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[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF J. K. TIFFANY.]
HISTORY OF THE
=POSTAGE STAMPS=
OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
BY JOHN K. TIFFANY,
Author of THE PHILATELICAL LIBRARY,
President of the American Philatelic Association and of the St. Louis
Philatelic Society. Honorary Member of the Philatelic Society of London.
Corresponding Member of the Societe Francaise de Timbrologie, the
Societies of Dresden, Wurtemburg, Etc.
1887:
C. H. MEKEEL, PHILATELIC PUBLISHER,
ST. LOUIS, MO.
Copyrighted by J. K. Tiffany. 1886.
All Rights Reserved.
=CONTENTS.=
PORTRAIT OF J. K. TIFFANY (Frontispiece).
PREFACE 9
INTRODUCTION 13
Chapter I, U. S. City Dispatch Post 19
" II, Uniform Postage 23
" III, Postmaster's Stamps 26
" IV, Stamp of the N. Y. Postmaster 29
" V, Stamps of the St. Louis " 36
" VI, Stamp of the Brattleboro " 48
" VII, Stamp of the New Haven " 51
" VIII, Stamps of the Providence " 54
" IX, Stamp of the Alexandria " 60
" X, Stamps of the Baltimore " 62
" XI, Stamp of the Millbury " 65
" XII, Stamped Env. of Wash'n " 67
" XIII, Stamps of the Phila'lphia " 69
" XIV, Stamp of the Worcester " 70
" XV, Stamp of the Pittsfield " 71
" XVI, Observations 72
" XVII, The Issue of 1847 74
" XVIII, The Issue of 1851 81
" XIX, The Issue of 1857 110
" XX, The Issue of 1861 122
" XXI, The Issue of 1867-9 137
" XXII, The Issue of 1869 144
" XXIII, The Issue of 1870 158
" XXIV, Postage Due Stamps 198
" XXV, Special Delivery Stamp 204
" XXVI, Newspaper and Periodical St'ps 209
" XXVII, Official Stamps 227
" XXVIII, Official Seals 249
" XXIX, Reprints 254
INDEX 267
PUBLISHERS' ANNOUNCEMENTS 275
=ERRATA.=
Page 96, 3d line from top, for _25_c lilac read _24_ cents.
Page 102 in lines 5, 6, 7 and 8 from bottom in last column for F^2 G^2
H^2 I^2 read F^4 G^4 H^4 I^4.
Page 103 in lines 16 to 20 in second column for S^2 T^2 U^2 V^2 W^2 read
S^3 T^3 U^3 V^3 W^3.
Page 104 5th line from bottom, omit _u_ in "prolongued."
Page 143, 9th line from top for "_follows_" read "_above_."
Page 144, last line supply "_test of_" in the blank.
Page 196, 4th line from top for (") read "_cochineal_."
Page 196, 6th line from top, for "_12 cents_" read "_15 cents_."
PREFACE.
In seeking for information concerning the postage stamps of the United
States, we shall turn in vain to sources which have furnished, in other
countries, such accurate details in regard to the stamps issued by their
postal authorities, for the stamps authorized by the United States Post
Office Department are not manufactured by the government, and there is
no "stamp office" to authenticate each plate, and register the number of
sheets made from it, and no edict, proclamation or law informs the
public of the values authorized for use, or of the designs, or other
peculiarities of the stamps to be employed. The Postmaster General is
authorized, in general terms of the law, to provide such stamps as he
may, from time to time, judge most convenient and expedient for the
collection of the postal rates fixed by other laws, and is required to
have them manufactured by those who, under general provisions of other
laws regulating all government work, offer to do it at the lowest
price.
The proposals for such work and the contracts made with the parties
successful in the competition, reserve the right to the Postmaster
General to change the values, designs, etc., from time to time as he may
judge expedient, and specify nothing as to these particulars, while they
are very specific as to the quality of the work, and the precautions to
be observed in the manufacture, to prevent pecuniary loss to the
Department. A government official inspects the work in order that it may
conform in quality to the contract, and the records are kept of the
number of stamps of each value made and turned over to the Department,
without further specifications. In a word, no record is preserved of how
many stamps of any particular design, paper, water-mark, perforation or
other peculiarity, are made, or of the date of the adoption of any of
these things. Third Assistant Postmaster General Ireland, during his
term of office, once wrote "It has always surprised me that the
Department has never kept any official history of its stamps." Many of
these details might be gathered no doubt from the very voluminous
correspondence between the Department and the several contractors, if it
were accessible, but upon investigation it appears that many interesting
changes have been made upon mere verbal instructions.
We shall have therefore to rely upon quite different sources for our
information. Fortunately the enterprise of collectors has probably
discovered all the varieties of the stamps themselves, and only a
careful study of them is necessary to their complete description. The
materials upon which the present work is based were gathered together
mostly as accident threw them into the hands of the author, from time to
time, without any attempt at systematic research or arrangement, until
at the request of J. B. Moens, of Brussells, they were arranged to form
a volume of his "Bibliotheque Des Timbrophiles." The annual reports of
the Postmaster General have furnished some points of interest directly
and many inferentially; the circulars notifying postmasters of the more
important changes, a nearly complete file of which has been consulted,
have been a great guide; while frequently very interesting details have
been extracted from the files of contemporaneous daily papers; and the
published results of the researches of such indefatigable investigators
as Messrs. Bagg, Brown and Scott, in the Philatelical Press, and the
articles of Cosmopolitan and Scott have been freely drawn upon. Many
large collections have been kindly submitted for inspection, in
particular those of Messrs Van Derlip, Sterling and Casey, and thus we
are able to describe every stamp and essay from actual specimens, except
in a few instances specially noted. While there may be possible
omissions, the reader may feel assured of the existence of everything
described.
Frequent demands for the translation of the French work have led to the
present publication. But as that work was prepared to conform to the
general plan of the works compiled for the series of M. Moens'
Bibliotheque, it contained many things, concerning the history and
customs of the post office of the United States, which the American
collector is supposed to know, and omitted some details concerning the
part played by various collectors and dealers in finding out the
particulars of the history of certain stamps and like matters, which it
was thought might be interesting to our home collectors, but which the
impersonal character of the French Series made it advisable to omit in
the original compilation.
The entire work has been therefore largely recast in the hope of making
it more acceptable to American collectors, and in several instances
comments have been made upon stamps that were not mentioned in the
French edition, in order to correct certain erroneous views entertained
concerning them in this country, which it was supposed was sufficiently
accomplished by their omission in the other series.
_St. Louis, August, 1886._
INTRODUCTION.
In 1676 John Heyward, by the authority of General Court of the Colony of
Massachusetts, established his postal system with its office in Boston.
In 1683 the government of Penn established a postal system for the
Colony of Pennsylvania. In 1700 Col. J. Hamilton organized "his postal
establishment for British America" including all the English colonies,
but soon after disposed of his right to the English crown. In 1710 the
English Parliament established by law the first governmental postal
system with the general office at New York, which continued until in
1776 the Continental Congress adopted and set in action the postal
system proposed by Franklin, who was appointed the first Postmaster
General. The first law of the Federal Congress continued this system in
operation as sufficient for the public wants, but the postal service was
not finally settled until the act of 1792.
This law (1792) liked a tariff which with unimportant changes remained
in force until the adoption of the system of Uniform Postage in the
United States. Single, double and triple letters were charged 8, 16 and
24 cents respectively when sent to other countries, and four cents plus
the internal postage when arriving from foreign countries. The internal
postage between offices in the United States was 6, 8, 10, 15, 17, 20,
22 and 25 cents for distances of 30, 60, 100, 150, 200, 250, 350, or 400
miles respectively for single letters, and double, triple, etc., this
for double, triple, etc., letters. A single letter was defined by the
law to be a single sheet or piece of paper, a double letter, two sheets
or pieces of paper, etc., etc.
The following acts of Congress may be consulted with advantage by those
curious with regard to the Post Office before the introduction of
stamps.
I Congress. I Session. Chap. 16, Sept., 1789
I " II " " 36, Aug., 1790
I " III " " 23, March, 1791
II " I " " 27, Feb., 1792
III " I " " 23, 8 May, 1794
V " III " " 41, 2 March, 1799
XI " II " " 37, 30 April, 1810
XIII " III " " 16, 23 Dec., 1814
XIV " I " " 7, 1 Feb., 1815
XIV " I " " 43, 9 April, 1816
XIX " II " " 61, 3 March, 1825
XX " I " " 61, 3 March, 1827
XXVII " II " " 43, 2 March, 1845
The earliest letters which we have seen, consist of single sheets of
paper folded and addressed upon the sheet. An envelope would have
subjected them to double postage. They are penmarked with the name of
the mailing office, the date occasionally, the amount of the postage
paid or due, generally in simple figures, sometimes with the word
"cents" in full or abbreviated, added. Gradually, hand stamps were
introduced. At first the name of the mailing office in a simple frame,
generally circular, the month and day being still written in with a pen,
and the amount of postage written as before. A further improvement
appears later on in the introduction of the month and day as part of the
hand stamp. The word "paid" or "due," the amount of postage in figures
or with "cents," either written or hand stamped, always added. And
finally all the marks are included in one hand stamp.
There was evidently no uniformity of practice, except the general
requirement that the name of the mailing office, the month and day, and
the amount of postage should in some form be marked on the letter.
Improvements seem generally to have originated in the larger offices,
but smaller offices sometimes took the lead in enterprise. An
improvement once adopted does not seem always to have been adhered to;
letters mailed at the same office on the same day and differently marked
may be frequently found in old files. The hand stamps seem to have been
obtained by the several offices for themselves, as there is no
uniformity of style.
Some of these hand stamps are curious enough to warrant a brief
description, and it would be difficult to lay down a rule which would
distinguish some of them from the stamps we admit to our albums.
A letter mailed at Philadelphia in 1825, bears an octagonal hand stamp
with a double lined frame and the words "Phila. 20 Jan." in three
lines, a second similar but smaller hand stamp with the word "Paid," and
the figures "26" written with a pen, all in red ink. These seem to have
been regularly employed for several years. Other letters from the same
city mailed in 1845-6-7 and 8, bear a circular hand stamp, the name of
the City and State surrounding the edge, the month and day in the
center, a single line surrounding all, the amount of postage in large
numerals and the words "DUE" or "PAID" in a small oval are separately
hand stamped. Letters from Baltimore of the same dates bear a similar
circular hand stamp with name and date, the amount of postage in large
numerals in an oval, and sometimes the word "PAID" in large letters
without frame. Jacksonville, Ill., Pittsburgh, Pa., and Little Rock,
Ark., employed similar hand stamps at the same time.
Louisville, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Boston and New York letters of the
same years have the same hand stamp with a numeral or numerals
indicative of the amount of postage added at the bottom within the
frame. When prepaid the word "PAID" was hand stamped below the other.
Some New York, Boston and Philadelphia letters of the same dates bear
the same hand stamp with "5 cts," "10 cts," etc., in the lower margin
within the frame, the word "PAID" being separately hand stamped when the
letter was prepaid. Many western letters bear also the word "Steam 5"
hand stamped upon them. These hand stamps remained in use up to 1851
when the rates were changed and appear even upon letters bearing the
adhesive stamps of the first issue.
In 1851 when the rates were changed to 3 cents ordinary postage, and 1
cent for drop letters, many of the same stamps appear with the figures
changed to 1 or 3, or to 1 ct., 3 cts., and 6 cts., Boston and
Petersburgh, Va., for example. A New York hand stamp of this period has
New York above, month and day in the middle and "PAID" and "3 cts" in
two more lines.
A Philadelphia hand stamp has name above, month and day in one line, and
"3 cts" in another, in the center, and "PAID" in lower margin.
Another, the ordinary dated postmark and a second circular stamp, nearly
as large, with the word "PAID" in large letters crossed by the numeral
"3" nearly an inch long.
A Springfield letter has the ordinary dated postmark and a second hand
stamp nearly as large with a large numeral "3" above and "PAID" below.
Cincinnati, Buffalo, Quincy, Ill., and others have the ordinary hand
stamp with the name above, month and day in the center and "3 PAID"
below.
Another letter has a round hand stamp fully an inch in diameter with the
word "PAID" across the center crossed by a large outline "3."
Another letter was hand stamped with a large "6" in an octagon double
frame and "PAID" separately hand stamped across it.
The Cincinnati hand stamp also appears with "1 PAID" in the margin.
New Orleans has the ordinary hand stamp and "PAID," "1" in two lines of
very large letters beneath.
St. Louis, has the ordinary hand stamp, and another with "1 ct" in large
octagonal frame added.
Many letters where the word "paid" appears in the dated stamp are also
separately hand stamped "PAID." Some of these letters bear also the 3
and 1 ct. adhesives of the period. Those that indicate postage to be
paid differ from postage due stamps in no respect except that they are
not adhesive. Those that indicate postage prepaid correspond to many
other hand stamps in every thing except that they were applied after,
instead of before payment; but in some countries we have examples of
adhesive stamps applied in the same way. They are not beautiful but are
interesting relics of the old system. A number of similar stamps with
the words "Post Office" following the name of the town and "5 paid" have
passed through the hands of the compiler, but having been cut from the
letters the date could not be authenticated. These would appear to be
very similar in character to the adhesives issued by the postmasters of
some offices about the same time, and to many similar stamps used in the
early days of the Southern Confederacy.
I.
UNITED STATES CITY DISPATCH POST.
Hardly had the discussion of Postal reform begun in England than the
subject was taken up in the United States. The daily press was full of
it. Pamphlets were distributed broadcast. In nearly every city, private
companies undertook to distribute mail matter at less than the
government rates. Some even carried letters from city to city. In
Congress, members related the expedients resorted to for sending letters
at a reduced rate. In New York, a certain A. M. Greig had established a
local delivery and employed an adhesive stamp, charging but two cents
when the government exacted three. Such competition greatly harassed the
department. The act of 1836 had authorized the Postmaster General to
establish a carrier system in such cities as he might think advisable.
Apparently with the view of disposing of Greig's post, Greig was made a
government officer. The following letter authorizing the postmaster at
New York to make the appointment was first published by the American
Journal of Philately.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
_Contract Office, August 1st, 1842_.
Sir--
By an order made on Saturday, but journalized to-day, the
Postmaster General has established a letter carrier arrangement
for the City of New York to be called the "United States City
Despatch Post" for the conveyance of letters from one part of
the city to another subject to a charge on each letter of three
cents, under the 20th section of the Act of 1836, and authorizes
you to employ Alex. M. Greig, nominated by you as letter
carrier, other carriers are to be appointed from time to time as
may be required, and you are requested to nominate for that
purpose. And you are also authorized to obtain the necessary
fixtures, pouches, boxes, labels, stamps, etc, at not exceeding
$1,200.00 for the whole and to appoint a clerk to superintend
said establishment at not exceeding $1,000 per annum. You will
be pleased to report the date of commencement of this arrangement.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
S. R. HOBBIE,
_First Ass't P. M. General_.
JOHN LORIMER GRAHAM,
_Postmaster, New York_.
In another number of the same paper we have the text of the following
notice concerning the same post.
UNITED STATES CITY DISPATCH POST.
Hours of delivery every day (Sundays excepted) at the principal
office, upper P. O. Park and lower P. O. Merchants Exchange.
Letters deposited before 8, 12, 3 and at the stations before 7,
11 and 2 will be sent out for delivery at 9, 1 and 4.
Letters to be sent free must have a free stamp attached to them,
which can be purchased at the upper and lower Post Offices and
at all the stations. The charge will be 36 cents per dozen, 2
dols. 50 cents per hundred. All letters intended to be sent
forward to the General Post Office for the inland mails must
have a free stamp attached to them. Letters not having a free
stamp will be charged 3 cents on delivery.
JOHN LORIMER GRAHAM, P. M.
_New York, June, 1843._
The stamp issued and used by this post was known in an early day and is
catalogued in Kline's Manual 1862, but its true history was unknown
until the publication of the above document. It is a stamp probably
alone of its kind. Any one familiar with the law of 1836 will see that
the Postmaster General widely exceeded the authority conferred on him as
it would be construed to day in making the "arrangement" under the power
to provide a carrier system. The labels and stamps mentioned in the
letter quoted were probably however, not intended to include the postage
stamp actually issued, as these terms are used in various documents,
reports, etc., of the period to designate quite different articles, the
"stamps" being invariably the hand stamps such as we have already
described. But whatever may have been intended by the letter, the law
did not confer any authority upon the Postmaster General to issue or
authorize the issue of the stamp and undertake to insist on its use. It
certainly has no more character than the hand stamps already described,
but is none the less interesting or worthy of preservation on this
account. It was probably employed because the public had seen and
appreciated the utility of the adhesive stamp, by its employment by the
local or private posts, in advance of the official adoption of the
system.
NEW YORK.
ISSUE OF AUGUST, 1842.
Portrait of President Washington turned 3/4 to the right on plain oval,
enclosed by plain oval band bounded within and without by two colored
lines and inscribed: _United States City Despatch Post_ *_Three Cents_*,
the lower legend separated from the upper by a star on each side;
rectangular frame of two colored lines, corners filled with rayed
ornaments between frame and oval.
Plate impression 18 by 22 mm., in black on colored paper.
3 cents, black on violet.
3 " " " brown.
3 " " " green.
3 " " " blue glazed.
II.
UNIFORM POSTAGE.
The "arrangement" put in operation in New York does not seem to have
been a great success for it was not extended to other cities, and local
posts continued to flourish and do the work at less than the government
rates. The demand for better service and lower rates, for "reform" as it
was called grew louder and louder, until the Postmaster General in his
report dated November 25th, 1844, recommended to Congress a reduced
uniform rate according to distance and weight. Stamps were recommended
but only for use on foreign letters.
The bill which was introduced in Congress in pursuance of this
recommendation provided, it is said, both for obligatory prepayment and
the use of postage stamps. But there was great hesitation in adopting
the English system in the United States; the conditions were considered
to be so different; the distances were so great that a greater rate was
necessary; the country was so new that the risk from counterfeiting was
much greater; the custom was not to prepay letters, and custom is
stronger than law. Such and like objections were raised and the law
passed without adopting prepayment by stamp, but the great principle of
the reform, uniform rate by distance and weight was adopted. The only
portion of the law that is of interest here is the following section of
the Statutes of the United States, XXVIII Congress, II Session, XLIII
Chapter, approved March 30, 1845.
"From and after the first day of July next, members of Congress
and Delegates from Territories may receive letters not exceeding
two ounces in weight, free of postage during the recess of
Congress anything to the contrary in this act notwithstanding;
and the same franking privilege which is granted by this act to
the members of the two Houses of Congress, is hereby extended to
the Vice President of the United States; and in lieu of the
rates of postage now established by law, there shall be charged
the following rates, viz: For every single letter in manuscript
or paper of any kind by or upon which information shall be asked
for or communicated in writing or by marks or signs, conveyed in
the mail, for any distance under three hundred miles, five
cents: and for any distance over three hundred miles, ten cents:
and for a double letter there shall be charged double these
rates: and for a treble letter treble these rates: and for a
quadruple letter quadruple these rates: and every letter or
parcel not exceeding half an ounce in weight shall be deemed a
single letter, and every additional weight of half an ounce, or
additional weight of less than half an ounce, shall be charged
with an additional single postage.
And all drop letters, or letters placed in any post office, not
for transmission through the mail, but for delivery only, shall
be charged with postage at the rate of two cents each."
The newspaper rate was one cent within one hundred miles and one and a
half cents for a greater distance, for all newspapers not exceeding a
certain size, and two cents for each sheet over that size, and two cents
for all hand bills and circulars per sheet, and two and a half cents for
all magazines and pamphlets.
III.
POSTMASTER'S STAMPS.
Notwithstanding the failure of Congress to adopt postage stamps, and to
authorize the Postmaster General to issue them, and to provide an
appropriation for their manufacture, public attention had been drawn to
the advantages of the system, and the convenience, to the business
community particularly, of mailing and receiving letters at hours when
the post office or business houses were closed. The question as to
whether the Postmaster General might not issue postage stamps on his own
authority was raised and officially decided in the negative, although
the Postmaster General himself favored their use. The postmasters in
several places however undertook to meet the public demand by having
stamps prepared on their own responsibility, paying the expense of
manufacture themselves and selling them to the public at a sufficient
advance on the postal rates, to cover the cost of engraving and
printing. In some cases the matter was brought to the attention of the
Postmaster General and he saw no objection to the arrangement; in
others the whole affair seems to have passed without any attention being
paid to it by the Department. In fact it was a mere contract between the
postmaster and the purchaser of his stamps, that when a letter bearing
one of his stamps was mailed at his office, it should be treated as if
the money were handed in with it. No postmaster recognized the stamp of
any post office but his own. A letter adorned with a New York stamp
mailed at the St. Louis office would have been treated as unpaid. A New
York stamp was recognized only at the New York office, and a St. Louis
stamp only at the St. Louis office. When a letter bearing a stamp was
mailed _at the office that issued the stamp_, and accepted as prepaid,
the contract between the postmaster and the purchaser of the stamp was
fulfilled, the postmaster had to account to the government for the
amount of the postage as if he had received it with the letter. The
Department had nothing to do with the fact that the stamp had been
actually paid for at another time or with its existence at all.
Examination at several of these offices show that there was no stamp
account kept in the records of the office. Such letters were treated
exactly as letters were, on which the postage was either paid in money
or charged in the open accounts which the postmaster chose to keep with
the commercial houses. It was marked "Paid." The stamp had no
significance at any other office, except as the mark or stamp indicating
the amount charged, always put on letters at that date, but the word
"paid" was recognized by every office. The letter was entered as a paid
letter on the way bill, and was treated as prepaid, not because of the
stamp, but because the forwarding office treated it as prepaid.
It has been thought necessary to define the exact character of these
stamps with some exactness, and at the risk of some re-iteration,
because their true character seems to be little understood. They had no
official sanction whatever, because no official had any authority to
sanction them. It was a mere arrangement between the individual
postmaster and the public for their mutual accommodation.
Such stamps were issued at New York, St. Louis, Brattleboro, New Haven,
Providence, Alexandria, Baltimore, Millbury and probably other places.
Although not governmental or official stamps, they are none the less
interesting or valuable mementoes. They show how determined the public
were to have the postage stamp, and their history shows how the Public
Will compelled the government to adopt the postage stamp in spite of the
supposed difficulties in the way.
IV.
STAMP OF THE NEW YORK POSTMASTER.
The stamp issued by the postmaster of New York was chronicled in the
earliest American Catalogue, (Kline, 1862,) but its true character was
not established until the resuscitation and republication in the
communications of the author of this work to the Philatelist and Le
Timbre Poste, in 1873-4, of the following articles from contemporaneous
newspapers.
The Express of New York in its issue of July 1st, 1845, contains an
editorial mentioning, that the Act of March 3rd, 1845, went into force
on the day of publication, and a report of the meeting of the Cheap
Postage Association. In its issue of July 7th, 1845, the same paper
published as part of its Washington correspondence, the following:
_Washington, July 2nd._
It was suggested in New York to Mr. Morris, your postmaster,
that he might accommodate the public very much by selling
stamped envelopes, as the law does not authorize the sale of
stamps on the English plan. When he was here he laid the subject
before the Postmaster General, who has to-day decided that he
may do this. The envelopes are to be marked with the amount of
postage thereon, say 5 or 10 or more cents as the case may be,
and the initials of the postmaster are to be superadded, and
then the envelopes can be sold. The object is to facilitate the
payment of prepaid letters. Postmasters can interchange
envelopes whenever they can agree to do so among themselves.
In the issue of the next day (Express, July 8th) appeared the following
editorial:
FREE STAMPED ENVELOPES. When the Bill for Cheap Postage was
before Congress, it contained a clause authorizing the sale of
stamps on the English system. The provision was however stricken
out, leaving the public only the old method of prepaying letters
during the business hours of the Post Office. A suggestion was
made to our new Postmaster, Mr. Morris, that the public
convenience would be very much promoted if he would sell
envelopes which would pass free through his office. By this
measure letters could be sent at any hour of the night to the
post office and the postage paid, where the writer desires it,
by enclosing it in a free envelope. The postmaster proposed to
sell stamps at five cents each, but this not having been
sanctioned by Congress, we should think would not be the best
way, and as the public convenience demands something of the
kind, we are glad to learn that he has prepared envelopes of the
kind referred to, some of which we have seen. They are marked
"Five Cents," and under these words is the name "R. H. Morris."
For letters over one ounce they are marked according to the Post
Office Rates in the same way. These envelopes will be sold by
the Postmaster at six and a quarter cents each, or sixteen for a
dollar of the common kind and common size. This will be as
cheap or cheaper than they can be bought in small quantities at
the stationers. A thin envelope will contain two letters and be
subject only to a single postage. Envelopes of various sizes
will also be furnished and of fine quality when desired by the
purchaser. The plan we hear, has also been adopted by the
postmaster at Washington, D. C., and has met the approval of the
Postmaster General. We think it will add to the revenue of the
Department very considerably.
From the preceding extract we should infer that envelopes marked in some
way "Five Cents," "R. H. Morris, P. M." had been issued and used at New
York, and possibly something of the kind at Washington. The latter would
be signed C. K. Gardner, P. M., but up to the present day none have been
found. They must have been prepared at New York at least, since the
editor of the Express claims to have seen them. They were probably made
by some of the New York hand stamps noted as current at this time,
leaving out the date and signed by the postmaster.
Such an arrangement was clumsy and liable to abuse and could have had
but a short duration in so large an office as New York, and in the
Express of the 14th of July, 1845, appears another editorial as follows:
Post Office Stamps. We would call the attention of merchants and
indeed all who pay postage, to the advertisement of the
postmaster, who offers to sell stamps of the value of five cents
each for the prepayment of letters. This is the cost of the
postage under 300 miles. The stamps should be generally adopted
as they will give additional facilities to business men, and
save them time in making change. The postmaster will receive
nothing for this trouble and his stamps beyond the profit of
lost stamps. The disposition of the postmaster to make the new
system popular merits the thanks of our citizens.
In another column of the same paper appears the advertisement of the
postmaster referred to in the editorial.
POST OFFICE,
_New York, July 14th. 1845_.
The public is respectfully informed that the undersigned has
caused to be prepared stamps for the prepayment of postage, made
for five cents each, which will be sold in parcels of five and
upwards. To prevent counterfeits they will be sold only at this
office and the branch office. The public may therefore be
assured that any stamps which may be offered for sale at any
place other than the two post offices are spurious and will not
be considered as prepayment.
(Signed.) Robert H. Morris, P. M.
[Evening papers please copy.]
Unfortunately these articles contain no description of the stamp issued,
and it will occur to those familiar with the process of engraving stamps
at that date, that the production of a stamp as elaborate as the stamp
known, in so short a time as elapsed between the date of the first and
last of these articles, was either a remarkable piece of work, or had
been commenced some time before. Possibly the stamps first issued were
not those known to collectors and have never been discovered.
Be this as it may, the plate contained more than a single stamp. From
double copies that have passed through our hands, we have proof that it
consisted of at least eight different varieties, arranged in two
horizontal rows of four stamps each, differing in minute details and at
different distances apart. There may have been more, but this remains to
be verified. The stamp which appears to have occupied the upper left
hand corner of the sheet shows in each letter the outlines of the same
letters, engraved in black and a little lower down than the white ones,
as if the intention had originally been to have the value appear in
black on a white label. It is said that the plate is now in the
possession of the consolidated Bank Note Companies (American) of New
York. At any rate PROOFS were struck from it long after the stamp was
out of use, in various colors.
NEW YORK POST OFFICE.
ISSUE OF JULY 14, 1845.
Portrait of President Washington, faced 3/4 to left in an oval, 191/2 mm.
wide by 211/2 mm. high, with a back ground of colored lines, crossed at
right angles and bordered by a colorless line. Solid colored label
bordered by a colorless line above and below the oval, inscribed in
colorless ordinary capitals, above "_Post Office_," below "_Five
Cents_." Foliated ornaments in the four corners, the upper enclosing
small colorless labels inscribed in small colored capitals "_New_," at
the left "_York_," at the right, the whole surrounded by a colored line
forming a rectangle.
Engraved on copper at New York by Messrs. Rawden, Wright and Hatch.
Plate impression 201/2 by 28 mm., on slightly bluish paper.
5 cents black.
In most of the catalogues this stamp has been described also, as on
white paper. Such specimens are shown, but they are produced by some
chemical action of the gum used to fasten them to letters, or of the
composition of the paper or other accidental causes. Specimens may be
also found of a buff color as if steeped in coffee, another changeling
produced by the action of strong gum.
Each stamp is signed A. C. M. in red ink. They are generally cancelled
with a pen and blue ink, or by the word "Paid" hand stamped in red ink,
or by the dating stamp.
There is another type of stamp said to have been issued by the
postmaster of New York in 1849. The design is two concentric circles,
the inner 131/2, the outer 171/2 mm. in diameter. In the center, "_One
Cent_" in two lines of ordinary colored capitals, about 2 mm. high.
Between the circles, above, "_U. S. Mail_;" below, "_Prepaid_" in
similar letters 21/2 mm. high. They were printed in black on small squares
of rose colored paper, and afterwards on paper varying from bright
yellow to pale drab and generally glazed.
This stamp was chronicled in Kline's Manual, first edition, 1862, as a
"Carrier Stamp," and has since been alternately considered a
governmental, or a local stamp. Upon what ground it is so confidently
asserted to have been issued by the New York postmaster, and its date
assigned to 1849, seems never to have been stated. It is certain however
that if it were issued prior to 1851, it did not prepay any authorized
government postage, and if issued after 1847, such an issue was
forbidden by law unless authorized by the Postmaster General. It is
hardly to be supposed that the postmaster of New York City would have
openly violated the law. The inscription, "U. S. Mail," does not prove
anything but probably means "prepaid to the U. S. Mail," and the stamp
is probably the issue of some of the local delivery companies.
V.
STAMPS OF THE ST. LOUIS POSTMASTER.
Of all the stamps of this character, those issued by the St. Louis
Postmaster have been most discussed in the Philatelical Press. The ten
cents was first noticed in an article in the Stamp Collector's Magazine
in November, 1863, and the five cents was mentioned in Kline's Manual,
3rd edition, 1865. Mr. L. W. Durbin first mentioned the second die of
the 10 cents, Mr. Pemberton the second die of the 5 cents, and Mr. Scott
is entitled to the credit of discovering the third die of each.
It is unnecessary to repeat the numerous discussions, pro and con,
concerning the authenticity of these stamps, since the present author
discovered, and republished in Le Timbre Poste, in May, 1873, the
following articles from contemporaneous daily papers, which leave no
further room for doubt concerning the two values, 5 and 10 cents.
_Missouri Republican._ July 17th. 1845.
"Free stamped envelopes. For the convenience of those who may
wish to prepay their packages at any hour of the night, Robert
H. Morris, the postmaster of New York, as we learn from the
Express, has prepared a variety of stamped envelopes. They are
marked five cents, ten cents, &c., and under these words is the
name R. H. Morris. The five cent envelopes will be sold by the
postmaster at 61/4 cents each, or 16 for a dollar of the common
kind and common size, and the others in proportion. This will be
as cheap as they can be bought in small quantities at the
stationers. A thin envelope will contain two letters and be
subject only to a single postage. Envelopes of various sizes
will also be furnished and of fine quality when desired by the
purchaser. The plan has also been adopted by the postmaster at
Washington and has met the approval of the Postmaster General.
We think it not only a convenience to the public but that it
will add to the revenue of the Department very considerably. The
above arrangement would be a great convenience to many persons.
Why should not the postmaster here adopt the same plan. We
believe the public generally would buy them."
This article, although a mere repetition of the article of the Express,
and like that mentioning envelopes of New York and Washington which no
one has ever seen, contains at the end a reference which was evidently
the inspiration of the St. Louis postmaster to issue his stamps, for we
read in the Missouri Republican of November 5th, 1845, the following:
"LETTER STAMPS. Mr. Wimer, the postmaster, has prepared a set of
letter stamps, or rather marks to put upon letters, indicating
that the postage has been paid. In this he has copied after the
plan adopted by the postmaster of New York and other cities.
These stamps are engraved to represent the Missouri Coat of
Arms, and are five and ten cents. They are so prepared that they
may be stuck upon a letter like a wafer and will prove a great
convenience to merchants and all those having many letters to
send post paid, as it saves all trouble of paying at the post
office. They will be sold as they are sold in the East, viz:
Sixteen five cent stamps and eight ten cent stamps for a dollar.
We would recommend merchants and others to give them a trial."
And a few days later in the same paper of November 13th, 1845, we again
read:
"Post Office Stamps. Mr. Wimer, the postmaster, requests us to
say that he will furnish nine ten cent stamps and eighteen five
cent stamps for one dollar, the difference being required to pay
for the printing of the stamps."
The above articles contain nearly the whole history of the stamps of St.
Louis. We learn the name of the postmaster who had them made, (the name,
however is incorrectly spelled) their use and price, the date and object
of their issue. A thorough search of all the files preserved, of the
daily papers published in St. Louis from January, 1845, to December,
1848, resulted in no further discoveries concerning them.
ST. LOUIS POST OFFICE.
ISSUE OF NOVEMBER 5th, 1845.
Arms of the State of Missouri. A round shield parted per pale; on the
dexter side, gules (red or vertically lined ground), the grizzly bear
of Missouri, passant guardant, proper; on a chief engrailed azure
(horizontally lined), a crescent argent; on the sinister side, argent,
the arms of the United States, (the stamp is dotted or gold) the whole
with a band inscribed "United we stand, divided we fall" (The buckle
below on the left, in the 5 cents, should be omitted). Supporters on
each side, a grizzly bear of Missouri, proper; rampant guardant,
standing on a scroll inscribed "Salus Populi Suprema lex esto." Above,
the value is expressed in large outline numerals, ornamented and shaded.
In the corners "_Saint_" and "_Louis_" with numerous flourishes. Below
the arms "_Post Office_" in large ordinary capitals. The whole in a
rectangular frame of a thin and thick colored line.
Engraved on copper by J. M. Kershaw, at St. Louis. The plate consisted
of six stamps, three of each value, and was delivered to Mr. Wymer, and
is said to have been lost with other of his effects during the war. The
engraver thinks he printed about 500 sheets, at three different times,
upon such paper as he happened to have at hand, and that as the plate
deteriorated easily, he probably retouched it slightly each time in
parts, before printing. He denies positively the possibility of the
figures upon the twenty cent value being his work. These are all the
facts he can now vouch for, and states that many of the statements from
time to time attributed to him "were the ideas of his interviewers, who
tried to refresh his recollection and may have mixed him up."
Plate Impression in black upon three qualities of bluish paper, 3
varieties of each value.
5 cents, black 171/2 by 221/2 mm.
10 cents, black 181/2 by 221/2 mm.
These stamps are printed on a rather thick greenish blue paper, on a
thinner grey-blue paper, and on a very thin greyish paper, which agrees
with the recollection of the engraver that he printed three different
lots of them. A pair is also known on a coffee colored paper. They were
taken from buff envelopes, and are undoubtedly discolored by the action
of the paper or gum. Those on white paper have been made so by chemical
action.
The varieties may be thus distinguished:
FIVE CENTS. The dashes in the corners form a sort of triangular
ornament, or branch. The letters are block capitals, shaded by a fine
line. There are no lines or dashes under "_Post Office_."
_First Variety._ (_a_) The buckle on the garter has the point and tongue
turned up to the left.
(_b_) There are six dashes above "_Saint_," and eight above "_Louis_,"
of which the top and bottom ones on each side are long strokes.
(_c_) One long and two short lines and a speck under "_Saint_," and one
long and three short lines under "_Louis_."
(_d_) A long diamond in top of numeral, and a mis-shapened diamond in
the bow of the numeral, with four dots above and nine below it, and a
dot in the ball of the numeral.
(_e_) The bear in the shield is on a vertically lined ground.
_Second Variety._ (_a_) The buckle has the tongue and point turned down
to the right.
(_b_) There are eleven dashes above "_Saint_," and ten above "_Louis_,"
one of which cuts the frame on the right.
(_c_) One long and two short lines, a dot, and a horizontal stroke below
"_Saint_," one very long, and three short lines under "_Louis_," two
above and two below the level of the bear's ear.
(_d_) A triangle in the top of the numeral, and a diamond in the bow of
the numeral, with four dots above and nine below the latter. No dot in
the ball of the numeral. The right end of the scroll is double, and
touches the frame.
(_e_) The bear is on a vertically lined ground.
_Third Variety._ (_a_) The buckle has the point turned down to the
right.
(_b_) There are twelve lines above "_Saint_," and seventeen above
"_Louis_."
(_c_) There are one long and three short lines under "_Saint_," and one
long and two short lines and a dot under "_Louis_," the latter on a line
between the ear and eye of the bear.
(_d_) A diamond in the top of the 5, and an upright diamond in the back,
with eleven dots below and four dots above it.
(_e_) The bear is on a ground lined horizontally above and vertically
below.
Mr. Pemberton thinks, from a fine clear copy he had seen, that for some
reason the numeral of this variety had been originally engraved as a 1.
He says there is a thin line to the right of the down stroke of the 5,
three small dots in a curve to the right of the diamond in the top of
the 5, and two small dots, one over the other to the left of the
diamond.
_Fourth Variety._[A] Mr. Pemberton describes a fourth type of the Five
cents which he claims is a restoration of the second variety, from which
one variety of the 20 cents was made by alteration.
(_a_) The buckle has the point turned down to the right.
(_b_) There are eleven dashes above "_Saint_," and ten above "_Louis_."
(_c_) There are four lines under "_Saint_," and three long and two short
lines under "_Louis_," the last on a level with the bear's ear.
(_d_) A diamond in the top, and a long diamond in the back of 5, with
four dots over and four dots under the latter. Coarser shading around
the figure, and a curved vertical line at the back of the bow, being
part of the 0 of 20 badly erased.
(_e_) Bear on a vertically lined ground. The two lines of the frame
above Louis bulged.
[A] NOTE.--Without examining the specimen from which Mr.
Pemberton described, it is impossible to say that it may not be
one of the retouches which Mr. Kershaw thinks he made.
TEN CENTS. The words "_Saint_," and "_Louis_" are in small, colored,
ordinary capitals, unshaded. There is a long flourish curved upwards
over each word. It seems to have been intended to have a point with a
short dash on each side of it, above each of these, with a second long
flourish curved upwards and then brought down round the end of the word,
and continued as a flourish under them, but the details are different in
the several types. The numerals are ornamented by a diamond in the
middle of each down stroke, with three dots, above and below each
diamond, except in type one, which has only two dots below the diamond
in the 1.
The following varieties will be noticed:
_First Variety._ The point and right dash, between the corner flourishes
on both sides, usually missing, and the upper flourish does not come
distinctly round the right hand word.
3 lines beneath "Post Office."
5 " " "Saint."
4 " " "Louis."
_Second Variety._ The point and right dash, between the flourishes in
the right hand corner, gone, and the upper flourish, does not come round
the right hand word distinctly.
3 lines beneath "Post Office," with a smaller stroke over each.
4 lines beneath "Saint."
4 " " "Louis."
_Third Variety._ The point between the dashes, between the flourishes on
the left, missing.
3 lines beneath "Post Office," with a smaller stroke over each,
and dots between them.
3 lines and 2 dots beneath "Saint."
4 " 1 " " "Louis."
Mr. Pemberton at one time chronicled a fourth variety of this value
also, but could not afterward identify it. Indeed the impressions show
great variation from the intended design in the corner flourishes, which
seem to have been engraved too fine in parts.
TWENTY CENTS. While the author and many others do not believe the twenty
cent value to be genuine, in deference to such authorities as Messrs.
Scott and Pemberton, who accept the few specimens known, they are here
described. In the American Journal of Philately, of January, 1870, Mr.
Scott, after describing the three varieties each of the 5 and 10 cents
for the first time, mentions the 20 cent value as a new discovery.
Comparing the three specimens, he says: Two are exactly alike, and have
evidently been altered from variety three, above described, while the
third is different, having evidently been altered from variety two. At a
later date he mentions a fourth specimen. Five specimens are all that
have ever been chronicled, we believe.
Mr. Pemberton describes the first three more at length, in a paper in
the Stamp Collector's Magazine, for January, 1871. He says he had before
him 13 stamps of the 5 cent value, and 12 of the 10 cents, but he does
not state how many he had of the 20 cents, but that 10 of the 25
specimens were lent him from America. The American Journal, for
January, 1871, however, says he had the three known specimens of the 20
cents. The theory of his article is that the twenty cents was made by
erasing the numerals, and of course incidentally other surrounding parts
of the varieties two and three, of the five cent value on the plate, and
engraving the numerals 20, printing that value and afterwards erasing
the 20 and replacing the five. It is also the theory of the article that
this was done with all three varieties of the 3 cents, although the
author had seen only two varieties of the 20 cents, and only one
specimen of the 5 cents, which he could torture into a re-engraving. He
alters the arrangement of varieties of Mr. Scott, to which we prefer to
adhere, and thus describes them:
_Variety One_, from variety three of the five cents.
One long and one short line under "_Saint_." Half of each of the
original top strokes and the third stroke under "_Louis_" being erased,
but the dot left. The inner line of the frame erased from the T to L,
and a smaller portion of the outer frame above erased also.
_Variety Two_, from variety two of the five cents. Four strokes under
"_Saint_," but bolder and closer than the original, the vertical stroke
over the left bear's paw nearly erased.
Four strokes under "_Louis_," but deeper and more regular, the third
stroke downwards on a level with the bear's ear. L of "Louis" has been
re-engraved. Bear's paw on the garter erased.
The inner line of frame half erased between "_Saint_," and "_Louis_."
It remains to be added that the numerals are, in both these varieties,
very badly drawn, single lined and solid, instead of open and
ornamented, and are shaded by miserably drawn irregular horizontal fine
lines of uneven length, totally different from the figures in the other
two values.
It is both impracticable and useless to attempt to repeat here all the
arguments for and against the authenticity of these specimens. It is
claimed that they were found in the same file of letters with the
greater part of the specimens of the other values known. That the rate
they indicate was a regular rate upon heavy letters from St. Louis to
New York, and that many letters so marked that do not bear stamps, were
found in the same and other files; that there are no traces of erasure
of the 5 by scratching, and the paper is no thinner under the numerals
than elsewhere. This seems to be the substance of what can be said in
their favor.
On the other hand they are not alluded to in the notices published in
the Republican, above quoted, or elsewhere; the engraver is positive
that he did not alter the values; says that he retained the plate until
after Mr. Wyman had ceased to be postmaster, which was at least two
years after the stamps were prohibited by law, and that the workmanship
of the numerals could not possibly be his, and would be a disgrace to
any engraver; the figures are apparently made by an unskilled hand with
an ordinary pen and ink; competent authorities in such matters state
that it is possible to remove printing ink from paper; three of the
known specimens have been photographed, two of one variety and one of
another; in all the numerals differ, those of the two varieties
mentioned by Mr. Scott as corresponding, vary as much as the two from
different varieties of the five cents. While it is true that a portion
of the inner line of the frame is gone between Saint and Louis, and that
the strokes are bolder beneath these words on one variety, it is not
apparent that they are nearer together, or of different shape as Mr.
Pemberton thought, or that the L of "Louis" has been re-engraved. The
absent lines need no comment. Lastly, the work has a blurred appearance,
as if the ink had slightly run into the paper around these famous 20
numerals, and in all the photographs they are of a different color from
the remaining parts of the same stamps, and the other stamps
photographed with them, particularly noticeable in light photographs,
while the blurred appearance is more apparent in the dark photographs.
If these facts do not convince those who believe in the authenticity of
these 20 cent varieties, that they, with Messrs. Scott and Pemberton,
have been the victims of a clever fraud, the question will probably
never be settled for them, as no new facts are likely at this date to be
discovered.
The two cent value, once chronicled, is of a different design, and an
admitted invention.
VI.
STAMP OF THE BRATTLEBORO POSTMASTER.
The stamp issued by the Postmaster, of Brattleboro, Vermont, is
catalogued as a local as early as Kline's Manual, 2nd edition, 1863. The
first magazine to describe it was Taylor's Record, February, 1865, which
states that it was issued in 1848, by F. N. Palmer, to supply a
temporary lack of the current five cents and gives a fair description of
it. The American Journal of Philately, in January, 1869, in an article
by Dr. Petrie, gave the first correct account of it. The article gives a
letter purporting to have been written by Dr. Palmer, who says it was a
strictly private enterprise, neither ordered or repudiated by the
Department, and did not appear in his account with the head office at
Washington. "My object," he says, "in issuing it was to accommodate the
people, and save myself labor in making and collecting quarterly bills,
almost everything at that time being either charged or forwarded without
prepayment. I was disappointed in the effect, having still to charge
the stamps and collect my bills. As to the number issued, I should say
five or six hundred as an experiment. They were engraved by Mr. Thomas
Chubbuck, then of Brattleboro, now of Springfield."
Mr. Palmer thinks the stamp was issued during his first year as
postmaster, (1845).
The March number of the same journal, for the same year, mentions a
specimen on a letter of 1846, postmarked with a pen, November 10th, but
the stamp cancelled with the word "PAID," hand stamped in red. In the
Stamp Collector's Magazine, November, 1870, Mr. L. H. Bagg,
recapitulating the foregoing, states incidentally, that one reason for
this accommodating spirit on the part of the postmaster, was that his
salary depended on the cash receipts of his office, and hence his
anxiety to have as many letters prepaid as possible, a fact which
assists us in understanding why a stamp should have been issued at such
a small place as Brattleboro then was. The postmarked letter shows that
the use of the stamp did not do away with the necessity of marking the
letter "PAID," and that it was this mark and not the stamp that was
recognized by other postmasters. In his interview with Mr. Bagg, the
engraver, Mr. Chubbuck, was quite confident that Mr. Palmer burned all
the unsold stamps in his possession upon the appearance of the first
regular United States Stamps, that the bill for engraving them was not
collected until June, 1848, and that the charges were $7.50 for
engraving the plate, and $1.50 for printing 500 stamps. Mr. Bagg also
obtained from Mr. Chubbuck a part of a sheet, eight stamps, which was
afterwards purchased by Mr. Scott, who got together all the copies he
could, and thus reconstructed the sheet, which was shown to have
contained ten varieties, in two horizontal rows of 5 stamps each, each
stamp separately engraved, the words "Eng. by Thos. Chubbuck, Bratt'o,"
appearing in small script under the middle stamp of the lower row, and
not extending over the length of that stamp.
BRATTLEBORO POST OFFICE.
ISSUE OF 1845 OR 1846.
"F. N. P.", the initials of the postmaster, Frederick N. Palmer, in
fac-simile, with flourish beneath, on a vertically lined ground, in an
oblong with cut corners, bordered by a heavy colored, a colorless and a
finer colored line in a band lined diagonally, (from right above, to
left below) and bordered by another fine colored, a colorless and
heavier colored line, forming an oblong rectangle, and inscribed above
"_Brattleboro, Vt._," in colored black letters, "_P._ and _O._" on left
and right, in ordinary colored capitals, and "_5 Cents_" in outline
capitals below.
Plate impression 21 by 19 mm., in color, on brownish paper.
5 cents, black.
VII.
STAMP OF THE NEW HAVEN POSTMASTER.
This stamp was discovered in an old collection by Mr. Wm. P. Brown, and
described by him in his Curiosity Cabinet in May, 1871. The New Haven
Palladium of May 11, 1871, has the following account of the discovery,
which, though it contains some errors as to the former postal rates, and
some ignorance as to the history of the stamps of the United States, is
worthy of insertion here.
"A CURIOSITY."
"An old envelope post office stamp, issued at New Haven, of the
denomination of 5 cents, marked 'PAID,' and subscribed by 'E. A.
Mitchell, P. M.,' has lately turned up. It must have been issued
over 20 years ago and is probably one of the oldest United
States stamps in existence. Mr. Mitchell was postmaster of this
city from 1844 to 1850. When he took office the rates were 6,
10, 121/2, and 25 cents for single letters, according to distance,
no prepayment being required. The rates were afterwards reduced
to 10 and 5 cents according to distance, and subsequently to
five cents, uniform for all distances, the weight not exceeding
one quarter ounce, and prepayment required. At this period
envelopes began to come in use, and as prepayment of postage
could only be made at the office during business hours, Mr.
Mitchell took the responsibility of issuing envelopes, stamped
as above, with his signature on each, and selling them at the
cost of envelopes and postage as an accommodation; some of the
post offices refused to recognize them, and reported the fact to
the Department. As however the stamps could only be used at the
New Haven office, and were sent as prepaid matter, properly
entered on the New Haven Post Bill, there could be no loss to
the government, and the Department taking a liberal view of the
subject, authorized their continuance. There is no doubt that
the adoption of stamps by our government was much hastened by
the issue of these prepaid envelopes, and it can truly be said
that they were the first stamps issued by the United States. Mr.
Mitchell is still in possession of the original plate."
From a letter of Mr. Mitchell's, printed in the American Journal of
Philately in May, 1871, it further appears that Mr. Mitchell permitted
parties to bring their own envelopes to be stamped. The die was a simple
hand stamp engraved by F. G. Gorham, and the ink employed was that in
ordinary use for hand stamps in the office, red or blue. He was
postmaster from September, 1844, to 1852, and thinks the stamp was
issued first in 1845. Only one original stamp has so far been found.
NEW HAVEN POST OFFICE.
ISSUE OF 1845.
Large rectangular stamp, with corners cut by quarter circles. Frame of a
very heavy outside line with an interior fine line. "_Post Office_" in
heavy block letters inclined to left, in a straight line across the top,
"_New Haven, Ct._," in a curved line of Roman capitals, in a second
line. Large numeral "5" with "PAID" in large block capitals beneath,
signature (E. A. Mitchell) written, and "P. M." in ordinary capitals
forming the fifth line.
Impression 26 by 31 mm., from brass hand stamp, in color on white or
colored envelopes.
5 cents, red.
The only known original is cut square. In 1871, Mr. Mitchell made a few
re-impressions in red and blue ink, which he signed and distributed to
collectors. The die was then deposited in the archives of the New Haven
Colonial Historical Society.
Reprints. 5 cents, blue impression, red signature.
5 " red " blue "
5 " " " black "
5 " " " no "
All on large white paper.
VIII.
STAMPS OF THE PROVIDENCE POSTMASTER.
These stamps, of which the 5 cent value was catalogued as early as 1863,
and the 10 cent in June, 1865, were issued by Mr. H. B. Sayles,
postmaster at Providence, and engraved by a Mr. Kidden, of that city in
1846. None of the daily papers of the locality, which we have been
permitted to consult, seem to have noticed the issue. The plate has
however been preserved among the archives of the State of Rhode Island.
PROVIDENCE POST OFFICE.
ISSUE OF 1846.
"_Post Office_," in a curved line, "_Prov. R. I._" in a straight line,
and "_Five Cents_" in a curved line, all in outline colorless block
capitals on a ground of fine horizontal lines, bordered by a fine
colored, a broad colorless and second fine colored line, forming a
horizontal oval, the space outside filled in with similar horizontal
lined ground to form a rectangle, bordered by a fine colored line, the
bottom and right side double thickness, and ornamented with a white
foliated ornament in each of the four corners, separated by a white ball
on the sides, and by from two to five balls above, but none at the
bottom, where there is instead a prolongation of the foliation.
Plate impression (copper), 20 by 28 mm., on yellowish white paper.
5 cents, black,
10 cents, black.
These stamps were issued gummed.
The paper of the sheet measures 851/2 by 88 mm. On the plate there are
three stamps in each horizontal and four in each vertical row, or twelve
stamps. The upper right hand corner stamp alone bears the value "_Ten
Cents_." If for the sake of convenience the first stamp on the left of
the upper row is designated as type one, the next two, etc.; the first
stamp on the left of the second row as type four; the first of the third
row as seven; and the first of the fourth row as ten, the following may
be noticed among the many points of difference. The plate was originally
ruled into spaces for the stamps by very fine lines, which seem to have
been carried straight through over the spaces intended to separate the
stamps, and not always to have been perfectly obliterated afterwards. On
the right of the plate there is also a vertical line parallel to the
right side of all the stamps in the right hand row, at the distance
separating two stamps (nearly 2 mm.) as if the intention had been to add
another stamp to each horizontal row.
_Type 1._ At the upper left corner, the horizontal frame line thickened
projects to the left and the vertical line projects upward. 5 balls
between the foliations the middle one is an oblong rectangle, the end
ones touch the ornaments. The side balls are on a line with the tops of
the letters of "Prov., R. I." There is a period after Cents.
_Type 2._ At the upper left corner, the horizontal frame line thickened
projects to the left. At the lower left corner both the horizontal and
vertical lines thickened project. Both the horizontal top and bottom
lines continue on the right to Type 3. 5 balls, the middle one is a
square, the next on the right is the lower half of a circle, the next on
left flat at top and bottom. These three are all small. The end ball on
the right larger than the others. Both it and the end ball on the left
are flat on top. "F" in "Five" very close to the border. Side balls
above the line of the top of the letters of "Prov., R. I." A period
after Cents.
_Type 3._ Ten cents. The horizontal top line of frame projects each way.
The vertical line at the right plain above but thickened and partially
obliterated below the lower right corner. The lower horizontal line
projects to the left to Type 2. 5 balls, the middle one large and
square, the extreme right one nearly round, the remaining three
irregular and nearly equal in size. "E" of "Office" touches the oval.
Side balls below the line of the top of the letters of "Prov., R. I.,"
and lower point of left foliation cuts into the left ball. No period
after Cents.
_Type 4._ The top horizontal line projects to the left. The bottom
horizontal line projects both to the left and right. 5 balls. The middle
one is a small oblong rectangle. Those next to it very small. Left side
ball on a level with the top line of letters of "Prov., R. I.," but the
right ball smaller and lower down. No period after Cents.
_Type 5._ The top horizontal line projects to the left, and part of it
is thickened. It also projects to the right. The bottom horizontal line
projects to the left. 5 balls. The middle one in an oblong rectangle.
The "s" of Cents, resembles an 8. Side balls are above the line of the
top of "Prov., R. I." No period after Cents.
_Type 6._ The top horizontal line projects to left. The bottom
horizontal line also. The vertical left line projects to type 9. 5
balls. The middle one is a square. Shading of "E" of "Office" touches
the oval. The side balls are below the tops of "Prov., R. I." No period
after Cents.
_Type 7._ The top horizontal line projects both to left and right. The
right vertical line projects above the corner. 4 balls only. The middle
one is gone. They are all small. A period after Cents.
_Type 8._ The top horizontal and left vertical lines both project at the
upper left corner. 5 balls. The middle ball is a square. The top of the
"E" of "Office" touches the oval. The "s" in Cents is very small, and is
followed by a period.
_Type 9._ The top horizontal line projects both ways, and the left
vertical line projects above the upper left corner. Both vertical lines
are continued down to type 12. 2 balls only, the middle ones are left
out. "V" in "Prov." is too large and the "F" of "Five" touches the oval.
No period after Cents.
_Type 10._ The top horizontal and right vertical lines both project
beyond the upper right corner. 5 balls. The middle one square. The lower
leaf of the upper left foliation has no notch. Point after Cents.
_Type 11._ The top horizontal line projects to the left and both
verticals project upwards. 5 balls. The middle one is square. The end
balls project above top line. No period after Cents.
_Type 12._ Both vertical lines project up to Type 9. 5 dots. Middle one
is an oblong rectangle. The next on the right projects above the frame.
The one at right end is nearly round, but both those at the left are
rectangular. Ball at right side large and flat. No period after Cents.
It has been stated that the engraver of the original plate re-engraved
these stamps for the benefit of collectors many years ago. However this
may be, there are a number of very dangerous counterfeits in existence,
as well as some that are easily detected.
In the following table the lines which touch the letters or other parts
are counted as well as those between them. By these differences and
peculiarities the position of a given specimen on the plate can readily
be determined.
The following peculiarities are noticed in Le Timbre Poste, page 5, 1871.
Row A, Width of the oval
" B, Height of the oval
Horizontal lines between the;
Row C, Upper frame and oval
" D, O of Office, and oval above
" E, V of Prov., and oval above
" F, V of Prov., and C of Cents
" G, C of Cents, and oval below
" H, P of Prov., & E or T of 5, 10
" I, I of R. I., and S of Cents
" J, P of Post, and P of Prov.
" K, E of Office, and I of R. I.
-------------------------------------------------------------
|Type|Type|Type|Type|Type|Type|Type|Type|Type|Type|Type|Type|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
A |241/4 | 24 | 24 | 233/4| 233/4| 24 | 24 | 24 | 241/4| 24 | 24 | 241/4|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
B |181/2 | 181/4| 181/4| 181/2| 181/4| 181/4| 181/4| 181/2| 181/4| 181/2|181/4 | 181/4|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
C | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
D |12 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
E |15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
F |13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
G | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 9 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
H | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
I | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
J | 6 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
K | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
-------------------------------------------------------------
IX.
STAMP OF THE ALEXANDRIA POSTMASTER.
This stamp was discovered by the present author, and was first
chronicled in an article by him in Le Timbre Poste, of February, 1873. A
second specimen is chronicled in Durbin's Philatelic Monthly, of August,
1879. They are both postmarked with the ordinary dated hand stamp of
Alexandria, D. C., the word "PAID," and large numeral "5." The first
postmark is dated July 10th, that of the second is illegible, but the
letter was dated Sept. 9th, 1846.
ALEXANDRIA POST OFFICE.
ISSUE OF 1846.
Large round stamp, 30 mm. in diameter, with border of 40 six-rayed
stars. Within "_Alexandria_," above, and "_Post Office_," below, in
heavy block capitals, a six-rayed star separating the words, on each
side. In the centre "PAID," in smaller capitals, with the numeral "5"
beneath.
Impression from wood block, 30 mm. in diameter, on yellow paper.
5 cents, black.
This stamp appears to have been originally stamped upon the buff
envelopes common at the time, and to have been cut out and fastened to
the letter. No further information concerning it has yet been
discovered. The files at Washington, of the Alexandria Gazette, the only
Alexandria paper of that period, are defective from May 22nd, to
October, 1845, and in part for 1847. Daniel Brien was Postmaster at
Alexandria during 1845-47.
X.
STAMPS OF THE BALTIMORE POSTMASTER.
This stamp was first chronicled in the Philatelical Journal in 1874. The
copy there described was the only one known, until very recently, a
second copy was described in the New York World, and subsequently that
and another were mentioned in the Alexandria Gazette, of August 3rd,
1886, as having been in possession of Mr. Thomas Semmes, of Alexandria.
These are described as postmarked respectively, January 15th, and 31st.,
1847, with the other marks usual upon letters of the period. From 1845
to 1849, Mr. James Madison Buchannan was the postmaster at Baltimore,
and is said to have issued this stamp in the fall of 1846. Further
details are wanting. The stamp is a simple looking slip of paper
containing the signature of the postmaster in fac-simile, in one line,
and the value, "_5 Cents_," in a second line, bordered by a frame of
single colored lines, crossed at the four angles.
Impression, 55 by 15 mm., in color upon thin bluish paper.
5 cents, black.
[Illustration: James M. Buchannan (handwritten signature) PAID 5 (with 5
inside circle)]
Besides these adhesive stamps, Mr. Buchannan also issued a species of
franked envelope. Two copies of this were found by Mr. Robt. H. Smith,
in examining his old letters. They are the ordinary buff wove envelopes
of the period, size 80 by 137 mm., of the old simple form with straight
edged flaps. In the right upper hand corner the signature "James M.
Buchannan," hand stamped, 501/2 mm. long, the "B," 41/2 mm. high. Beneath
this in a second line the word "PAID," in capitals, 4 mm. high, and 16
mm. long is also hand stamped. Below this again, a large numeral "5,"
111/2 mm. high, in an oval 201/2 mm. long by 71/2 high, is also hand stamped.
The specimen described is hand stamped with the ordinary round hand
stamp of Baltimore, Md., and dated Nov. 24th, no year stated and is
directed to the present owner and finder.
Impression hand stamped in blue ink on buff envelopes.
5 cents, blue.
Besides these it has been claimed that the stamp known as the
"horseman," was also issued in 1860 or 1861, by the Postmaster of
Baltimore. It may be described as a rough design of a horseman,
galloping to the right, holding a streamer, inscribed: "_One Cent_." On
ribbons above, "_Government City Dispatch_." Rough frame of vertical
lines with rough ornaments in the corners, bordered by a single colored
line.
Impression, 23 by 17 mm., apparently lithographed in color on white
paper.
1 Cent, red.
1 " black.
Variety, 1 Sent "
It will appear further on, that at this date, 1860, and long prior
thereto, the law prohibited postmasters from recognizing or permitting
to be used any stamps not received from the Postmaster General. In a
letter published in the American Journal of Philately, July 20th, 1869,
W. H. H. Corell, 3rd Assistant Postmaster General, says: "The records of
the Department do not contain any reference to the other stamp, Post
Rider." It is supposed to have been issued by one of the numerous "City
Dispatch" companies located in New York. These facts and the very rough
workmanship, so unlike any of the authorized Government issues, would
seem sufficient to settle the absolutely unofficial character of this
stamp.
XI.
STAMP OF THE MILLBURY POSTMASTER.
In the collection of letters received by Col. Isaac Davis, of Worcester,
Mass., now in the library of the American Antiquarian Society, were
found, in 1884, two letters written and posted at Millbury, in August
and December, 1846, postmarked with the ordinary dating stamp of
Millbury, of the dates August 21st, and December 16th, respectively, and
stamped with an adhesive stamp, cancelled with the word "PAID," in large
capitals, partly on the letter and partly on the stamp. The earliest
also bears a large "V," in an octagon frame, and the other a large
numeral "5," in a circle. Col. Asa H. Waters, was postmaster of Millbury
in 1846, having received his commission, dated January 2nd, 1836, from
President Jackson, "Old Hickory," and retained the office until
November, 1848, when he resigned and obtained the office for Henry
Waterman, who had been his assistant. A third copy of the adhesive stamp
is in the possession of Col. Waters, postmarked exactly as the first
described specimen, but the date is July 18th. Both Col. Waters and Mr.
Waterman state that the idea of the stamp was suggested by the reception
of letters bearing the New York stamp, and that the stamp was printed in
Boston, from a block cut in 1846. Neither gentleman has any data by
which to fix more exactly the date of its issue.
MILLBURY POST OFFICE.
ISSUE OF 1846.
Head of Washington, 3/4 face to the right, on a colorless circular disk,
161/2 mm. in diameter, shaded to left of the head, and part way in front
by 4 diagonal lines, and bordered by a circular band, 2 mm. wide, edged
outside and inside by a colored line. The band is inscribed above,
"_Post Office_," below, "_Paid 5 Cents_," in colored block capitals,
except "5 Cents," which is in script. There are three five-pointed stars
irregularly formed on each side in the band. The outer circle is a
little flat between T and O. The vertical diameter is 1/2 mm. longer than
the horizontal.
Impression from wood block 22 by 221/2 mm. in diameter, in black on smooth
unsurfaced white paper.
5 cents, black.
XII.
STAMPED ENVELOPES OF THE WASHINGTON POSTMASTER.
The Daily Union, published at Washington, Wednesday, July 23rd, 1845,
and the National Intelligencer, of Friday, July 25th, 1845, contain the
following advertising editorial[A]:
"INTERESTING TO CITIZENS AND SOJOURNERS IN WASHINGTON. Upon
inquiring at the city post office, we learn that Col. Gardiner
has had franked (or rather prepaid) envelopes prepared, which do
away with the necessity of personal application at the delivery
window when one wishes to pay postage on sending off a letter.
They are for sale at the post office, at the following rates;
which barely pay the cost, after deducting the sum chargeable on
each for postage, viz:
18 envelopes to enclose letters charged at 5 cents for $1.00
9 " " " " 50
1 " " " " 61/4
9 " " " 10 cents 1.00
4 " " " 10 " } 50
1 " " " 5 " }
This plan, it will be recollected has been adopted in the
northern cities to the great advantage of the public, and its
introduction here will save our fellow citizens many a long and
hitherto, indispensable trudge, in this metropolis of
magnificent distances."
The latter paper, however quotes the price of the 5 cent envelopes at 6
cents, instead of 61/4. These are evidently the envelopes mentioned in the
article of the Express, of July 8th, quoted in the chapter on the stamps
of the New York postmaster. Up to the present time none of them have
been reported to have been found.
[A] The newspaper articles concerning these envelopes were found
by Mr. C. F. Rothfuchs who, at the suggestion of the author,
kindly searched the files of the Washington papers.
XIII.
STAMPS OF THE PHILADELPHIA POSTMASTER.
From 1845 to 1849, Dr. Geo. F. Lehman was postmaster of Philadelphia. It
is asserted that he adopted for use in the post office at Philadelphia,
a number of peculiar devices of his own, which appear to have been a
substitute for postage stamps. They are described as bands with the
names of the persons who mailed the letters upon them, which were
fastened around the letters, and upon receipt at the post office, were
removed by the clerks and kept as vouchers, the amount of postage due
being charged to the account of the sender, and collected with the
quarterly bill. There are also said to have been in use several other
designs in the form of stamps, printed and sold by the post office,
which when fastened upon the letter indicated that the office had
received postage, and such letters were then forwarded and marked as
paid.
Although several varieties of these are said to have been in use, none
of them have yet been found.
XIV.
STAMPS OF THE WORCESTER POSTMASTER.
In the National Aegis, published at Worcester, Mass., September 2nd,
1846, may be found the following item:
"POST OFFICE STAMPS. The postmaster has issued postage stamps of
the denomination of five cents and ten cents. They are very
convenient, and will save the trouble of making change at the
post office, and will enable people to send prepaid letters at
times when the office is closed. To cover the expense of
engraving and printing, these stamps are sold at five per cent
advance upon the regular rates of postage."
Maturin L. Fisher was postmaster at Worcester, from 1839 to 1849, and
Andrew A. Williams was his chief clerk in 1846. The above item was
recently found by the present author in searching old files of
newspapers, for information about the various postmaster's stamps. No
other Worcester paper seems to have noticed the matter, and no further
information has so far rewarded the limited inquiry and search possible
since the discovery. Both of the gentlemen in the office at the time are
now deceased.
XV.
STAMPS OF THE PITTSFIELD POSTMASTER.
A short notice published in one of the Springfield, Mass., papers, in
the summer of 1874, asserts that in overhauling the vaults of the
Berkshire Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of Pittsfield, a number of
stamps were found that were issued by the Pittsfield postmaster, in
1846-7. Phineas Allen was postmaster of Pittsfield at the time. No
further information concerning these stamps, has rewarded inquiry.
XVI.
OBSERVATIONS.
It is by no means improbable that other similar devices were in use in
other towns and cities at this period, by which prepayment of postage
was secured. The salaries of many of the smaller offices depended on the
amount of postage collected, and the importance of all offices was
estimated by the revenue collected. It was natural, therefore, as the
public demand for such accommodation grew, that the postmaster should
adopt a device tending to their own benefit. There are in the possession
of the present author a number of hand stamps, apparently cut from
letters and envelopes, inscribed such and such a "Post Office," "5 Cents
Paid," which would seem to be stamps of this kind, but in the absence of
further information, are not here chronicled. The wide spread use of
such stamps would appear from the following caution, published in the
Courier, of New York, July 18th, 1845.
"The postmaster of this city has given notice that he has
prepared stamps for the use of merchants, and requests them to
provide themselves with these stamps to facilitate the business
of the post office, and for their own convenience. It will be
observed that the postmaster warns the public that any stamps
offered for sale at any place other than the post office of this
city are spurious. That the use of proper stamps by merchants
will be a great convenience is admitted; but these stamps, thus
offered, should be considered in no other light than the
personal obligations of the postmaster, unauthorized as far as
the public know, by any proper authority, and if issued by the
postmaster of one city, may also be issued by the postmaster of
any town or city in the United States; and if this practice
becomes general, the amount in these stamps held by the public
will be very considerable, and will evidently lead to great
abuses and probably losses.
In case of the death or removal of a postmaster, we know of no
legal obligation of his successor to consider these stamps of
any value whatever.
Post office stamps to be of general utility, should be issued by
the General Post Office at Washington, sanctioned by law, and
with suitable penalties in case of forgery: they would be of
great advantage to the Post Office Department, and would much
facilitate business in various ways, but if issued by any or all
postmasters, will in some cases be used "to raise the wind," and
may raise it pretty effectually in cases of death or default, as
the amount held by the public in any of the large cities would
be a very considerable sum."
(Signed) CAVEAT.
This article was reprinted by numerous journals, among them the Express,
of New York, July 18th, 1845.
XVII.
THE ISSUE OF 1847.
Notwithstanding these manifest dangers, noticed by the Courier and
Express, the public continued to demand and use, and the postmasters to
issue, as we have seen, these unauthorized stamps, without action on the
part of Congress, or interference by the Department, until the beginning
of 1847 when, apparently in response to the necessities of the case the
following law was passed:
STATUTES OF THE UNITED STATES, XXIX Congress, Session II,
Chapter LXIII, Section 1, approved March 3rd, 1847. An Act to
establish certain Post Roads and for other purposes.
"And be it further enacted, that to facilitate the
transportation of letters by mail, the Postmaster General be
authorized to prepare postage stamps, which, when attached to
any letter or packet, shall be evidence of the prepayment of the
postage chargeable on such letter, which said stamps the
Postmaster General may deliver to any deputy postmaster who may
apply for the same, the deputy postmaster paying or becoming
accountable for the amount of the stamps so received by him, and
if any of said stamps shall not be used, but be returned to the
General Post Office, the amount so returned shall be credited to
such deputy postmaster, and such deputy postmaster may sell or
dispose of any stamps so received by him to any person who may
wish to use the same, but it shall not be lawful for any deputy
postmaster, to prepare, use, or dispose of any postage stamps
not authorized by and received from the Postmaster General. And
any person who shall falsely and fraudulently make, alter or
forge any postage stamp with intent to defraud the Post Office
Department, shall be deemed guilty of felony, and on conviction
shall be subject to the same punishment as provided in the 21
Section of the Act approved March 3rd, 1825, entitled an Act,"
etc.
This is the first authorization of postage stamps in the United States,
and it will be well to observe that the use of any stamps other than
_those authorized and received from_ the Postmaster General is strictly
prohibited. The use of the stamps of the postmasters herein before
treated of, must therefore have ceased from and after the 1st of July,
1847, when the law went into effect, or as soon thereafter as supplies
were received from the Department. This effectually determines the
character of such locals, as the so-called "Horseman," and "U. S. Mail
Prepaid," before referred to.
According to the law and custom in the United States, a contract for the
engraving and printing of stamps, under the authority of this Act, was
made by the Postmaster General with Messrs. Rawdon, Wright, Hatch and
Edson, for four years. During this time they furnished 4,400,000, five
cent stamps, and 1,050,000, ten cent stamps, of which 3,712,000 five
cent, and 891,000 ten cent stamps are officially reported to have been
distributed by the Department to deputy postmasters for sale. A portion
of these, valued at $12,038.55, were however afterwards returned to the
Department and exchanged for those of the subsequent issue, and credited
to the deputies who returned them.
ISSUE OF JULY 1ST, 1847.
The issue consisted of two values only, five and ten cents.
FIVE CENTS. Portrait of Benjamin Franklin, Continental Postmaster
General, facing three quarters to the left, on an oval disk with hatched
ground, 141/2 by 171/4 mm., bounded by a broad colorless line with a fine
colored line outside, in a rectangular frame, also bordered by a broad
colorless line with a fine colored line outside. The ground work of this
frame is composed of fine horizontal colored lines, and is ornamented by
foliations, and inscribed in outlined colorless capitals, "_U._" and
"_S._," in the upper corners, with "_Post Office_," between, following
the form of the oval, large numeral "5," and "5," in the lower corners,
with "_Five Cents_" between, following the form of the oval.
Between the lines of the outer border, exactly in the centre, are the
initials of the engravers, "R. W. H. & E.," in small colored capitals.
Plate impression, 181/2 by 231/2 mm., in color, on faintly bluish paper.
5 cents, bronze.
TEN CENTS. Portrait of George Washington, first President, facing three
quarters to the right, on an oval disk, with hatched background,
bordered by a broad colorless line, with a fine colored line outside, in
a rectangular frame, bordered in the same manner. The ground of the
frame and inscriptions are similar to the five cents, but changed for
the value to a large "X," in each lower corner, with "_Ten Cents_,"
between. Same small initials in the lower border.
Plate impression, 181/2 by 231/2 mm., in color, on faintly bluish paper.
10 cents, black.
In the Hartford Times of August 5th, 1885, appeared a long article,
entitled: "The First Postage Stamps," from which the following relating
to the actual date of this issue may be here repeated.
"Thirty eight years ago to-day the first postage stamps were
used in the United States. * * * On the 25th of March, 1840,
John M. Niles, of Hartford, became Postmaster General and
signalized his administration by many reforms. * * * It was
necessary to cap all by a genuine innovation, and he performed
this by suggesting the postage stamp. The suggestion was
received with ridicule, and Mr. Niles soon after retired. * * *
When Cave Johnson assumed the post office, on the 5th of March,
1845, he found it an Herculian task to reinstate the reform
measures of Mr. Niles. * * * Among the measures of Mr. Niles
that he adopted was the postage stamp idea. * * * Johnson
garnished his conversation with fathering the suggestion
originated six years before. * * * The matter took form as a
bill. * * * Approved March 3rd, 1847. The date of the issue was
appointed as July 1st, but there was a delay in the contractors'
work and the time ran over a month.
On the 5th of August, soon after the opening of the Postmaster
General's office for the day, an old gentleman called to see Mr.
Johnson on business. The gentleman was the Hon. Henry Shaw, a
New Yorker, * * * and the father of the well known Henry Shaw,
Jr., (Josh Billings). * * * Mr. Johnson came into his office
accompanied by the printer of the new stamps, a few minutes
after Mr. Shaw had arrived, on that August morning. Sheets of
the stamps were laid before the Postmaster General, who, after
receipting for them, handed them to his visitor to inspect. Mr.
Shaw returned them after a hasty glance, and then drawing out
his wallet, he counted fifteen cents, with which he purchased
two of the stamps--the first two ever issued. The five cent
stamp he kept as a curiosity, and the ten cent stamp he
presented to Governor Briggs, as an appropriate gift."
OBSERVATIONS.
In nearly all the early catalogues and in some recent foreign ones,
these stamps are catalogued upon _white_ paper. Mr. Terrell, Third
Assistant Postmaster General, in a letter published on page 111,
American Stamp Mercury, 1870, states positively that this issue was
never printed except upon faintly tinted bluish paper. It may be
observed, generally, that the paper of all stamps of the early issues of
all countries which were affixed to the blue or bluish paper in general
use at the time, has a tendency to vary from the original color,
sometimes becoming blue or bluish, when originally white, darker or
lighter blue or even whitish if originally blue. This has been variously
explained, as the action of some ingredient in the paper of the letter,
or of the stamp, in the gum or the ink.
It must be further observed that the color of the impression of the five
cents varies greatly from the original pale red brown, called bronze.
Many shades of faint red brown, red brown, faint dark brown, deep dark
brown, black brown, bluish black, and almost pure black, may be found.
Whether these result, as seems to be the case, from a natural change in
the course of time, from something in the ink, paper or surroundings of
the stamp itself, or whether it results from the use of different
colored ink originally, may perhaps be impossible now to determine.
The ten cent, however, varies very little in the color of the
impression. Beyond a lighter, or grayish shade, a black with a bluish
cast, and the ordinary black impression, little is to be noticed.
The stamps are separated in the sheet by about 2 mm., each way. Double
copies of the five cents, adhering either by the side, or by the top and
bottom, are often found on old letters, and occasionally, three or four
adhering specimens are encountered. The ten cents is almost invariably
found in single specimens, though a few pairs, and even three used
together are known.
According to a statement in the American Journal of Philately, of April,
1871, this issue was withdrawn from circulation between June 11th and
September 30th, 1851. The instructions of the Department to the deputy
postmasters, concerning the distribution of the next issue, published in
June, 1851, order that these five and ten cent stamps must not be
recognized as prepaying letters after the 30th of June, 1851, and
request the public to return them to the deputy postmasters, in exchange
for others of the new issue. The report of the Postmaster General for
the year expiring June 30th, 1851, and published in the fall of that
year, further states: "Directions for the destruction of the dies and
plates, employed in the manufacture of the stamps formerly used, have
been given, and for counting and burning such stamps as have not been
issued to postmasters or have been returned."
These facts probably explain the extreme rarity of unused stamps of this
issue, and the re-engraving of the dies by the Government, when it was
considered advisable to make an exhibit of all its issues of adhesive
stamps at the Centennial Exhibition.
The existence therefore, of a specimen of four unused five cent stamps,
adhering by the sides, and another of four unused ten cent stamps,
adhering also by the sides, in the private collection of Mr. Sterling,
is worthy of notice. The latter specimen, at any rate, is probably
unique, and though called whitish paper by him, has nevertheless, the
bluish tint, and certainly is not _white_ paper.
NOTE. There are _proofs_ however on white paper.
XVIII.
THE ISSUE OF 1851.
The Act of the XXXI Congress, Session II, Chapter XX, approved March
3rd, 1851, and entitled: "An Act to reduce and modify the Rates of
Postage in the United States, and for other purposes" reads:
"Be it enacted, etc., that from and after the 30th day of June,
1851, in lieu of the rates of postage now established by law,
there shall be charged the following rates, viz: For every
single letter in manuscript, or paper of any kind, upon which
information shall be asked for, or communicated, in writing, or
by marks or signs, conveyed in the mail for any distance,
between places within the United States, not exceeding 3,000
miles, when the postage upon said letter shall have been
prepaid, three cents, and five cents when the postage thereon
shall not have been prepaid, and for any distance exceeding
3,000 miles, double these rates; for every such single letter or
paper when conveyed wholly or in part by sea, and to or from a
foreign country, for any distance over 2,500 miles, twenty
cents, and for any distance under 2,500 miles, ten cents,
excepting however, all cases where such postages have been or
shall be adjusted at different rates by postal treaty or
convention already concluded or hereafter to be made; and for a
double letter there shall be charged double the rates above
specified; and for a treble letter, treble these rates; and for
a quadruple letter, quadruple these rates; and every letter or
parcel not exceeding half an ounce in weight, shall be deemed a
single letter, and every additional weight of half an ounce, or
every additional weight of less than half an ounce, shall be
charged with an additional single postage. And all drop letters,
or letters placed in any post office, not for transmission, but
for delivery only, shall be charged with postage at the rate of
one cent each, and all letters which shall hereafter be
advertised as remaining over or uncalled for in any post office
shall be charged with one cent in addition to the regular
postage to be accounted for as other postages now are."
The second section fixed the rates upon newspapers of all descriptions,
coming from the publishers, etc., etc., which were not to be paid for by
stamps, but:
"Every other newspaper circular, hand bill, engraving,
pamphlet," etc., etc., "shall be charged one cent an ounce under
500 miles and one cent each additional ounce between 500 and
1500 miles," double beyond, etc., etc.
The third section provides:
"And be it further enacted, that it shall be the duty of the
Postmaster General to provide and furnish to all deputy
postmasters, and to all other persons applying and paying
therefor, suitable postage stamps, of the denomination of three
cents, and of such other denominations as he may think expedient
to facilitate prepayment of postages provided for in this Act;
and any person who shall forge or counterfeit any postage stamp,
provided or furnished under this Act, whether the same are
impressed or printed on or attached to envelopes or not, or any
die, plate or engraving therefor, or shall make or print, or
knowingly use or sell, or have in his possession, with intent to
use or sell, any such false, forged or counterfeit die, plate,
engraving, or postage stamps, or who shall make or print, or
otherwise procure to be made or printed, any postage stamps of
the kind provided and furnished by the Postmaster General, as
aforesaid, without the especial authority and direction of the
Post Office Department, or who, after such postage stamps have
been printed, shall, with intent to defraud the revenue of the
Post Office Department, deliver any postage stamps to any person
or persons other than such as shall be authorized to receive the
same by an instrument of writing duly executed under the hand of
the Postmaster General, and the seal of the Post Office
Department, shall on conviction thereof be deemed guilty of
felony, and punishable by a fine not exceeding 500 dollars, or
by imprisonment not exceeding five years; or by both such fine
or imprisonment, and the expenses of procuring and providing all
such postage stamps and letter envelopes as are provided or
authorized by this Act, shall be paid, after being adjusted by
the auditor of the Post Office Department, on the certificate of
the Postmaster General, out of any money in the Treasury,
arising from the Revenues of the Post Office Department."
The 4th section provides that postage stamps shall be defaced as the
Postmaster General may direct, and the penalty for omitting so to do.
The 10th section provides for the appointment of carriers, the rate to
be one or two cents prepaid, the carriers to be paid out of the receipts
from this postage.
The 11th section authorizes the coining of the three cent coin, probably
to facilitate the payment of these rates.
The other matters mentioned in the foregoing Act are of little interest
here, but the following circular contains some matters of importance:
REGULATIONS CONCERNING POSTAGE STAMPS.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
_June 10th, 1851_.
"To facilitate the payment of postages upon letters and
packages, postage stamps of the following denominations are
provided and furnished by the postmaster General, pursuant to
the third section of the "Act to reduce and modify the rates of
Postage in the United States," and for other purposes approved
March 3rd, 1851.
Viz: No. 1. Printed in black, representing the head of
Washington, of the denomination of twelve cents.
No. 2. Printed in red, representing the head of
Washington, in profile, of the denomination of three
cents.
No. 3. Printed in blue, representing the head of Franklin,
in profile, of the denomination of one cent.
These stamps will be furnished to one or more of the principal
postmasters in each county, who will be required to supply the
other postmasters in their vicinities, upon being paid for the
amount furnished."
The remaining provisions relate to the mode of distribution, accounting,
cancelling, etc., and are of no particular interest. The circular is
signed "Nathan D. Hall, Postmaster General."
A similar circular dated April 3rd, 1852, is almost an exact repetition
of the foregoing. The stamps issued may be described more fully thus:
ISSUE OF JULY 1ST, 1851.
ONE CENT. Bust of Benjamin Franklin, first Postmaster General, in
profile, facing to the right, in an oval disk 17 by 201/2 mm., with a
ground of very fine horizontal colored lines, slightly waved, bordered
by a colorless line between two fine colored lines. The colorless line
is ornamented by a line of fine dots. Above is a label, bordered at the
top by a similarly ornamented colorless line, between two fine colored
lines, terminated at the ends by the corner ornaments of the stamp, with
a ground of fine colored lines following the lines of the oval, and
inscribed in outline capitals "_U. S. Postage_." Below the oval is a
similar label, the ends terminated by a similar border, with a ground of
fine colored lines, inscribed "_One Cent_" in outline capitals. This
label is shaded by a number of vertical lines. Scroll and foliated
corner ornaments extending down the sides. There is no outside line
finishing the frame. The stamps are very near each other on the sheet.
Plate impression, 19 by 22 mm., color, white paper.
1 cent, shades of indigo blue.
THREE CENTS. Bust of Washington, first President of the United States,
in profile to left, on an oval disk, with hatched ground, bordered by a
fine colorless line between two fine colored lines, surrounded by a
frame composed of colorless lines, forming diamonds on a solid ground,
the alternate diamonds filled in with diagonal colorless lines, leaving
a colored chain conspicuous, with rosettes in the four angles. The space
between the oval and frame filled with horizontal lines, and the corners
outside the rosettes filled with ornamented triangles. Above and below
all these are solid colored labels, with a small piece containing a
diamond cut off at each end by a vertical colorless line, inscribed in
colorless Roman capitals, above "_U. S. Postage_," below "_Three
Cents_." The whole is surrounded, at a little distance, by a colored
line forming a rectangle.
Plate impression 20 by 25 mm., color, white paper.
3 cents, in shades of brick and rose red.
TWELVE CENTS. Bust of Washington, after Stewart, facing three quarters
to the left, on an oval disk 131/2 by 17 mm., with hatched ground,
bordered by a colorless line between two colored lines. This colorless
line is crossed by horizontal lines. About this is a frame like that of
the 3 cents, with rosettes at the angles, but showing six and two half
links in the chain on each side, instead of five and two half links as
in the three cents. The outside corners are filled by small foliations.
The space between the oval and frame is filled by horizontal lines.
Inscription above "_U. S. Postage_," below "_Twelve Cents_" in colorless
capitals, shaded outside on the back ground and following the curve of
the oval. The whole is surrounded by a fine colored line.
Plate impression, 19 by 25 mm., color, white paper.
12 cents, black.
As it was considered desirable to keep the amounts collected and paid
for delivery by carriers (under section 10 of the act) separate, a
special stamp for the payment of such postage was soon added:
ISSUE OF SEPTEMBER 29TH, 1851.
ONE CENT. Bust of Benjamin Franklin, in profile, to the left, on an oval
disk, 15 by 171/2 mm. with hatched ground, bordered by a colorless line
between two fine colored lines. Frame, labels, etc., like the three
cents, but with a colorless star between curved colorless lines at the
end instead of the diamonds. The inscription is in colorless Roman
capitals, on the upper label "_Carrier's_," and "_Stamp_" in the lower
label.
Plate impression, 191/2 by 24 mm., color, rose paper.
No value indicated, indigo blue.
Specimens exist in brick red, some of which show the crack in the die.
These must be proofs, although a letter purporting to be from W. M.
Ireland, Third Assistant Postmaster General, dated August 10th, 1869,
and published in the August number of the American Journal of Philately,
after describing this stamp says:
"Color, orange-brown, typographed in color on white paper.
Proofs were issued printed in blue on pink paper; also in green
and yellow. It was issued about September 29th, 1851, but was
suppressed almost immediately, owing to its great similarity to
the then three cent stamp. Only about 300,000 were ever issued.
It has always surprised me that the Department has never kept
any official history of its stamps."
This stamp was succeeded by the;
ISSUE OF NOVEMBER, 17, 1851.
ONE CENT. Eagle poised for flight, turned to the left, resting on a
branch of laurel, on an oval disk, 18 by 13 mm., the ground of clouds
and rays, surrounded by a fine colored line, a colorless line, and a
band of solid color inscribed in colorless Roman capitals above "_U. S.
P. O. Dispatch_," below "_Prepaid, One Cent_," with ornaments of oak
leaves on the left and of laurels on the right.
Plate impression, 19 by 25 mm., color, white paper.
1 cent, blue.
A letter dated from the Post Office Department, Finance Office. July
20th, 1869, and signed W. H. H. Corell, Third Assistant Postmaster
General, published in the American Journal of Philately, says:
"The blue stamp "Eagle" was used for prepaying City letters
delivered by carriers. It was issued about Nov. 17th, 1851, and
was withdrawn Jan. 27th, 1852. It was very little used except in
Philadelphia, Pa., and Cincinnati, Ohio."
As a matter of fact however, the published reports of the Postmaster
General, shows that there were issued:
4,777,552 from Nov. 1851, up to June, 1852.
4,370,383 " June 1852, " " " 1853.
7,103,416 " " 1853, " " " 1854.
These stamps were all engraved and printed by Messrs. Toppan, Carpenter,
Cassilar and Co., of Philadelphia, under a contract with the Department.
The collector naturally desires to know what supposed peculiarities of
the public demand led to the selection of these values, and not others.
As already shown, the carriers were paid out of the receipts from the
sale of the two carrier stamps.
The one cent was required for newspapers and other printed matter,
either singly or in twos, threes, fours, fives, sixes, etc., and Mr.
Sterling has preserved specimens thus used, adhering, either in strips
by the sides or ends, or in blocks.
The three cent stamp paid the ordinary letter rate, and two or more
would be required on double, triple, etc., letters. Mr. Sterling has
also preserved strips and blocks of these found so used.
The single postage to California was six cents. This was also the double
letter rate, and it seems singular that a stamp of this value was not
issued. Its place was supplied by two three cent stamps, the double rate
to California by four three cent stamps, etc. That it was also supplied
occasionally by half of the twelve cent stamp, cut diagonally from
corner to corner, specimens so used on the original envelopes in the
possession of the same gentleman abundantly prove. The twelve cent must,
therefore, have had no function except to replace a quadruple ordinary
rate, or a double California rate. For foreign letters, the postage was
10 or 20 cents, when not provided for by treaty. Most of the treaties
fixed the same rates, and stamps of those values would seem to have been
required. The fact that prepayment was optional, may have influenced the
demand for these values.
Soon after the issue of the foregoing series, the postal rates were
again discussed in congress, and the law amended as follows:
XXXIII Congress, Session II, Chapter 173, Section 31, approved
March 30th, 1885, entitled: "An Act further to amend the Act
entitled: 'An Act to reduce, etc., approved March 3d, 1851.'"
Be it enacted, etc. That in lieu of the rates of postage now
established by law, there shall be charged the following rates
to wit: For every single letter in manuscript, or paper of any
kind in which information shall be asked, or, communicated in
writing, or by marks or signs, conveyed in the mail, for any
distance between places in the United States not exceeding 3,000
miles, three cents; and for any distance exceeding 3,000 miles,
ten cents. And for a double letter, there shall be charged
double the rates above specified; and for a treble letter,
treble these rates, and for a quadruple letter, quadruple these
rates; and every letter or paper not exceeding half an ounce in
weight shall be deemed a single letter; and every additional
weight of half an ounce, or every additional weight of less than
half an ounce, shall be charged with an additional single
postage; and upon all letters passing through or in the mail of
the United States, except such as are to or from a foreign
country, the postages as above specified, shall be prepaid,
except upon letters and papers addressed to officers of the
government on official business, which shall be so marked on the
envelope. And from and after the first day of January, 1856,
the Postmaster General may require postmasters to place postage
stamps upon all prepaid letters, upon which such stamps may not
have been placed by the writers.
And all drop letters, or letters placed in the post office, not
for transmission through the mail, but for delivery only, shall
be charged with postage at the rate of one cent each, and all
letters which shall hereafter be advertised as remaining over or
uncalled for in any post office, shall be charged with one cent
each in addition to the regular postage, both to be accounted
for as other postages now are.