallel, diagonal curved lines, and the exterior by vertical short lines at top and bottom, horizontal ones at sides, indicating a bevel. Plate impression, 20 by 25 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12. 1 cent, reddish brown. 2 cents, " 3 " " 5 " " The report of the Postmaster General dated December, 1879, states: "Under a provision in the act of Congress, approved March 3d 1879, authorizing a change in the mode of collecting postage due, on matter arriving at destination through the mails, the Department began issuing on the 9th of May, special stamps, called postage due stamps, of the denominations of 1, 2, 3 and 5 cents, and subsequently of the additional denominations of 10, 30, and 50 cents. Before the first of July, every office in the country was provided with a supply of these stamps, and the new system of collecting short paid postage is now fairly in operation." ISSUE OF AUGUST, 1879. Stamps of the same design, but there being two figures, the numerals are smaller. Plate impression, in color, on white paper, perforated 12. 10 cents, reddish brown. 30 " " 50 " " The number of these stamps issued from May, 1879, to June 30th, 1885, was: 1 cent, 25,328,525 2 cents, 30,534,425 3 " 31,146,230 5 " 5,029,435 10 " 6,105,175 30 " 169,078 50 " 93,490 OBSERVATIONS. There are two quite distinct shades of the red-brown in which these stamps are printed, the earlier issues being of a brown that shows hardly a trace of red, while those printed under the 1885 contract are of the shade of the current two cent postage stamp. XXV. SPECIAL DELIVERY STAMP.