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The Continental Banknote issues

The Continental Bank Note Company won the contract to print U.S. postage stamps and official stamps from National in 1873. They held it until 1879, when it was lost to the American Bank Note Company.

Continental prepared its own plates for the lower value stamps, adding secret marks to most to distinguish their printings from the preceding National printings. Typically, plate number 1 was assigned to one value in each series, plate 2 to another value, and so on. When they printed a new series of stamps, plate number 1 was assigned again. However, they re-used the National plates for the higher values. National and Continental printings can also be distinguished by their paper types.

Scott 156, 1¢ Franklin, used, partial top plate number 142

Scott 156P3, 1¢ Franklin proof, pair with plate number 125 T

Scott 156TC, 1¢ Franklin trial color, plate number 299 B

Scott 156TC3, 1¢ Franklin trial color, pair with plate number 12 T

Scott 156TC4, 1¢ Franklin trial color, pair with plate number 26 T

Scott 157, 2¢ Jackson, brown, pair with plate number 164 T, mixed fonts with "No." in script and plate number in Roman type

Scott 157, 2¢ Jackson, pair with script plate number 241 B

Scott 157P3, 2¢ Jackson proof, pair with plate number 164 T

Scott 157P4, 2¢ Jackson proof, plate number 4 B

Scott 157TC3, 2¢ Jackson trial color, pair with plate number 6 B

Scott 178, 2¢ Jackson, orange, pair with plate number 163 B

Apparently the original brown color was too close to the brown used on the 10¢ Hamilton, so the 2¢ Jackson was re-issued in orange.

Photographically cropped from one of only four known plate blocks.

Scott 178Pa, 2¢ Jackson proof, pair with plate number 161 T

Scott 158, 3¢ Washington, partial plate number 17_ T, mixed fonts with "No." in script and plate number in Roman type

Scott 158, 3¢ Washington, pair with script plate number 219 T

Scott 158E2, 3¢ Washington essay on pink varnished paper, plate number 286 T

Scott 158P3, 3¢ Washington proof, pair with plate number 170 B

Scott 158TC, 3¢ Washington trial color, pair with plate number 9 T

Scott 158TC3, 3¢ Washington trial color, pair with plate number 7 B

Scott 179TC4, 5¢ Taylor trial color, pair with plate number 243 T

Scott 159, 6¢ Lincoln, plate number 21 B

Scott 159P3, 6¢ Lincoln proof, plate number 26 T

Scott 160, 7¢ Stanton, pair with plate number 22 B

Scott 160P3, 7¢ Stanton proof, pair with plate number 22 B

Scott 160P4, 7¢ Stanton proof, pair with plate number 22 B

Scott 161, 10¢ Hamilton, pair with plate number 25 B

Scott 161P3, 10¢ Hamilton proof, pair with plate number 23 B

Scott 162P3, 12¢ Clay proof, pair with plate number 137 T

Scott 163P3, 15¢ Webster proof, pair with plate number 20 B

Scott 163P4, 15¢ Webster proof, plate number 31 B

Scott 164P3, 24¢ Scott proof, plate number 21 T

Scott 165P3, 30¢ Hamilton proof, pair with plate number 405 B

Scott 166, 90¢ Perry, plate number 23 T

1875 Special printing

Generally fewer than 100 of each denomination exist. Only one plate number example is known of each of these very rare stamps. The plate number examples were originally in strips of four, but were eventually separated into singles.

Scott 167, 1¢ Franklin special printing, plate number 127 B

Scott 168, 2¢ Jackson special printing, plate number 161 B (of 75 examples thought to exist, this is the only plate number)

Scott 169, 3¢ Washington special printing, plate number 1xx B

Scott 170, 6¢ Lincoln special printing, plate number 18 T (unique plate number single of the 35-40 copies thought to exist)

Scott 171, 7¢ Stanton special printing, plate number 22 T

Scott 172, 10¢ Hamilton special printing, plate number 25 B (the 5 does not show)

Scott 177, 90¢ Perry special printing, plate number 23 T (unique plate number single of the 40-45 examples thought to exist)

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This page last updated April 7, 2009.