They are stamps with a nominal value equal to the surcharge to be added to the ordinary tariff so that a letter is forwarded more quickly. The first stamp that indicated a greater celerity of delivery, was issued in 1855 in Australia, by the State of Victoria.
It was an exemplary of the value of 6 pences with the effigy of the Queen and the word "Too Late". Subsequently, in 1885 the U.S.A. issued their first stamp for the express delivery with the 10 cents blue which depicted a postman running.
Italy issued special stamps for this service from 1903 to 1976 and the last express stamps were declared out of business on 13 May 1992.
The express service of the Italian Posts was established by the law of 12 March 1890, but the first special stamp was issued only on 1 June 1903 with a value of 25 cents and reported the words "ESPRESSO" and the effigy of King Vittorio Emanuele III.
In 1946, the Italian Republic issued the stamps for expression simultaneously with the issue of ordinary mail called "Democratic". The series included 7 values, from 5 Lire to 60 Lire.
The cartoon of the 5 Lire depicted a foot with a winged shoe created by Paolo Paschetto.
With the spread of grinding machines and the speeding and mechanization of postal services, the various administrations have stopped producing stamps dedicated specifically to this type of service, which are then replaced by self-adhesive labels with the amount related to the type of service and weight of the letter.