The Die Varieties of the Nesbitt Series of United States Envelopes Part 5

Compare variety 11 for "NT," also variety 21.

Variety 13:--A FLAW IN THE DESIGN, caused by the addition of a short line immediately above the right lower curve and at the beginning of the first loop. "TH" wide. "RE" wide at top. "CE" near. The entire word "CENTS" is well in the centre of the label. "S" above level of "T". Note the wide distance of "C" from the lower left corner.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Variety 14:--THIS DIE SHOWS THE WIDEST s.p.a.cING OF "THREE".

Lower left curve is deep; slants back and is far from "C".

Lower right curve near "S". "T" and "E" about equally far from curves. Upper right curve much flattened. Note "T"

short and top of "C" considerably below inner oval line.

Note also that centre of first loop below upper right curve is unfinished. "TH" wide at base; "CE" near: "EN" wide. "N"

_tall and narrow_.

Variety 15:--"RE" VERY WIDE. THERE IS A SMALL TRIANGLE IN THE DESIGN IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE CENTRE OF LOWER RIGHT CURVE. Upper left curve very deep and "T" far from it. "HRE"

wide at base. Final "E" below level of first "E" and nearer curve than "T". Lower left curve is flat and "C" is far from it, both at top and base. "CE" wide. _Tall, narrow "N"._ Note that the entire word is high in the label.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Variety 16:--"S" OF "CENTS" HIGH IN LABEL. Lower left curve very slightly curved and very far from "C," which is elongated. "CE" wide, likewise "EN". "N" large and broad.

Lower right curve flattened and "S" far from curve. "T" and "E" about equally distant from upper curves, which are, likewise, flattened. "TH" nearer at top than "HR". "RE"

wider at top than "HR". "EE" wide at top. Compare varieties 26 and 27 for upper right curve.

Variety 17:--LOWER LEFT CURVE COMMENCES NEAR TOP OF "C" OF "CENTS", SLANTS SHARPLY DOWNWARD, AND IS, AT THE POINT WHERE THE CURVE MEETS THE OUTER OVAL LINE, FAR FROM BASE OF "C".

Upper right curve is much flattened and close to "E" at base. Upper left curve is deep and a good distance from "T".

The latter is short, thick and near "H". "RE" much wider at top than "HR". There are two small dots immediately below the upper right curve. In the lower label "C" and "S" are slightly above the level of "ENT"; "EN" near; "N" broad.

Compare variety 18 for lower left curve and note position of "T" of "THREE" with regard to upper left curve.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Variety 18:--LOWER LEFT CURVE SLANTS BACK AND IS FAR FROM "C" AT THE JUNCTION OF THE CURVE WITH THE OUTER FRAME LINE.

"T" close to upper left curve. Upper left curve flat and "T"

is much nearer to it than "E" to the right curve. "THR" near at top. "RE" very wide at top. "EE" near. The entire word "CENTS" is close to the inner oval line. "N" is broad, and top of "T" is slightly above "X". "TS" close. Note that there are three dots immediately above lower right curve.

Compare Variety 17 for lower left curve.

Variety 19:--"T" AND "E" CLOSE TO CURVES. Upper curves short. "HRE" wide at top. "EE" near. Lower left curve near "C". "CE" close. "EN" wide. "N" in upright position. "NT"

wide at base. Compare variety 12 for arrangement of letters in upper label and note "NT". Note that the top of "E" is very near curve.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Variety 20:--"C" HIGH; NEAR INNER OVAL LINE AND CLOSE TO "E". "C" and "S" above level of "ENT". "C" heavy and near lower left curve. "EN" wide. "NT" close. Upper curves are short. "T" near upper left curve. "TH" close and "T" has short top stroke. Upper right curve starts far from top of "E" and slants inward. "EE" near. Lower right curve deep.

Compare varieties 12, 19 and 21 for lower label.

Variety 21:--"T" SHORT, THICK AND NEAR CURVE. "TH" near. "R"

in the centre of label and in a vertical position. Upper right curve slants inward and is much nearer to base than to top of "E". "C" and "S" in lower label are above level of "ENT". "S" of "CENTS" far from curve. Lower left curve short and close to "C". "N" is broad. Lower right curve deeper than lower left curve. "CEN" near. Compare variety 30 for lower right curve and 20 for upper right curve.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Variety 22:--"EN" JOINED AT TOP. "HR" very wide at top and forming a sharp angle. "TH" close. Upper left curve flat.

Upper right curve is deep; far from top of "E" and terminates at its base. Lower left curve far from "C". "C"

and "S" above level of "ENT". Upper cross stroke of "T"

short. "S" far from lower right curve. First loop above lower right curve has a very large centre. Compare variety 21.

Variety 23:--"R" HIGHEST LETTER AND CLOSE TO OUTER FRAME LINE. "TH" close. "RE" very wide at top. "T" and "E" about the same distance from curves. There are two small, colored dots immediately below the upper right curve. Lower left curve slants. "C" and "S" equally far from curves. "CENT" on level and "CEN" close at base. Compare variety 17 for lower left curve.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Variety 24:--TOP STROKE OF "E" IS ABOVE TOP OF "C". "CE"

close. "EN" near at top. "N" short and thick. Top stroke of "N" nearly touches "T". "NT" high in label. Lower curves well rounded and short, but lower left curve deeper than lower right. "C" somewhat further from curve than "S". Upper right curve deep and far from "E". "TH" near and about parallel. "HR" near, but "RE" wider at top. "EE" near; centre strokes touch upper horizontal line. Compare, for distance of "THR", variety 29.

Variety 25:--A FLAW, i.e., a white line running out from the middle of the third loop on the right, towards the inner oval line. Lower left curve a good distance away from "C".

"C" round and full, but shorter than the rest of the letters. "S" far from lower right curve. "EE" widely s.p.a.ced and upper right curve flat. "C" and "S" above level of "ENT".

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Variety 26:--"C" OF "CENTS" ELONGATED, VERY SLANTING AND FAR FROM "E". Lower left curve is very flat and far from "C". "ENT" near at top. Lower right curve slants back and is far from base of "S". Upper left curve is very flat. "HRE"

very wide at top and "EE" widely s.p.a.ced. "N" is broad. There are, also, two dots immediately below upper right curve.

Compare varieties 16 and 29.

Variety 27:--THE HORIZONTAL BAR OF THE FINAL STROKE OF "N"

EXTENDS OVER THE TOP OF "T". Lower left curve fat and very far from "C". "CE" wide. Upper left curve much deeper than upper right curve, which is almost a straight line. "T" very short. "TH" wide at top, "HR" wider. Note that "R" stands to right of the centre of stamp and, also, the wide, colored s.p.a.ce above the top of "THRE". "N" of "CENTS" is broad.

Compare varieties 16 and 26.

Variety 28:--"T" OF "THREE" IS LOW, SMALL AND HEAVY. "RE"

nearest. "T" is near the inner oval line and much nearer to upper left curve than "E" to upper right curve. "TH" near, "H" and "E" at top about the same distance apart from "E", which is upright and close to outer frame line. "EE" near.

Lower left curve short; lower right curve deep. "CE" on level and close. "EN" far. "N" short and thick and, at base, nearer "E" than "T". Compare variety 29.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Variety 29:--"THR" s.p.a.cED CLOSEST. "T" of "THREE" slightly nearer the curve than "E" is to upper right curve. Upper curves are deep and well rounded. "TH" close. "C" of "CENTS"

is heavy and close to the short, round curve. "NT" near and sometimes touching at top. "TS" wide and "S" far from curve.

Lower right curve deep and well rounded. Note that the word "CENTS" is near the outer frame line. Compare variety 30 for "S" distance.

Variety 30:--"C" NEAR OUTER FRAME LINE AND ON LEVEL WITH "E". "TH" very near and top of "T" close to curve. "RE" much wider at top than "HR". "EE" wide at top. Upper right curve much larger than upper left curve and much further from top than from base of "E". Lower curves short and round. "NT"

wide at base. "TS" close at top and top of "S" close to curve. There is a colored dot, or circle, immediately above centre of the lower right curve. Note wide colored s.p.a.ce above top of "R" and "E". Compare varieties 21 and 28.

SIX CENTS, RED AND SIX CENTS, GREEN.

Short labels with straight ends.

8-1/2 loops on the left; 9 loops on the right.

The date of issue of the SIX CENTS red is generally placed about July 31st. 1853; that of its congener--but with color changed--sometime before Sept. 30th of the same year. As there has never been much demand for a six cent envelope, it is strange that this issue has four distinct heads of Was.h.i.+ngton, two forms of "SIX", small and large, and different s.p.a.cings of the word "CENTS". Unlike the last issue, the die is exceedingly well printed, and it is not difficult to get fine copies.

In Varieties 1 and 2 "SIX" is widely s.p.a.ced:

In Varieties 3 and 4 the s.p.a.cing is closer.

VARIETY 1.