History of the Postage Stamps of the United States of America Part 9

(Signed) JAMES CAMPBELL, Postmaster General.

_Post Office Department, March 12, 1855._

N. B.--Copy of the Act of March 3d, 1855, on the back.

Another circular dated at Was.h.i.+ngton, Nov. 20th, 1855, also signed by the Postmaster General, after reciting certain regulations which are addressed to and concern only the postmasters themselves, contains the following:

"Section 7. The denominations of postage stamps authorized by the Department to be issued, are _one_, _three_, _five_, _ten_ and _twelve_ cents."

The one, three and twelve cents of the issue of 1851, remaining in use without apparent change, and the same contract with Messrs. Toppan, Carpenter, Ca.s.silar & Co., of Philadelphia, remaining in force, the following were added to the series:

ISSUE OF MAY 5TH, 1855.

TEN CENTS. Portrait of Was.h.i.+ngton, after Stewart, faced three-quarters to the left, on an oval disk with hatched ground, bordered by a colorless line between two fine colored lines, the colorless line crossed in parts by small horizontal lines, on a hatched back-ground, bordered by outlined foliations, which form small ovals in the upper corners containing a colorless "X," with "_U. S. Postage_" in colored capitals between them. Thirteen colorless stars on the ground above the oval. "_Ten Cents_" in colorless capitals in a waved line below.

Plate impression, 18 by 24 mm., in color, on white paper.

10 cents, green.

This stamp was issued to provide for the single rate to California.

ISSUE OF JANUARY 5TH, 1856.

FIVE CENTS. Portrait of Jefferson, the third President of the United States, faced three quarters to the right, on an oval disk, 12 by 15 mm., with hatched ground, bordered by a colorless line between two fine colored lines, in a broad frame with solid ground, ornamented by colorless lines forming a geometric lathe pattern. This frame is rounded at the corners, with a small projection of about 2 mm. between at the top, bottom and sides, and is surrounded at a little distance by a fine colored line following the same outline. On the back ground, without labels, above "_U. S. Postage_," below "_Five Cents_," in colorless Roman capitals.

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

5 cents, in shades of yellow brown, red brown, and dark brown.

This stamp was issued to prepay the registration fee, but is often found in unsevered pairs upon California letters, and sometimes in triplets including the registration fee and a single postage to California.

On the 24th of April, 1856, a stamp of the value of twenty-four cents was approved.

TWENTY-FOUR CENTS. Portrait of Was.h.i.+ngton, after Stewart, faced three quarters to the right, on an oval disk, with hatched ground, bordered by a colorless line, surrounded by a solid band of color, inscribed in colorless Roman capitals, above "_U. S. Postage_," below "_Twenty-four Cents_," separated by a sort of buckle at the sides. A broad solid colored frame, ornamented by colorless lathe work is surrounded, at a little distance, by a fine colored line, and the corners are rounded, with a single swell between them above and below, and three between them at the sides.

Plate impression, 18 by 25 mm., in color, on white paper.

24 cents, lilac.

Although made and approved, this stamp is said to have been withheld from issue in this imperforate condition. They were finished and gummed, and some of them seem to have gotten into circulation, as occasional specimens are to be found in collections, and one entire sheet, at least, is known to have existed.

OBSERVATIONS.

Every collector ought at least to be aware of the nature and character of the varieties that exist in these stamps. Although many of them are very minute, and can be distinguished only by the use of a good magnifying gla.s.s, others, once noticed, can readily be selected by the una.s.sisted eye. Few will care, probably, to place more than the most marked varieties in their collections, still fewer will have the patience to explore the necessary piles of common "stock," in order to find these marked varieties, for the most marked are the most uncommon, or to distinguish the more minute varieties from each other.

The plates of all values printed 200 stamps each upon the sheet. Before the stamps were distributed, each sheet was cut vertically into half sheets, the place where they were to be cut being marked on the plate by a vertical colored line, and each half containing ten rows of ten stamps each. Upon each side of the plate, at a little distance from the outer row of stamps, the tops of the letters being towards the stamps, and running along the sides of the 5th and 6th stamp from the top or bottom of the sheet, and part of the 4th and 7th stamp, is the maker's imprint, "Toppan, Carpenter, Ca.s.silar & Co., BANK NOTE ENGRAVERS, Phila., New York, Boston and Cincinnati," with "No--P." in a second line. This imprint was afterwards changed by leaving out the third name.

The one cent eagle is an exception, as the imprint here appears at the top and bottom of the sheet, running along the s.p.a.ce covered by four stamps, and the sheet is said to have contained only 100 stamps.

Upon some of the sheets, of the other values, from the first plate, there is also a vertical line from the top to bottom of the plate, probably upon each outer margin. Upon other sheets, this does not appear. Specimens of these are now difficult to obtain, as the wide borders at the sides, the top and bottom of the sheets, were usually cut off when the stamps were used.

ONE CENT UNPERFORATED.

The stamps are about mm. apart between the nearest points of the tops and bottoms, and 1 mm. between the nearest points of the sides.

It should be noticed that the top and bottom labels have a fine line parallel to the solid body of the inscribed labels, both at the top and bottom.

The imprint is about 1 mm. from the outer row of stamps. The central vertical line is about 1 mm. from each central row. The side vertical lines are about 3 mm. from the outside rows. These dimensions vary slightly. There is little appreciable difference in the stamps in a sheet, except in the thickness of the lines bordering or shading the ornaments. In some specimens, these lines are all fine in all parts of the stamp, in others, they are much heavier, and in others fine in parts and heavy in other parts, in many gradations. The color used seems to have been always the same, varying only in intensity, as more or less ink was left on the paper in printing. Dark, or pale specimens, with intermediate shades may therefore be found. The paper is always white, but more or less tinted with the color of the stamp from imperfect wiping of the plates.

THREE CENTS UNPERFORATED.

The number of plates used in printing this value unperforated, has not been possible to determine. The distance between the stamps varies considerably in different plates. In some, they are only 7/10 mm. apart between the tops and bottoms, in others a little over 1 mm. In some they are only 9/10 mm. apart between the side lines, in other fully 1-2/10 mm. Specimens with broad, white margins (A) show the paper to have extended, sometimes 15 mm. beyond the stamps. The vertical lines are (B) 6 mm., or (C) 2, 3 and 3 mm. from the center rows. The makers imprint (D) is about 1 mm. from the outer rows, but varies slightly in different sheets.

The process of making these plates is said to have been; first to mark out on a soft plate of steel the points at which the right vertical line of each vertical row of stamps was to come, by a dot at the top and bottom of the plate. These dots were sometimes too large and too heavily put in, and may be found in some specimens (E) at or near, the upper or lower right hand corner of the stamp. The lines however were not always accurately drawn so that the dot appears (F) on the top or bottom line, at a distance to the left of the corner, or (G) above the line, or (H) below the line, or (I) entirely outside of the stamp to the right. These lines having been drawn, the next step in the process was to put in the body of the design, which had been engraved on a soft steel punch or die, and then hardened, by placing the die successively in the position to be occupied by each stamp on the plate, and "rocking" it back and forth under pressure. As this process was not as perfect as that now employed, the die was not always placed in exactly the proper position, not infrequently being too near or too far from the vertical side lines, or the die was not rocked far enough, and the edges were left imperfect.

In the design, it was evidently intended that the outside lines should be equally distant from the top and bottom labels, and the side edges of the block, and that the corners should be exactly mitered. The top and bottom lines are practically always at the same distance from the labels, and one engraver maintains that they were engraved on the die.

But specimens are plentiful in which (a) the top and bottom line projects beyond the side line, or (b) does not touch it, or rarely (c) is double or split, or again the side line (d) projects beyond the top or bottom line, or (e) does not touch it. Again, instead of the side line being (f) at the proper distance from the corner blocks, it is not infrequently (g) too far from one or more of them, or (h) too near one or more of them, or (i) touches one or more of them. Again, the side line is found (j) connecting with the next stamp above or below, and occasionally there is a second line (J) near this between two stamps.

In the die itself it will be noticed that the lower left block is almost always a little further to the left than the top one, in fact, that the distance from the right of the right block to the left of the left block is about of a mm. greater at the bottom than at the top of the stamp.

The lower right rosette is a little too far also to the right, ordinarily at least. The blocks vary in size in the same and different stamps, as well as the diamonds in them, which are not of uniform shape or size. The labels above and below are crowded upon the rosettes. The sides of the groundwork should terminate in a straight line, formed by the bases of the little colored triangles, which touch each other. But this line is often broken in appearance as parts of it are too finely cut, or the die was not rocked far enough. In some cases this seems to have been remedied by re-engraving this line, and there is a heavy line, independent of the base lines of the triangles extending, (K) from rosette to rosette, (L) from the lower rosette to the upper triangle, (M) from the lower rosette to the middle of the upper triangle, (N) from the lower rosette to the top of the upper triangle, (O) from the lower rosette to the upper block, (P) a light line extending from the lower rosette to the upper block, (Q) a heavy line extending from the middle of the lower block to the upper triangle, (R) or from the middle of the lower triangle to the upper rosette. Frequently there is a light line (S) from the side of the triangle in the corner to the adjacent block.

The triangles are ordinarily shaded by horizontal parallel lines, and are formed by a single fine line on the top and vertical sides, while the curved side is double. But the following variations occur: (T) the triangle has a heavy side line, (U) a double side line, (V) a triple side line, (W) is white or nearly so, the horizontal line having disappeared.

Again it will be found that there are added lines along the whole or part of either side line, making these double, or even triple. Thus whether there is a distinct line, as described, between the rosettes, etc., or not, if the next line be called the frame line, there may be found varieties with an extra line outside the frame line, but (k) very near it, (l) farther from it, (m) very heavy, the frame line being thin, (n) the frame line split into two parts from the middle up, (o) frame line split into two parts from chin up, (p) two extra side lines all the way, (q) extra line from the level of the chin to the upper rosette, (r) extra line from the level of the lips to upper rosette, (s) from the level of the lips to the centre of the rosette, (t) from the level of the nose to the top of the triangle, (u) from the level of the breast to the top of the triangle, (v) opposite the bottom rosette. If there be added to these letters the numerals 1 to express the left side, 2 the right when the variations occur along the whole side, and 1 for the top, 3 for the bottom on the left side, 2 for the top, and 4 for the bottom on the right side, when the variations occur only at the top or bottom, the following table will facilitate investigation.

On the On the LEFT Specimens Showing RIGHT at the at the Top Bottom Top Bottom

A^1 broad margin over 6 mm. and no line A^2 B^1 " " ver. line 6 mm. from stamp B^2 C^1 " " " 2 to 3 " C^2 D^1 " " printer's imprint D^2 ... ... dot on or near the corner E^2 E^4 ... ... " " the end line, away from corner F^2 F^4 ... ... " above " G^2 G^4 ... ... " below " H^2 H^4 ... ... " outside the corner I^2 I^4 a^1 a^3 end line projecting beyond the corner a^2 a^4 b^1 b^3 " " not touching " b^2 b^4 c^3 " " split or double c^4 d^1 d^3 side " projecting beyond " d^2 d^4 e^1 e^3 " " not touching " e^2 e^4 f^1 f^3 " " ordinary distance from block f^2 f^4 g^1 g^3 " " too far from " g^2 g^4 h^1 h^3 " " too close to " h^2 h^4 i^1 i^3 " " touching the " i^2 i^4 j^1 j^3 " " connecting with the next stamp j^2 j^4 ... ... " " and another " " " J^2 ...

K^1 heavy " from rosette to rosette K^2 L^1 " " " low. roset. to up'r triangle L^2 M^1 " " " lo. r. to mid. of " " M^2 N^1 " " " " " top of " " N^2 O^1 " " " " " " block O^2 P^1 light " " " " " " P^2 Q^1 heavy " " mid. low. block to triangle Q^2 R^1 " " " " tri. to up. roset. R^2 S^1 S^3 fine " " triangle to adjoining block S^2 S^4 T^1 T^3 triangle with heavy side line T^2 T^4 U^1 U^3 " extra " U^2 U^4 V^1 V^3 " 2 " " V^2 V^4 W^1 W^3 " white or nearly so W^2 W^4 k^1 extra line, outside frame line near it k^2 l^1 " " " " far off l^2 m^1 heavy " " thin frame line m^2 n^1 frame " split into 2 parts half way n^2 o^1 " " " " " ...

p^1 two extra lines, continuous ...

q^1 extra line frame, lev. of chin to up'r roset. ...

r^1 " " " lips " ...

s^1 " " " " center roset. ...

t^1 " " " nose, top of trian. ...

u^1 " " " breast, " ...

v^1 " opposite the bottom rosette ...

All the variations mentioned in this table have been found. It is scarcely possible that each of them exists separately, i. e.; on specimens that are in other respects normal. Many of them have been found so, but most of them only in combination. The following may be mentioned:

A, B, C, D. Specimens showing broad margins with no outer line, with outer line 6 mm. from stamp, with outer line about 3 mm.

from the stamp, or with printer's imprint, have been found, both from the left and right sides of the sheet, with all the other parts normal. These would be,

A^1 f^{1 2 3 4}, A^2 f^{1 2 3 4}, B^1 f^{1 2 3 4}, B^2 f^{1 2 3 4}, C^1 f^{1 2 3 4}, C^2 f^{1 2 3 4}, D^1 f^{1 2 3 4}, D^2 f^{1 2 3 4}.

With the vertical line about 3 mm. from the stamp, three corners only normal, the side line too near the lower right block, a dot on the upper right corner, the right line connected with the stamp below, and a fine line from each of the upper triangles to the block above, which would be C^2 f^{1 2 3} h^4 E^2 j^4 S^{2 4}.