Be careful also to write legibly the name of your office as well
as that of your county and state. A strict compliance with the
foregoing instructions is absolutely necessary, that you may not
fail to obtain credit for the amount of stamps returned.
Instead of sending stamps to the Department you can if
convenient, exchange them for new ones at some city post office,
where large supplies are to be found. It being impossible to
supply all offices with new stamps at once, you will deliver
letters received from Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio,
Indiana, Maryland and Pennsylvania, prepayed by stamps of the
old issue, until September 10th, those from other loyal states
east of the Rocky Mountains until the first of October, and
those from the states of California and Oregon and from the
Territories of New Mexico, Utah, and Washington, until the first
of November, 1861.
Your Obedient Servant,
A. N. ZEVELY,
Third Assistant Postmaster General.
A second issue of this circular merely extended the dates September
10th, October 1st and November 1st, 1861 to November 1st, December 1st,
1861, and January 1st, 1862, respectively.
ISSUE OF AUGUST 14TH, 1861.
The portraits upon the 8 types or values of this issue seem to be copied
from the same pictures as were those on the corresponding denominations
of the preceeding issue. The same values are represented, that is:
ONE CENT. Portrait of Benjamin Franklin, in profile to the right, on an
oval disk with engine turned ground of interlaced colored lines on a
solid colored ground, framed round with interlaced colorless lines of
engine turned work on solid colored ground, bordered by a colorless line
with exterior fine colored line. "_U. S. Postage_" in colorless ordinary
capitals in a curved line following the oval above, "_One Cent_" in the
same letters and reversed curve below. Corners of quarter circles and
two foliated ornaments. "1" and "1" in the upper and "_U._" and "_S._"
in the lower corners, in ornamental colorless numerals and letters, on a
vertically lined ground.
Plate impression, 20 by 251/2 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated
12.
1 Cent, pale and dark blue.
THREE CENTS. Head of Washington, in profile to left, upon engine turned
ground with sinuous frame of interlaced engine turned colorless lines
upon a solid colored ground, bordered by a colorless line, with exterior
fine colored line following the curves of the ground. Above, "_U. S._"
in a straight line with "_Postage_" below it in an arched line, and
large numeral "3" on each side. Below the head "_Three_," in reversed
curve with "_Cents_" in double curve below and "_U._" and "_S._" at the
sides all in colorless capitals and numerals on the engine turned frame
and ground, the corner numerals and letters ornamented. Corners and
sides filled out with foliated ornaments.
Plate impression, 191/2 by 25 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated
12.
3 cents, shades of rose.
FIVE CENTS. Head of Jefferson, faced three quarters to the left on an
oval disk with rectangular hatched ground, bordered by a colorless line
with fine colored exterior line. Broad frame of engine turned colorless
lines on a solid ground, with rounded corners, and curved outwards at
top, bottom and sides, bordered by a colorless line and a fine colored
line. Large "5" in upper corners, and "_U. S. Postage_" in a double
curve above the oval, "_Five Cents_" in a curved line following the oval
below, "_U._" in lower left, and "_S._" in lower right corner, all in
colorless letters upon the engine turned work of frame. The corners are
filled out with foliated ornaments.
Plate impression, 20 by 251/2 mm., in color, upon white paper, perforated
12.
5 cents, ochre, shades of brown.
TEN CENTS. Head of Washington, faced three quarters to left, on a
rectangularly hatched ground, bordered by four bands, forming a sort of
oval. The bands are bordered all around by a colorless and exterior fine
colored line. The upper band is inscribed "_U. S. Postage_," on the
solid ground, and the ends of the bands are rounded; the lower band is
inscribed "_Ten Cents_" on the solid ground, and the ends of the band
are curved inwards; the side bands are of irregular shape, with the ends
rounded and bear four stars each, on a horizontally lined ground. The
rest of the stamp is composed of colorless foliated ornaments, between
colored lines upon the solid ground, forming irregular ovals in the
corners, with a band between the upper ones, bearing five stars, "10"
and "10" in the upper, "_U._" and "_S._" in the lower corners, on
horizontally lined ground, letters, numerals and stars all colorless in
colored outlines.
Plate impression, 20 by 241/2 mm, in color, on white paper, perforated 12.
10 cents, green, yellow-green.
TWELVE CENTS. Head of Washington, similar to the ten cents, on an oval
disk, with rectangularly hatched ground, bordered by a colorless line
and exterior fine colored line. Broad frame of engine turned colorless
lines on a solid ground, with rounded corners and waved edges, bordered
by a colorless line, and a fine colored line. The corners are filled out
with loops on colored ground. "12" and "12" set diagonally in the upper
corners, "_U. S. Postage_" following the curve of the oval above,
"_Twelve Cents_" in double curve line below, and "_U._" and "_S._" in
the lower corners. The letters and numerals are colorless, with colored
outlines on the engine turned work of frame.
Plate impression, 191/2 by 241/2 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated
12.
12 cents, black.
TWENTY-FOUR CENTS. Small portrait of Washington, faced three quarters to
the right, on a rectangularly hatched ground, surrounded by a fancy
lozenge-shaped frame of engine turned colorless lines on solid colored
ground, bordered by a colorless line and exterior fine colored line. The
upper corners are filled out with foliated ornaments, containing the
numerals "24" and "24," set diagonally with 3 colorless stars between.
The lower corners each contain a large colored star between foliated
ornaments. "_U._" on the left and "_S._" on the right star; "_U. S.
Postage_" above and "_Twenty-four Cents_" below the head, near and
following the outer curve of frame. The letters, numerals and ornaments
are all colorless, but with colored outlines.
Plate impression, 191/2 by 24 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated
12.
24 cents, lilac.
THIRTY CENTS. Head of Benjamin Franklin, in profile to left, on a
circular disk with diagonally hatched ground, 161/2 mm. in diameter,
bordered by a colorless line and exterior fine colored line. A colorless
line between two fine colored lines, at about 2 mm. from the circle,
with foliated ends, forms a label above and below, the upper inscribed
"_U. S. Postage_," the lower "_Thirty Cents_," on lined ground, in
colorless letters outlined with color. Foliated ornaments without color,
but colored outlines form irregular spaces in the corners, with "30" and
"30" in the upper, "_U._" and "_S._" in the lower ones, in colorless
letters outlined and heavily shaded in color on a lined ground.
Plate impression, 20 by 24 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.
30 cents, orange.
NINETY CENTS. Head of Washington, in General's costume, after Trumbal's
portrait, faced three quarters to the left, on an oval disk, 131/2 by 171/2
mm., with rectangularly hatched ground, bordered by a colorless line and
exterior colored line, surrounded by a band forming a point above and
below, and bordered outside by a second colorless line and an exterior
colored line, and crossed by fine colored lines. "90" and "90" on this
band above, "_Ninety Cents_" below in colorless letters with colored
outlines. Waved band with similar borders crossing the former above,
and inscribed "_U. S. Postage_" in the same letters. The lower corners
are filled with foliated ornaments upon which are "_U._" and "_S._" in
similar letters.
Plate impression, 19 by 24 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.
90 cents, indigo blue.
It will be noticed that the original contract under which these stamps
were first manufactured by the National Bank Note Co., expired in 1865.
On its expiration a new contract was made with the same company for a
term of four years longer.
To preserve the history of the postal legislation of the United States
which effects the use of stamps, the provisions of the Act of the XXXVII
Congress, Session III, Chapter 71, approved March 3d, 1863, must be
noted here, although they did not result in any change in the stamps in
use, except the addition of two new values:
Sec. 3. No mail matter shall be delivered until postage
is paid.
Sec. 13. The Postmaster General is authorized to establish
branch offices for the sale of stamps, etc.
Sec. 17. Postage must be prepaid at the time of mailing
on domestic letters, transient printed matter
and all other things not herein provided for.
Sec. 18. Daily, weekly, etc., publications must be prepaid
quarterly in advance by the receiver.
Sec. 23. Drop letters will be charged 2 cents, to be prepaid
by postage stamps, but no carrier's fee.
Sec. 32. The registration fee to be fixed by the Postmaster
General, but not to exceed in any case 20
cents.
In accordance with these last provisions however, there were issued two
additional values.
The report of the Postmaster General for the year 1863, states that a
two cent stamp had been prepared and issued, principally to prepay the
postage on drop letters, and the report for 1878, fixes the date of
issue at of the 1st of July, 1863.
ISSUE OF JULY 1ST, 1863.
(As additional to the series of 1861.)
TWO CENTS. Very large head of Andrew Jackson, on an oval disk with
rectangularly hatched ground, bordered by a fine colorless line with an
exterior colored line; on a band above, similarly bordered, and with
parallel lined ground, "_U. S. Postage_" in colorless capitals outlined
and shaded; on short bands, similarly constructed, below on the left
"_Two_," on the right "_Cents_." Foliated ornaments in the four corners,
forming small solid circles, bearing the numeral "2" in the upper, and
colorless ovals bearing "_U._" on the left, and "_S._" on the right, in
irregular shaped colored letters.
Plate impression, 20 by 25 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.
2 cents, black.
The Postmaster General having fixed the registration fee at 15 cents, a
stamp of that denomination was issued.
ISSUE OF APRIL 1ST, 1866.
FIFTEEN CENTS. Bust of Abraham Lincoln, on an oval disk 131/2 by 18 mm.
with rectangularly hatched ground, bordered by a broad colorless line,
between two fine colored lines, and ornamented by short horizontal
colored lines. On the sides, Roman fasces, without the ax, on each side.
Above on a scroll, bordered by a colorless line between two fine colored
lines, curved up and back to form small ovals, and ending at the top in
foliations and inscribed on the band "_U. S. Postage_" in colorless
capitals, in the ovals "15" in colorless numerals; below, a curved band
following the outline of the oval, similarly bordered, and inscribed in
similar letters "_Fifteen Cents_"; foliated ornaments forming colored
ovals in the corners, with "_U._" in the left, "_S._" in the right, in
colorless capitals.
Plate impression, 191/2 by 25 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated
12.
15 cents, black.
Issued originally for registered letters, this stamp also served the
next year, principally to prepay the postage on letters to Belgium,
Prussia, Holland, Switzerland and the German Postal Union.
The entire series of 1861-63-66 was reprinted in 1874.
It may also be noticed, that the act of the XXXIX Congress, Session I,