Chicago Covers With
Letters Or Initials
In The Postmark

In September 1863 the double circle postmark then in use in Chicago with the designation Chicago Ill in the outer circle and the month, date and year stacked in the center circle was modified.

The modification added letters or initials in the center circle of the postmark above the month and date and eliminated the year. The original and modified postmarks are known as types A-14 and A-15. Examples appear below in the Delf Norona comments.

The modified Chicago postmarks were used for intercity mail for a period of 9 weeks. The earliest known postmark is dated September 11, 1863 and the last known date is November 13, 1863.

Examples of covers with the above dates are presented on this web site under the navigation bar Covers and Letters.

A single circle postmark worded Chicago City had no state designation but included letters or initials above the month and date and showed no year. This postmark was used for intracity drop letters which were "dropped" at a Chicago post office for delivery to a Chicago address.

There is one known authenticated exception. A cover with the Chicago City postmark was mailed to Bloomfield, Indiana dated September 26 (1863) with initials KB. The envelope was used for printed matter per Harvey M. Karlen in his 1971 publication Chicago Postal History.

The earliest known Chicago City postmark with initials or letters is August 25, 1863 (also pictured on this site) and the last known is dated November 30, 1863.

Letter or initial combinations found in Chicago or Chicago City postmarks include: RA, SB, X, GA, U, KB, KM, OB, PB, B, D, G, I, M, O (or Q), IB, and T. U is known on one cover and is explained as the possible mistaken use in place of X as noted by Leonard Piszkiewicz in his 1996 USPCS Chronicle Article 171. A cover with the letters KM has not been authenticated in use but is mentioned in various literature.

There does not appear to be an overlap between the letter combinations used in the Chicago postmarks and the Chicago City postmarks. The first five letter combinations above were used in Chicago postmarks for intercity mail and the others used in Chicago City postmarks for intracity mail.

The earliest reference in philatelic literature to Chicago double circle postmarks with initials or letters in the postmark appeared in Cyclopedia of United States Postmarks and Postal History, Volume 2, Article 29, titled Chicago Postal Markings (1836 – 1892) edited by Delf Norona and published in 1935.

He categorized the postmarks with or without the letters as A-14 and A-15. In that article he states "Note: A-14 and A-15 may occasionally be found without the year logos but with the following letters over the month and date: GA, RA, SB and X. All those noted were used in Sep., Oct., Nov., probably 1863…"

In the same Article 29 he referenced postmark type A-16 as the Chicago City postmark and stated "All items noted are on drop (city) letters. With letters KB, M…, PB, D (?). Undoubtedly used concurrently with A-14 and A-15".

(selected images from Article 29 noted above as originally published in 1935)

In 1966 research on this topic was begun by Richard McP. Cabeen and Richard B. Graham. Their research examined primarily Chicago covers with the initials or letters RA, SB, X, and GA in the postmark.

The reason for use of the letter(s) in the postmark was not conclusively determined by Mr. Cabeen but there was some evidence that the letters represented the initials of various postal clerks working in the Chicago postal system in 1863.

The research of Mr. Cabeen and Mr. Graham was published in the USPCS Chronicle 64 in November 1969 and was republished in 1971 in Chicago Postal History edited and updated by Harvey M. Karlen.

Concluding comments in the 1971 publication edited by Harvey M. Karlen state: "To speculate a bit, the fairly good fit of the initials of some of the post office clerks to the letter combinations is substantially indicative, if not conclusive."

In the years following the 1971 publication by Mr. Karlen, Richard B. Graham wrote several articles in the USPCS Chronicles including Chronicle 120 in 1983 with the discovery of a Chicago City cover with the letter "T" in the postmark and dated August 25 (1863). This was the first known "T" letter in a Chicago or Chicago City postmark.

The original census of Chicago and Chicago City covers with letters or initials in the postmark was published in 1969 by Richard B. Graham from his research and the notes of Richard McPherren Cabeen and subsequently republished by Harvey M. Karlen and updated in 1971 in Chicago Postal History.

In 1996 in USPCS Chronicle 171 Leonard Piszkiewicz published the article "Chicago Postmarks of 1863 With Initials". This was the most researched presentation of the subject and focused on Chicago Post Office sorting, distribution, as well as outgoing railroad mail routes.

His research focused on covers with Chicago postmarks with initials or letters because of the available quantity of those covers. Covers with Chicago City postmarks were not available in sufficient quantity for analysis.

In his article he presented a table with 114 Chicago covers grouped by letter postmarks (RA, X, SB, GA, U) showing the destination city and state for these various letter combinations.

He also presented a table of railroad mail routes diverging from Chicago in 1863. This elaborate table shows railroad routes, termini, railroad carriers as well as other factors. With that information he matched the postmark letter combinations above to the railroad mail route table.

He further analyzed the Chicago Post Office outgoing mail sorting and distribution system and grouped the letter combinations to the various rail stations in Chicago and their departure points.

His extensive analysis is presented in the 1996 USPCS Chronicle 171 with the following conclusions: "Considered in its entirety, this explanation for the array of letter combinations shows plausible consistency" and he further states "The foregoing discussion presents an explanation of WHAT the letter combinations represent. There remains the question of WHY they were used".

In an effort to explain the WHY he presented information about Chicago assistant postmaster George B. Armstrong and Armstrong's efforts to streamline the sorting and handling of mail, among other things, in the Chicago Post Office.

Also included in Mr. Piszkiewicz analysis are references which may shed light on the WHY of the use of the letter combinations in the Chicago and Chicago City postmarks during the very short period of time in 1863.

Mr. Piszkiewicz further discussed this topic in his 2006 publication Chicago Postal Markings and Postal History.