History of the Postage Stamps of the United States of America Part 21

FOUR CENT STAMP.

Over an oval containing a bust of Andrew Jackson in profile, is a ribbon with the legend "United States Postage," in white letters. A string of pearls forms round the lower half of the oval and unites the two ends of the ribbon. At the lower part of the oval, on either side, appears the figure "4," and under that the words "Four Cents," with a star on each side, all engraved in white faced letters. The whole device is inclosed in an upright oblong tablet. The stamp is printed in green.

It is worthy of notice that these are the first postage stamps ever bearing the words "United States Postage" in full, the name of the country being abbreviated to "U. S." on all other stamps * * * Postmasters were notified by circular of the coming change of postage, and intrusted to make their requisitions for 3 cent stamps and envelopes sufficient only for carefully estimated needs to the 1st October. * * * The issue of the new 2 cent and 4 cent stamped envelopes was commenced on the 1st September, and of the 2 and 4 cent adhesive stamps on the 15th September; and they were so generally distributed by the 1st October that the change of postage was attended with but little inconvenience for want of the necessary stamps."

The circular issued to postmasters read as follows:

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, Office of Third a.s.sistant Postmaster General.

_Washington, D. C., July 18th, 1883._

On and after the first day of October, 1883, the rate of postage on domestic mail matter of the first cla.s.s, will be reduced from three cents per half ounce, or fraction thereof, as provided by Act of Congress, approved March 3d, 1883.

The department has adopted a new design for the two cent stamp.

The head of Washington, in profile from Houdon's bust, placed on a plain tablet. Above the oval, surrounding the head, are the words "United States Postage," and underneath the tablet are the words "Two Cents." The stamp will be printed in metallic red.

The engraved stamp on the 2 cent envelope will also bear the head of Washington.

A four cent denomination of postage stamps and stamped envelopes, to cover double postage under the new rate, will also be issued.

The design embraces the head of Jackson, similar to that on the present 2 cent stamp and envelope. No change will be made in the postage due stamps.

The same 3 cent stamps and stamped envelopes of the present design, will continue to be valid after the 1st of October, and must be accepted in payment of postage whenever offered in appropriate amounts.

The drop letter rate of postage will remain the same as now.

A. D. HAZEN, _Third a.s.sistant Postmaster General_.

ISSUE OF SEPTEMBER 15TH, 1883.

TWO CENTS. Bust of General Washington, in profile to the left, after Houdon, on an oval disk, lined horizontally and doubly diagonally, bordered by a colorless line, surrounded by a solid colored band, ornamented in the lower two-thirds with a row of white pearls, the upper third broadened into a label, edged outside by a colorless line, with outside colored line, the ends curved round into a hook, the whole resting on a shield shaped tablet, corresponding to that of the last three cents, horizontally lined and edged by a colored line, very heavy on the right and bottom, with an outside colorless line, the whole on a rectangular background of horizontal lines, very close together below, and farther apart above. There are no shadows except a few vertical lines beneath the projecting part of the top parts of the shield.

The label above the oval is inscribed "_United States Postage_," in full colorless capitals, on the solid ground. A large colorless numeral outlined in color and doubly shaded outside, obscures the point of the shield and the pearled and colorless border of the oval, dividing the words "_Two Cents_" in full colorless capitals on the background, so shaded as to be on a solid colored ground.

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

2 cents, metallic red.

FOUR CENTS. Bust of Andrew Jackson, in profile to left, after Powers, in an oval disk, horizontally lined, very closely at the top, and doubly diagonally bordered by a colorless line, twice as wide as that in the last two cents, surrounded by a solid colored band, ornamented with pearls below, and broadened above into a label, bordered above and at the ends by a colorless line, and inscribed "_United States Postage_,"

just as in the two cents, the whole resting on a rectangular tablet, with horizontally lined ground, crossed by vertical lines below the oval, and bordered by a vertical colorless line on the right and above the oval on the left, with mitered or bevelled edge, represented by five colored lines parallel with the top, bottom and sides, the right, upper third of the left, and bottom bevel crossed by short colored lines at right angles. On the ground below the oval, which is nearly solid color, in colorless capitals, "_Four Cents_," between colored five pointed stars. Large colorless numeral "4" on each side, above the stars and end letters of the value.

Plate impression, 19 by 25 mm., in color, on white paper, slightly surfaced with green, perforated 12.

4 cents, blue green.

The arrangement of the plates, printer's imprint, plate number, etc., is the same as before, for both of the new stamps.

The report of 1883 also proposed that the 3 and 6 cent stamps should be called in, redeemed and destroyed. Nothing seems to have been done about it however, until Frank Hatton, Postmaster General, issued an order, dated December 1st, 1884, that the three and six cents of all issues with the exceptions following, should be exchanged by postmasters for other values.

"Especial care must be taken not to redeem postage stamps issued prior to 1861, as such stamps were long since declared obsolete and valueless for postage. No six cent stamps were issued prior to 1861. The three cent issued before that time bears the head of Washington, and is printed in red. In a straight line at the top are the words "U. S. Postage," and at the bottom, the words "Three Cents." The figure 3 does not appear on the stamps, as it does upon all subsequent issues of that denomination. Stamps answering to this description, must in all cases be refused."

On the 14th of January, 1885, Postmaster General Frank Hatton, by order No. 75, appointed a committee of three to proceed among other things to the stamp manufactory at New York, and effectually cancel all the plates, except one working plate of each denomination, of the issues of 1847, of 1851, including the two carrier stamps, of 1861, of 1865 newspaper and periodicals, of 1869, of the 3, 5, Taylor, 7, 12 and 24 cents of 1870, 3 and 9 cent newspaper and periodical of 1874, and of all the Department stamps.

"One plate of each kind and denomination of postage stamp reserved as above, and the dies and rolls from which they have been produced, together with all the cancelled plates, to be inventoried, waxed and carefully boxed and sealed, and placed in the vault of the stamp manufactory, in the custody and under the control of the agent."

The committee were also to cancel any worn out and unserviceable plates of the current series, and to count and destroy the official stamps remaining in the vaults of the American Bank Note Company, of all denominations and Departments, numbering 17,024,588, of the 3 and 9 cent newspaper and periodical stamps of 1874, numbering 324,990, and of the 7, 12, and 24 cent stamps of the 1870 issue, numbering 1,414,300, a grand total of 18,763,878 stamps. On the 24th of February, the committee reported that they had carried out the order.

A. D. Hazen, Third a.s.sistant Postmaster General, who recommended this holocaust, says:

"I have excepted from this recommendation the 3 cent stamps of the current series, of which there are 135,800 in the vault, for the reason that though their general issue has been discontinued, occasional calls are made for them by some of the larger offices."

The reports show further that from January 1st, to June 30, 1886, 1,094,200 three cent stamps were actually issued. During the same period, 201,600 six cent stamps were also issued, while 645,950 thirty cent stamps, and only 29,620 ninety cent stamps were issued. As a matter of fact therefore these values, though retired from general issue, are more in demand than the two higher values retained, nearly 2 to 1, as between the 3 and 30 cents, 50 to 1 as between the 3 and 90 cents, or 9 to 1 as between the 6 and 90 cents, and that too when the general public is unaware that these values can be obtained at all.

CONTRACT FOR 1885-89.

The contract for the manufacture of adhesive stamps between the Department and the American Bank Note Company, expiring on the 30th of June, 1885, sealed proposals were invited by public advertis.e.m.e.nt of March 30th, 1885, for a new contract for four years from July 1st, 1885.

The important features of the new contract to be noticed here, are _first_, that a definite standard of paper to be used for printing the stamps, made by an improved formula, was for the first time required, all other contracts having provided that the paper should be equal to a sample only; and _second_, that all ordinary postage stamps should be printed wholly by machinery run by steam power. "The two previous contracts, 1877 to 1881, and 1881 to 1885, expressly stipulated that the printing should be done on hand roller presses, the use of steam presses under the contract immediately preceeding the same, 1873 to 1877, which was silent as to the mode of printing, having resulted in extremely unsatisfactory work."

The act of the 48th Congress, Session II, Chapter 342, approved March 30th, 1885, provides:

"That upon all matter of the first cla.s.s, as defined by chapter 180 of the laws of Congress, approved March 3d, 1879, ent.i.tled: An Act, etc., and by that act declared subject to postage at the rate of three cents for each half ounce or fraction thereof, and reduced by act of March 3d, 1883, to two cents for each ounce or fraction thereof, postage shall be charged, on and after the first day of July, 1885, at the rate of two cents for each ounce or fraction thereof; and drop letters shall be mailed at the rate of two cents per ounce or fraction thereof, including delivery at letter carrier offices, and one cent for each ounce or fraction thereof where free delivery by carriers is not established."

It was claimed that the improvements in machinery had produced steam presses that could produce better word than the hand presses, at less cost. Bids were taken for stamps printed entirely by hand, partly by hand and partly by steam, entirely by steam; the last two with or without an option reserved to the Postmaster General, to require the work to be done by hand roller presses. The Treasury Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Franklin Bank Note Co., and the American Bank Note Co., were the only bidders. The latter again secured the contract to print the ordinary stamps, by steam power entirely, and the newspaper, postage due and special delivery stamps by hand roller presses. For the latter of these they are paid $18 per 1000, for the postage due $8.49 per 1000, and for the steam printed stamps $6.99 per thousand. For these latter the Government paid $9.19 under the previous contract up to 1885, $9.98 up to 1881, and $14.99 up to 1877.

The following is the number of stamps of the issue of 1870 as it is called without the grille.

1 cent, old plate, blue, 1,748,378,900 1 " altered " " 1,872,063,600 2 cents, old " brown 176,830,300 2 " " " vermilion 661,829,150 2 " new " red-brown 4,370,788,300 3 " old " 4,986,505,600 3 " altered " 629,537,100 5 " Jackson 80,390,500 5 " Garfield 14,454,640 6 " old plate 76,726,850 6 " altered " 8,013,300 7 " 3,349,100 10 " old " 79,126,690 10 " altered " 81,307,910 12 " 3,272,125 15 " 16,136,380 24 " 716,975 30 " 6,134,410 90 " 436,150

The paper provided for in this contract is the soft porous paper, which according to Mr. Sterling was introduced in 1883. It is not stiff and hard like the previous paper, and seems to have been adopted about the time of the change in the dies, the fall 1882. All the values employed since are to be found on it. It may be noted that the fifteen and thirty cents on this paper are with the imprint of the American Company. The fifteen is again a deep orange and the thirty a full black.

ISSUE OF 1883, ETC.

Same colors, values and designs, soft porous paper, perforated 12.

1 cent, ultramarine blue.

2 cents, red-brown.

3 cents, green.

4 " dark green.

5 " " brown.

6 " cochineal.

10 " brown.

15 " orange.

30 " black.

90 " carmine.