History of the Postage Stamps of the United States of America Part 12

With the upper left corners too far from the blocks, the others being ordinary; there is an extra line outside the frame line and close to it, at the right, g^1 f^{2 3 4} k^2.

With the upper left corner too far from the block, the lower left corner too near to the block, an extra line outside the frame line and close to it, g^1 f^2 h^3 f^4 k^2.

With the upper left corner too far from the block, the others ordinary, the frame line light, the extra line heavier. Numerous specimens showing the frame line broken, those with it perfect are much rarer, g^1 f^{2 3 4} m^2.

With the upper right corner very near the block, all the others ordinary but the right frame line runs only half way down, and into the ground work. The extra line outside is the real side line, beginning too far from the upper right corner, and running down to the right position at the bottom (Y). Both the triangles on the right have the fine line connecting them with the adjacent blocks, and also the extra vertical line, f^1 i^2 t^{3 4} Y^2 S^{2 4} U^{2 4}.

With the side line on the right starting at the usual distance from the block, and running off to the right, and ending half way down, at nearly twice the distance from the body of the stamps at which it started. A second line starts at the proper distance from the stamp, and inside the other at about the level of the lower point of the upper triangle, and runs off to the right, down to the level of the lower rosette. A third line starts at the proper distance from the stamp, inside this at about the middle of the stamp, and runs down straight, (Z) g^1 f^2 i^3 f^4 S^{1 2 3} Z^2.

With the right line split about way down, into two or three parts, i^1 f^{2 3} g^4 n^2.

With an extra line on both sides, f^{1 2} g^3 f^4 k^1 k^2.

With an extra line outside the left frame line, but far from it (almost the same distance as the frame line is from the blocks), f^1 f^2 h^3 g^4 l^1.

With the frame line thin, often broken, and the extra line heavy and further off. The outer line is really the one drawn on the plate, and the inner line probably put in afterwards. A number of differing specimens. Also one in which there is no side line on the left except a very thin line from the level of the chin down, and another from the middle of the lower triangle down, apparently an impression from a worn plate, the left margin is wide, the perforation cutting into the next stamp, m^1 in varieties.

With the left frame line split into two parts from the level of the chin up, n^1.

These variations, and a few others easily recognized, not found in the imperforate stamps add to the table:

LEFT. RIGHT.

Top Bottom Top Bottom

X^1 perforated along center line X^2 ... extra line inside half way Y^2 ... side line starts thrice Z^2 extra line opposite lower of stamp w^4 " " " " x^4 " cen. of roset. to cen. of stamp y^4 " lower block to upper " z^4

The color of all these stamps varies like the unperforated greatly, and the same remarks concerning it might be here repeated.

PERFORATED FIVE CENTS.

The stamps are 2 mm. apart between the sides and 1 between the tops and bottoms; the imprint etc., as before. In these sheets the perforations generally cut into the stamp. They were printed in many varying shades of several colors; dark brown, dark black-brown, yellow brown, red brown, and almost rose.

The second plate was slightly altered. The little projection or salie at the top and bottom was partially or wholly removed, forming the following variations:

5 cents perforated, projection at top and bottom.

" " no " " or "

The color is very variable, numerous shades of dark black-brown, dark chestnut-brown, brown, and yellow-brown may be found.

PERFORATED TEN CENTS.

The stamps were apparently, a little further apart in some sheets than in others, and the color presents only shades of the yellow-green. A specimen is shown perforated in two rows at the sides.

PERFORATED TWELVE CENTS.

There seems to have been no change in this value. An oddity is shown, showing two extra lines at the right.

TWENTY-FOUR, THIRTY AND NINETY CENTS.

The plates for these values having been prepared with a view to perforating, the stamps are arranged about 1 mm. apart between the sides, and 1 mm. apart between the tops and bottoms. There is very little difference to be noted in the color beyond a dark and lighter shade of the orange of the thirty cents, and of the dark blue of the ninety cents. There are however, two shades of the lilac of the twenty-four cents, a red and a blue cast.

XX.

THE ISSUE OF 1861.

The reason for the introduction of this issue is not to be found in any change in the law. The report of the Postmaster General, dated on December 2d, 1861, states that:

"The contract for the manufacture of postage stamps having expired on the 10th of June, 1861, a new one was entered into with the National Bank Note Company of New York, upon terms very advantageous to the Department, from which there will result an annual saving of more than thirty per cent, in the cost of the stamps. In order to prevent the fraudulent use of the large quant.i.ty of stamps remaining unaccounted for, in the hands of postmasters in the disloyal States, it was deemed advisable to change the design and the color of those manufactured under the new contract, and also to modify the design of the stamp upon the stamped envelope, and to subst.i.tute as soon as possible the new for the old issues. It was the design of the Department that the distribution of the new stamps and envelopes should commence on the first of August, but, from unavoidable delays, that of the latter did not take place until the 15th of that month. * * * Those of the old issue have been exchanged and superseded. The old stamps on hand, and such as were received by exchange, at the larger offices, have been to a great extent counted and destroyed, and those at the smaller offices returned to the Department."

The Act of the 27th Congress, Statute II, Chapter 37, Section 14, approved March 3d, 1861, had so qualified the Act of 1851:

"As to require the ten cent rate of postage to be prepaid on letters in the mail, from any point in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains to any State or Territory on the Pacific, and from any State or Territory on the Pacific to any point in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. And all drop letters shall be prepaid by postage stamps."

Other sections also introduced minor changes in the rates on printed matter, which it is not important to notice.

The denomination of the stamps of the new issue therefore remained at first the same.

The circular letter from the Department to the several postmasters, informing them of the change is as follows:

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.

_Finance Office_ ... 1861.

POSTMASTER,

Sir: You will receive herewith a supply of postage stamps which you will observe are of a new style, differing both in design and color, from those hitherto used, and having the letters U.

S. in the lower corners of each stamp, and its respective denomination indicated by figures as well as letters. You will immediately give public notice through the newspapers and otherwise, that you are prepared to exchange stamps of the new style for an equivalent amount of the old issue, during a period of six days from the date of the notice, and that the latter will not thereafter be received in payment of postage on letters sent from your office.

You will satisfy yourself by personal inspection that stamps offered in exchange have not been used through the mails or otherwise; and if in any case you have good grounds for suspecting that stamps presented to you for exchange, were sent from any of the disloyal states, you will not receive them without due investigation.

Immediately after the expiration of the above period of six days, you will return to the Third a.s.sistant Postmaster General all stamps of the old style in your possession, including such as you may obtain by exchange, placing them in a secure package, which must be carefully registered in the manner prescribed by Chapter 39, of the Regulations of this Department.

Be careful also to write legibly the name of your office as well as that of your county and state. A strict compliance with the foregoing instructions is absolutely necessary, that you may not fail to obtain credit for the amount of stamps returned.

Instead of sending stamps to the Department you can if convenient, exchange them for new ones at some city post office, where large supplies are to be found. It being impossible to supply all offices with new stamps at once, you will deliver letters received from Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Maryland and Pennsylvania, prepayed by stamps of the old issue, until September 10th, those from other loyal states east of the Rocky Mountains until the first of October, and those from the states of California and Oregon and from the Territories of New Mexico, Utah, and Was.h.i.+ngton, until the first of November, 1861.

Your Obedient Servant, A. N. ZEVELY, Third a.s.sistant Postmaster General.

A second issue of this circular merely extended the dates September 10th, October 1st and November 1st, 1861 to November 1st, December 1st, 1861, and January 1st, 1862, respectively.