History of the Postage Stamps of the United States of America Part 13

ISSUE OF AUGUST 14TH, 1861.

The portraits upon the 8 types or values of this issue seem to be copied from the same pictures as were those on the corresponding denominations of the preceeding issue. The same values are represented, that is:

ONE CENT. Portrait of Benjamin Franklin, in profile to the right, on an oval disk with engine turned ground of interlaced colored lines on a solid colored ground, framed round with interlaced colorless lines of engine turned work on solid colored ground, bordered by a colorless line with exterior fine colored line. "_U. S. Postage_" in colorless ordinary capitals in a curved line following the oval above, "_One Cent_" in the same letters and reversed curve below. Corners of quarter circles and two foliated ornaments. "1" and "1" in the upper and "_U._" and "_S._"

in the lower corners, in ornamental colorless numerals and letters, on a vertically lined ground.

Plate impression, 20 by 25 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.

1 Cent, pale and dark blue.

THREE CENTS. Head of Was.h.i.+ngton, in profile to left, upon engine turned ground with sinuous frame of interlaced engine turned colorless lines upon a solid colored ground, bordered by a colorless line, with exterior fine colored line following the curves of the ground. Above, "_U. S._"

in a straight line with "_Postage_" below it in an arched line, and large numeral "3" on each side. Below the head "_Three_," in reversed curve with "_Cents_" in double curve below and "_U._" and "_S._" at the sides all in colorless capitals and numerals on the engine turned frame and ground, the corner numerals and letters ornamented. Corners and sides filled out with foliated ornaments.

Plate impression, 19 by 25 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.

3 cents, shades of rose.

FIVE CENTS. Head of Jefferson, faced three quarters to the left on an oval disk with rectangular hatched ground, bordered by a colorless line with fine colored exterior line. Broad frame of engine turned colorless lines on a solid ground, with rounded corners, and curved outwards at top, bottom and sides, bordered by a colorless line and a fine colored line. Large "5" in upper corners, and "_U. S. Postage_" in a double curve above the oval, "_Five Cents_" in a curved line following the oval below, "_U._" in lower left, and "_S._" in lower right corner, all in colorless letters upon the engine turned work of frame. The corners are filled out with foliated ornaments.

Plate impression, 20 by 25 mm., in color, upon white paper, perforated 12.

5 cents, ochre, shades of brown.

TEN CENTS. Head of Was.h.i.+ngton, faced three quarters to left, on a rectangularly hatched ground, bordered by four bands, forming a sort of oval. The bands are bordered all around by a colorless and exterior fine colored line. The upper band is inscribed "_U. S. Postage_," on the solid ground, and the ends of the bands are rounded; the lower band is inscribed "_Ten Cents_" on the solid ground, and the ends of the band are curved inwards; the side bands are of irregular shape, with the ends rounded and bear four stars each, on a horizontally lined ground. The rest of the stamp is composed of colorless foliated ornaments, between colored lines upon the solid ground, forming irregular ovals in the corners, with a band between the upper ones, bearing five stars, "10"

and "10" in the upper, "_U._" and "_S._" in the lower corners, on horizontally lined ground, letters, numerals and stars all colorless in colored outlines.

Plate impression, 20 by 24 mm, in color, on white paper, perforated 12.

10 cents, green, yellow-green.

TWELVE CENTS. Head of Was.h.i.+ngton, similar to the ten cents, on an oval disk, with rectangularly hatched ground, bordered by a colorless line and exterior fine colored line. Broad frame of engine turned colorless lines on a solid ground, with rounded corners and waved edges, bordered by a colorless line, and a fine colored line. The corners are filled out with loops on colored ground. "12" and "12" set diagonally in the upper corners, "_U. S. Postage_" following the curve of the oval above, "_Twelve Cents_" in double curve line below, and "_U._" and "_S._" in the lower corners. The letters and numerals are colorless, with colored outlines on the engine turned work of frame.

Plate impression, 19 by 24 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.

12 cents, black.

TWENTY-FOUR CENTS. Small portrait of Was.h.i.+ngton, faced three quarters to the right, on a rectangularly hatched ground, surrounded by a fancy lozenge-shaped frame of engine turned colorless lines on solid colored ground, bordered by a colorless line and exterior fine colored line. The upper corners are filled out with foliated ornaments, containing the numerals "24" and "24," set diagonally with 3 colorless stars between.

The lower corners each contain a large colored star between foliated ornaments. "_U._" on the left and "_S._" on the right star; "_U. S.

Postage_" above and "_Twenty-four Cents_" below the head, near and following the outer curve of frame. The letters, numerals and ornaments are all colorless, but with colored outlines.

Plate impression, 19 by 24 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.

24 cents, lilac.

THIRTY CENTS. Head of Benjamin Franklin, in profile to left, on a circular disk with diagonally hatched ground, 16 mm. in diameter, bordered by a colorless line and exterior fine colored line. A colorless line between two fine colored lines, at about 2 mm. from the circle, with foliated ends, forms a label above and below, the upper inscribed "_U. S. Postage_," the lower "_Thirty Cents_," on lined ground, in colorless letters outlined with color. Foliated ornaments without color, but colored outlines form irregular s.p.a.ces in the corners, with "30" and "30" in the upper, "_U._" and "_S._" in the lower ones, in colorless letters outlined and heavily shaded in color on a lined ground.

Plate impression, 20 by 24 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.

30 cents, orange.

NINETY CENTS. Head of Was.h.i.+ngton, in General's costume, after Trumbal's portrait, faced three quarters to the left, on an oval disk, 13 by 17 mm., with rectangularly hatched ground, bordered by a colorless line and exterior colored line, surrounded by a band forming a point above and below, and bordered outside by a second colorless line and an exterior colored line, and crossed by fine colored lines. "90" and "90" on this band above, "_Ninety Cents_" below in colorless letters with colored outlines. Waved band with similar borders crossing the former above, and inscribed "_U. S. Postage_" in the same letters. The lower corners are filled with foliated ornaments upon which are "_U._" and "_S._" in similar letters.

Plate impression, 19 by 24 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.

90 cents, indigo blue.

It will be noticed that the original contract under which these stamps were first manufactured by the National Bank Note Co., expired in 1865.

On its expiration a new contract was made with the same company for a term of four years longer.

To preserve the history of the postal legislation of the United States which effects the use of stamps, the provisions of the Act of the x.x.xVII Congress, Session III, Chapter 71, approved March 3d, 1863, must be noted here, although they did not result in any change in the stamps in use, except the addition of two new values:

Sec. 3. No mail matter shall be delivered until postage is paid.

Sec. 13. The Postmaster General is authorized to establish branch offices for the sale of stamps, etc.

Sec. 17. Postage must be prepaid at the time of mailing on domestic letters, transient printed matter and all other things not herein provided for.

Sec. 18. Daily, weekly, etc., publications must be prepaid quarterly in advance by the receiver.

Sec. 23. Drop letters will be charged 2 cents, to be prepaid by postage stamps, but no carrier's fee.

Sec. 32. The registration fee to be fixed by the Postmaster General, but not to exceed in any case 20 cents.

In accordance with these last provisions however, there were issued two additional values.

The report of the Postmaster General for the year 1863, states that a two cent stamp had been prepared and issued, princ.i.p.ally to prepay the postage on drop letters, and the report for 1878, fixes the date of issue at of the 1st of July, 1863.

ISSUE OF JULY 1ST, 1863.

(As additional to the series of 1861.)

TWO CENTS. Very large head of Andrew Jackson, on an oval disk with rectangularly hatched ground, bordered by a fine colorless line with an exterior colored line; on a band above, similarly bordered, and with parallel lined ground, "_U. S. Postage_" in colorless capitals outlined and shaded; on short bands, similarly constructed, below on the left "_Two_," on the right "_Cents_." Foliated ornaments in the four corners, forming small solid circles, bearing the numeral "2" in the upper, and colorless ovals bearing "_U._" on the left, and "_S._" on the right, in irregular shaped colored letters.

Plate impression, 20 by 25 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.

2 cents, black.

The Postmaster General having fixed the registration fee at 15 cents, a stamp of that denomination was issued.

ISSUE OF APRIL 1ST, 1866.

FIFTEEN CENTS. Bust of Abraham Lincoln, on an oval disk 13 by 18 mm.

with rectangularly hatched ground, bordered by a broad colorless line, between two fine colored lines, and ornamented by short horizontal colored lines. On the sides, Roman fasces, without the ax, on each side.

Above on a scroll, bordered by a colorless line between two fine colored lines, curved up and back to form small ovals, and ending at the top in foliations and inscribed on the band "_U. S. Postage_" in colorless capitals, in the ovals "15" in colorless numerals; below, a curved band following the outline of the oval, similarly bordered, and inscribed in similar letters "_Fifteen Cents_"; foliated ornaments forming colored ovals in the corners, with "_U._" in the left, "_S._" in the right, in colorless capitals.

Plate impression, 19 by 25 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.