History of the Postage Stamps of the United States of America Part 16

The Evening Mail says:

"Our old postage stamps were really neat and pleasing in appearance. They were National and American, as they ought to have been. The head of Was.h.i.+ngton was venerable, and our three cent stamps were as perfect as they well could be. So also the one cent stamp with the head of Franklin was equally appropriate. There was a fitness of congruity in putting the head of the old, thrifty economist, on the one cent stamp. Our youth were reminded of the wise saws and sayings of "Poor Richard" and it taught them that if they learned to save the cents, the dollars were more likely to take care of themselves.

But now think of the miserable, confused looking thing, with its wretched printing, that the Post Office has given us for the present three cent stamp. It is neither historical, national, beautiful, nor anything but a paltry evidence of the fact, that some engraver has got paid or will get paid for a job that ought never to have been done. Can our authorities not let well enough alone?

Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, all have railroad engines such as ours. What is there in a big chimney on a railroad carriage to indicate the nationality of our postal system. Aye, but there are words, "United States Postage" on the stamp. Just so. We remember to have seen a boy's drawing on a sheet of paper, the words "this is a church" underneath, and certainly the artistic performance needed the index, but not more so than the new stamp requires a similar proclamation to tell the world what it means. And then again look at the printing of the word "Postage." Can our engravers do nothing better than that? We hope that the contractors have been paid for their work. If so, then let the post office folks give us back again our old head of Was.h.i.+ngton, and save us from looking at the contemptible thing that we are now getting in its stead."

Another paper says:

"The present miserable experiments in blue, with a meaningless legend, are to be recalled and something new in red is to be subst.i.tuted. The old heads of Was.h.i.+ngton, Jefferson, Jackson, Franklin and Lincoln are to be restored. It is about time that some definite form and design of postage stamp should be adopted, so that people may know to a certainty what mucilaged square of paper will carry a letter to its designation, and what not."

The New York Herald says:

"The old style of three cent postage stamps had thereon a face of Was.h.i.+ngton, out of compliment to a good man. It now has a railway scene to represent how Congressmen make money. The two cent stamp represents a man on horseback. This represents Booth's death ride into Maryland. The one cent stamp should represent a cow with the favorite son of the Covington postmaster fast to her tail. This out of compliment to Grant."

An Eastern paper says:

"The Government introduced the present nondescript things called postage stamps, for the purpose of frightening counterfeiters."

And later the Herald says:

"Another attempt is to be made to give us decent postage stamps.

We suppose it will fail, as so many have hitherto. Our postal authorities try too much. If they will only take the Italian or French stamp, and put Was.h.i.+ngton's head in place of Victor Emanuel's, or Napoleon's, they cannot fail; but they will try some improvements and spoil all."

The post office department announced the issue in the following circular:

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.

_Finance Office, March 1st, 1869._

Sir:

At an early day, in the regular course of business, the Department will issue to Postmasters stamps of new designs.

[See description annexed.] In the proposed issue the six cent stamp is subst.i.tuted for the five cents. You are required to exhaust all of the present style on hand, before supplying the public with the new; and in no case will you be allowed to make exchanges for individuals, or to return stamps to the Department to be exchanged. The stamps now in use are not to be disregarded, but must be recognized in all cases equally with the new ones.

Special attention is called to the fact that sheets of all denominations below 15 cents contain 150 stamps. The 15 cents and all higher denominations, contain 100 stamps on each sheet.

This must be borne in mind to prevent mistakes in counting, as in the present issue each denomination has but 100 stamps to the sheet. Special requests for the new style of stamps will be disregarded until the stock of the present issue in possession of the Department is exhausted. Due notice will be given of the date of issue of any new design of stamped envelopes, therefor all inquiries respecting them will be disregarded.

(Signed.) A. N. ZEVELY, Third a.s.sistant Postmaster General.

The description upon the other side requires to be supplemented for collectors, but is incorporated in those following.

ISSUE OF MARCH 19TH, 1869.

Composed of ten values each of a different type.

ONE CENT. Head of Franklin, in profile, looking to the left, on a circular disk horizontally lined, surrounded by a broad circle ornamented with colorless pearls, bordered by a band of rayed lines between fine white lines, with exterior fine colored line, and divided into three labels by ornaments at the sides and bottom. "_U. S.

Postage_" at the top; large numeral "1" in a small oval (sic) with a border of colorless loops between the words "_One Cent_" at the bottom.

Color, Roman ochre. Corners plain without color.

Plate impression, circular, 20 by 20 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12, grilled and without grille.

1 cent, Roman ochre.

TWO CENTS. Post horse and rider facing to the left, trees, fence, etc., in background, surrounded by ornamental scroll work, "_United States_"

in small colored capitals on the ground above, a curtain inscribed "_Postage_" in colorless capitals at the top. "_Two Cents_" at the bottom on a ribbon with large numeral "2" between the words, both in outline shaded. Color, light bronze.

Plate impression, 20 by 19 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12, grilled and without grille.

2 cents, yellow-brown, light and dark chestnut-brown.

THREE CENTS. Locomotive heading to the right, surrounded by ornamental scroll work, "_United States_" in colored block capitals on a curved band, "_Postage_" in colorless capitals in a tablet beneath, at top.

"_Three Cents_" in outline shaded block capitals, in two scrolls at the bottom, with numeral "3" in a s.h.i.+eld (sic) between the words. Color, Imperial ultramarine blue.

There is no s.h.i.+eld as stated in the official description.

Plate impression, 20 by 19 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12, grilled and without grille.

3 cents blue.

SIX CENTS. Head of Was.h.i.+ngton, three quarters face looking to the right, on a ground of vertical and horizontal lines, bordered by a solid broad colored line, ornamented by 68 pearls. Spandrels checkered and bordered by colorless lines. Frame square, composed of vertically lined squares in the upper corners, with narrower horizontally lined label between, with a broad colored border, ornamented by pearls and exterior colorless and colored line above. The colored labels are narrower than the upper squares at the sides, and are bordered by colorless pearls and an interior white line, an exterior colorless and fine colored line.

Horizontally lined label across the entire bottom, widened at the ends to correspond with the upper squares, with exterior colorless and colored line. "_U. S._" in upper left and right corners of frame respectively. The word "_Postage_" in upper bar of frame, "_Six Cents_"

in lower, the numeral "6" between the words, and "_United States_" on each side. Color, ultramarine.

Plate impression, 20 by 20 mm., square, in color, on white paper, perforated 12, grilled and possibly without grille.

6 cents blue.

TEN CENTS. s.h.i.+eld of the United States on which is resting an eagle with outspread wings, looking to the left. "_United States_" in small colored capitals with "_Postage_" in large outline capitals, shaded in a second line beneath, in the upper section of the s.h.i.+eld, numeral "10"

in lower. The words "_Ten Cents_" in scroll at the bottom in outline shaded capitals. The whole design surrounded by thirteen stars arranged in a semicircle, (sic) color, orange. The background is rayed behind the eagle and the semicircle of stars are upon this only, the background behind the s.h.i.+eld is of clouds, there is no frame.

Plate impression, 19 by 18 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12 and grilled, possibly also without grille.

10 cents orange.

TWELVE CENTS. Ocean Steam s.h.i.+p, headed to left in horizontal oval, surrounded by ornamented scroll work. In a double tablet with arched top on horizontally lined ground, and colored capitals in a curved line, "_United States_" and "_Postage_" in outline capitals on a solid ground.

On three scrolls in outline capitals and numerals shaded, "_Twelve Cents_" at the bottom, with numeral "12" between the words. Color, malori green.

Plate impression, 20 by 19 mm., in color, on white paper, slightly surfaced green, perforated 12 and grilled, possibly also without grille.

12 cents, green.

FIFTEEN CENTS. Microscopic reproduction of the large picture, in the Capitol at Was.h.i.+ngton, of the "Landing of Columbus," in an oblong rectangle 20 by 10 mm., with rounded upper corners, surrounded at a little distance by a single colored line. Ornamental and scroll work at top and bottom on a ground ruled horizontally inside and vertically outside of the scrolls, the whole surrounded by a colorless and fine colored line. On a colorless tablet, in Gothic capitals, "_U. S._"; in a curved line of outline capitals on the ground, "_Postage_" at top.

_Fifteen Cents_ at bottom, with numerals "15" underneath in outline colorless capitals, on the ground. Colors: picture, Prussian blue, scroll and ornamental work pale Indian red.

Plate impression, 21 by 21 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12, grilled and not grilled. The paper is more or less surfaced with blue.

15 cents blue and brown.