Official stamps
In the 1870s, government departments lost the franking privilege.
Separate series of stamps were issued for each department's use.
Except for the issues of the Post Office Department, which feature only
numerals, the stamps were patterned on the then-current "banknote" issues.
1879 issues, American Bank Note
Company
The American Bank Note Company took over Continental, along with its printing contracts. When additional print runs were requested, ABNC continued to use the Continental plates. The distinguishing characteristic is that ABNC used soft, porous paper, rather than the thin hard paper of the Continental printings.
Scott
O94, 1¢ Agriculture Department, plate number 65
Scott
O95, 3¢ Agriculture Department, plate number 57
Scott
O10S var, 1¢ Executive specimen, plate number 82
There is no record of ABNC reprinting any values of the Executive series. However, this example is on the soft porous paper used by ABNC, not the thin hard paper used by Continental. This variety is apparently different from the "horizontal ribbed paper" (Scott O10Sa) and is not yet listed by Scott.
Scott
O96, 1¢ Department of the Interior, plate number 52
Scott
O97, 2¢ Department of the Interior, plate number 45
Scott
O98, 3¢ Department of the Interior, plate number 27
Scott
O99, 6¢
Department of the Interior, plate number 56
Scott
O100, 10¢ Department of the Interior, plate number 109
Scott
O101, 12¢ Department of the Interior, plate number 49
Scott
O102, 15¢ Department of the Interior, plate number 93
Scott
O103, 24¢ Department of the Interior, plate number 104
No plate number examples are known of the ABNC printings of the 3¢ and 6¢ Justice stamps, Scott O106 and O107.
Scott
O108, 3¢ Post Office Department, pair with plate number 41 (Image courtesy of Wallace Cleland)
Scott
O109, 3¢ Treasury Department, pair with plate number 29
Scott
O110, 6¢ Treasury Department, plate number 51
Scott
O111, 10¢ Treasury Department, plate number 58 (Image courtesy of The Philatelic Foundation)
No plate number examples are known of the ABNC printings of the 30¢ and 90¢ Treasury stamps, Scott O112 and O113.
Scott
O114, 1¢ War
Department, plate number 48
Scott
O115, 2¢ War
Department, plate number 35
Scott
O116, 3¢ War
Department, plate number 32
Scott
O117, 6¢ War
Department, plate number 60
Scott
O118, 10¢ War
Department, plate number 79
Scott
O119, 12¢ War
Department, plate number 54
Scott
O120, 30¢ War
Department, plate number 81
After a few years, the franking privilege was restored, and government
departments were not required to use stamps for another 100 years.
1881 Special Printing
In 1881, the American Bank Note Company did a special printing of three values: the 1¢ Executive in violet rose instead of carmine, with blue overprint (Scott O10xS); the 1¢ Navy in gray blue instead of ultramarine, with carmine overprint (Scott O35xS); and the 1¢ State in yellow green instead of dark green, with carmine overprint (Scott O57xS).
1918 Postal Savings Official issues
Printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Scott O121,
2¢
Postal Savings Official, double-line watermark, plate number 5501
Scott O122,
50¢
Postal Savings Official, plate number 5614
Scott O123, $1
Postal Savings Official, plate number 5615
Scott O124,
1¢ Postal Savings
Official, plate number 5646
Scott O125,
2¢ Postal Savings
Official, single line watermark, plate number 5501 (Image courtesy of Wallace Cleland)
Scott O126,
10¢ Postal Savings
Official, plate number 5613 (Image courtesy of Wallace Cleland)
Comments? Suggestions? Email the
Webmaster: .
This page last updated September 10,
2017.
|