Illinois
Dally Usage Stamps
Illinois required daily usage stamps to hunt ducks and geese on various state-owned and operated public waterfowl hunting grounds starting in the early 1950s. Prior to 1959, separate daily usage stamps were used on public pheasant hunting grounds. From 1959 through 1972, the same $5 stamps were used at goose and pheasant areas. The stamps validated daily permits which were recollected at the end of the hunt. All stamps issued through 1967 had shiny gum. From 1968 through 1972, the gum is as follows: 1968 ducks - shiny; 1968 geese - dry; 1969 ducks and geese - dry; 1970 ducks - shiny; 1970 geese - dry; 1971 geese - shiny; and 1972 ducks and geese - dry.
Stamps from 1951 were imperforate. Stamps from 1952 through 1972 were perforated 12 or 12 1/2 and were issued in booklet panes of 25 (5x5). The panes were straight edged along the top, bottom and right sides. A 10 mm perforated selvage extended along the left side of the panes. No duck stamp was printed in 1971 and stamps were not used from 1973 through 1976. Starting in 1977 stamps were issued with no date or face value. The same stamps were issued year after year until supplies were exhausted.
Although similar in appearance, the daily usage stamps that were used from 1977 through 1995 were a product of many different printings, resulting in variations of the type size and paper color. All of the stamps were issued with flat gum. Starting in 1977, both the duck and goose stamps were issued in booklet panes of 25 (5x5). The panes were straight edged along the top, bottom and right sides and were plain (uncolored) rouletted between the stamps. A 10 mm plain rouletted selvage extended along the left side. Fifty panes were stapled together to form a book. From 1991 through 1995, the duck stamps were issued in coil rolls of 500, plain rouletted horizontally. For the 1995 season only, the goose stamps were also issued in coil rolls of 500, plain rouletted horizontally.
On July 1, 1995, the Illinois Department of Conservation merged with the Department of Natural Resources. As a result of this change, new stamps were printed for the 1996 waterfowl seasons. The new stamps were die-cut self adhesives, requiring backing paper, and featured the insignia of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The backing paper (with stamps adhered) was cut into rolls of 500, one stamp wide. The stamps measure approximately 33 mm x 38 mm.
Following the 1996 season, the stamp and permit system was temporarily discontinued at the Rice Lake / Banner Marsh Wildlife Area until improvements could be made to the Illinois River levee that protects the area from flooding. In the meantime, the duck daily usage stamps continued to be used at the Donnelley Fish and Wildlife Area. Donnelley was opened to hunters in 1983, and has been using the stamp and permit system for a number of years. Unlike Rice Lake, there is no standby program at Donnelley. For more in-depth information, see The Illinois Daily Usage Stamps. For images of all stamps in this series see Illinois Daily Usage Stamps.
The daily usage stamps were often stapled to the permits. Unsigned values are for stamps with no gum or stamps with gum and staple holes. Hunters were not required to sign the stamps. Although the early stamps for pheasants are not listed below, they have traditionally been included in waterfowl stamp collections and are currently valued the same as their waterfowl counterpart from the same year.
| Series Number | Figure Number | Validity Period | Face Value | Description | Unused Value | Unsigned Value | Signed Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | F-IL1 | 1951 | $2.00 | yellow on white (ducks or geese) imperforate | – | ||
| 2. | F-IL2 | 1952 | $2.00 | green on manila (ducks or geese) | – | ||
| 3. | F-IL2 | 1953 | $2.00 | orange on blue (ducks or geese) | – | – | |
| 4. | F-IL2 | 1954 | $2.00 | (no examples have been recorded) | |||
| 5. | F-IL2 | 1955 | $2.00 | orange on light green (ducks or geese) | – | ||
| 6. | F-IL2 | 1956 | $2.00 | green on manila (ducks or geese) | – | – | |
| 7. | F-IL2 | 1957 | $2.00 | orange on light blue-green (ducks or geese) | 750.00 | 475.00 | |
| 8. | F-IL2 | 1958 | $2.00 | green on manila (ducks or geese) | 650.00 | 375.00 | |
| 9. | F-IL2 | 1959 | $3.00 | green on manila (ducks) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 10. | F-IL2 | 1959 | $5.00 | red-brown on light blue-green (geese) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 11. | F-IL2 | 1960 | $3.00 | red-brown on light blue-green (ducks) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 12. | F-IL2 | 1960 | $5.00 | green on manila (geese) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 13. | F-IL2 | 1961 | $3.00 | green on manila (ducks) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 14. | F-IL2 | 1961 | $5.00 | red-brown on light blue-green (geese) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 15. | F-IL2 | 1962 | $3.00 | green on manila (ducks) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 16. | F-IL2 | 1962 | $5.00 | red-brown on light blue-green (geese) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 17. | F-IL2 | 1963 | $3.00 | orange on light blue-green (ducks) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 18. | F-IL2 | 1963 | $5.00 | green on manila (geese) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 19. | F-IL2 | 1964 | $3.00 | green on manila (ducks) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 20. | F-IL2 | 1964 | $5.00 | red on light blue-green (geese) | 425.00 | 250.00 | |
| 21. | F-IL2 | 1965 | $3.00 | orange on light blue-green (ducks) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 22. | F-IL2 | 1965 | $5.00 | green on manila (geese) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 23. | F-IL2 | 1966 | $3.00 | green on manila (ducks) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 24. | F-IL2 | 1966 | $5.00 | orange on light blue-green (geese) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 25. | F-IL2 | 1967 | $3.00 | orange on light blue-green (ducks) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 26. | F-IL2 | 1967 | $5.00 | green on yellow (geese) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 27. | F-IL2 | 1968 | $3.00 | green on yellow (ducks) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 28. | F-IL2 | 1968 | $5.00 | orange on light blue (geese) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 29. | F-IL2 | 1969 | $3.00 | orange on light blue (ducks) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 30. | F-IL2 | 1969 | $5.00 | green on manila (geese) | 475.00 | 300.00 | |
| 31. | F-IL2 | 1970 | $3.00 | green on manila (ducks) | 1,500.00 | 900.00 | |
| 32. | F-IL2 | 1970 | $5.00 | orange on light blue (geese) | 1,750.00 | 900.00 | |
| 33. | F-IL2 | 1971 | $5.00 | green on manila (geese) | 2,250.00 | 1,000.00 | |
| 34. | F-IL2 | 1972 | $3.00 | orange on light blue-green (ducks) | 9,500.00 | ||
| 35. | F-IL2 | 1972 | $5.00 | orange on light blue-green (geese) | 7,500.00 | 2,500.00 | |
| 36. | F-IL3 | 1977-? | black on light blue (ducks), from booklet pane | – | |||
| 37. | F-IL4 | 1977-94 | black on manila (geese), from booklet pane on permit on stand-by card | – | – – – | ||
| 38. | F-IL3 | ?-1995 | black on blue (ducks), from coil roll | ||||
| 38a. | serial number is 4.5 mm tall (1991-1992) on permit on stand-by card | – | – | ||||
| 38b. | serial number is 3 mm tall (1993) on permit on stand-by card | – | – – – | ||||
| 38c. | serial number is 2.75 mm tall (1993-1994) on permit on stand-by card | – – – | |||||
| 39. | F-IL4 | 1995 | black on manila (geese), from coil roll on permit on stand-by card | – – – |
| 40. | F-IL5 | 1996-97 | black on blue (ducks) on permit | – | – – | ||
| 41. | F-IL6 | 1996-97 | black on manila (geese) on permit on stand-by card | – | – – – |
