Post delivery by bicycle (3)
Over the past two weeks, parts 1 and 2 were published. Today, the third and final part of: Mail Delivery by Bicycle. A bicycle-philatelic wander through various countries of the world. The bicycle has become indispensable in daily life. Consequently, we will always continue to encounter the bicycle on postage stamps. In other words, my chosen theme continues to call for action. What else would you like to see of the bicycle in philately? I still have a few ideas. You are welcome to make a suggestion as well! Who will challenge me?
In Cuba, a stamp featuring a cyclist was issued as early as 1902 to draw attention to mail delivery by bicycle.
The Day of the Postage Stamp
With some regularity, this day is celebrated somewhere in the world by the release of a special stamp, a beautiful cover, or a card.
A publication of the French postal service featuring the image of a letter carrier from 1894.
A historic postal item from 1902 delivered by bicycle. It was a “Special Delivery”. The Republic of Panama issued various bicycle stamps for mail delivery by bicycle between 1929 and 1935.
The overprints on these bicycle stamps indicate the use of airmail. Consequently, a higher price had to be paid for this.
Coolgardie Cycle Express Company
Gold was discovered near Coolgardie (South-West Australia) in 1892, and the gold rush soon caused growth in the region to as many as 20.000 people in just a few years. The government could not really manage the sudden population growth, and private postal services soon appeared to help deliver messages to the gold fields.
A Coolgardie Cyclist in 1895
Commemorative cover: Local Bicycle Post of the Eastern Goldfields
Clacton (-on-sea) Cycle Mail
East of London, not far from Colchester, lies the seaside town of Clacton. There, too, young people are active delivering mail by bicycle.
100 Years of Postage Stamps
This card is a beautiful illustration for the theme “Mail delivery by bicycle”!
My collection of bicycle stamps with the (sub)theme “Mail delivery by bicycle” is larger than I can show you with stories in this series of three articles. Take a look. here for more… 
Regarding the first stamp in this article, it is stated that a bicycle stamp was issued in Cuba as early as 1899 to draw attention to mail delivery by bicycle. That is correct in itself. However, it concerns a different bicycle stamp than the one depicted here. Visually, the intended bicycle stamp is the same. But there is one word in the text that is different. Instead of iMmidiata (1899 stamp), this stamp (1902) reads: iNmidiata.