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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.
Continental had the contract for regular postage stamps and provided the
first issues of Official stamps as well.
1873 issues,
Continental Bank Note
Company
1879 issues,
American Bank Note Company
In 1879, American won the contract to print regular postage stamps, and
with it, the printing of Official stamps. Only a few denominations
were printed, generally in low and common denominations. Some are
quite rare, as stocks of Continental stamps were sufficient that major
printing runs were not necessary.
After a few years, the franking privilege was restored (the last
official day of use was July 5, 1884), and government departments were not
required to use stamps for another 100 years.
1918 Postal Savings Official issues
are included at the end of the 1879 reissues.
Modern Official issues
During a trial period in the 1980s, the franking privilege was revoked
for several government departments and agencies, which were required to
use official stamps on all official mail (or otherwise account for their
postage costs, such as through meters). The experiment apparently
led to better accounting for postage costs, and was expanded to all
government agencies by the mid-1980s.
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through all of the examples of Official plate number singles.
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This page last updated April 7,
2009. Web site
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American Plate Number Single Society. All rights reserved.
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