U.S. Air Mail Special Delivery Issues 1934-1936: The Exhibit Hardcover – February 22, 2026

This is an in-depth 10-frame stamp exhibit that explores the preproduction, production, and postal history of the 16c Air Mail Special Delivery issues. This book reproduces every page of Hideo Yokota’s award-winning stamp exhibit of the United States’ AMSD stamps.Air Mail Special Delivery stamps were U.S. postage stamps issued from 1934 to 1936 that paid for two services at once. The 16¢ Air Mail Special Delivery stamp was issued to prepay, with one stamp, both the air postage and the special delivery fee. Mail with this stamp would travel by plane to its designated post office, where, upon arrival, a messenger would deliver it to the recipient immediately.These dual-purpose stamps were the only such stamps ever issued by the Post Office and had a short service life, as sales were suspended in August 1948.Hideo explains, illustrates, and discusses the stamps, their development, and their uses in a clear way, with numerous examples of these seldom-seen stamps used in even less seen ways.The exhibit concludes with some rare wartime postal history usages of the last AMSD issue. During WWII, U.S. Armed Forces personnel were given free franking privileges on first-class mail. However, some servicemen franked their letters with the 16c AMSD stamp they brought into the war zone. APOs did not carry the 16c issue in their stamp stock, so all overseas military AMSD franked mail is scarce. On March 26, 1944, just 17 months before the end of WWII, new postal rates were introduced, and the 16c dual-purpose issues lost their status as a single franking domestic stampThis exhibit serves as a handbook for these stamps and their use. I believe it is the most comprehensive examination of this topic ever prepared. This may also be the first exhibit ever awarded a gold medal at each of the national World Series of Philately stamp shows. It’s a great exhibit. Another great stamp exhibit from Exhibitors Press. Read more