These all now bear a deep yellow or brown gum. The colors are very uniform.

As stated by the passage quoted above, there are 100 stamps, or ten rows of ten stamps in the so called sheet, or properly half sheet, there being 200 on the plate. The imprint was either "Engraved and printed by the," in one line, "National Bank Note Co., New York," in a second line in colorless capitals, on a solid ground, with pearled edges and outer fine colored line, or the second line above without pearls on colored ground, bordered by a double colored line. The author cannot state whether all the values bore both imprints, having only seen the 1, 2 and 3 cents with the first, and the 30 and 90 with the second, the latter without the grille. These imprints are placed 2 mm. from the stamps, above and below the 5th and 6th rows on each half sheet, the plate number being between the 8th and 9th rows. The line on which the sheets are divided is indicated by three lines forming a sort of arrow head, at the top and bottom of the sheet. The center rows of stamps are 2½ mm. apart, and there are no perforations between them. The vertical rows of perforation are 22½ mm. apart horizontally. The horizontal rows 27½ mm. apart vertically, but the upper and lower rows are sometimes 28½ and sometimes 29½ mm. apart. If a sheet is selected, where the vertical rows are so far from the center line as to cut into the stamps, and the horizontal rows too high or too low, and a stamp from the top or bottom of the row next to the center cut line is selected, and the perforations carefully cut off, specimens can be made that have a much larger margin than the ordinary perforated stamps, and might easily pass as unperforated. This may not account for all the unperforated specimens, some of which may be the result of accident, but all the values of this series and the following may be so made unperforated, and have been so catalogued.

The number of these stamps issued with grille, is estimated as follows:

Issue without Grille (1873?)

The use of the grille was finally abandoned altogether. The first notice of this change appeared in the stamp papers of February, 1873. They were made by the same company, and are in all respects the same, except the embossing.

The colors do not vary materially from those of the grilled series, but there are two quite distinct shades of the twelve cents, a blackish purple and a brownish tint.

Issue of 1873.

In accordance with the provisions of the general law, before the expiration of the contract with the National Bank Note Company, the Postmaster General advertised in the daily papers, in December, 1872, that he would receive bids for furnishing the Department with postage stamps from the 1st of May, 1873, to the 1st of May, 1877. This contract, as well as the subsequent one which terminated the 1st of July, 1881, was awarded to the Continental Bank Note Company, of New York. The dies and plates, by the terms of the contract with the National Bank Note Company, were the property of the Government, and were turned over to the new contractors, who continued to print the stamps from the same plates, until they were worn out, and theoretically in the same colors. As new plates were required from time to time, they were made from the original dies, but bore the imprint of the new contractor, which resembles the first one described as used by the National Company, but reads "Printed by the" in the first line, "Continental Bank Note Co., New York," in the second line. This imprint probably, was not put upon one of the values above 15 cents. In fact the 30 and 90 cents sent out just before, and for some years after the expiration of the second contract awarded to this Company, bore the second named imprint of the National Bank Note Company.

Specimens are found which show the heavier border lines and shadows of the different parts of the design, the fine lines of the background, of the tablets, and sometimes of the shields, being invisible to the eye, though more or less of them can generally be traced with a glass. These collectors have designated as "plain frames," as they appear to be without color. They are, really, defective impressions either from worn plates, when the plates made by the National Bank Note Company, were giving out in 1873, or from the poor results of the process of printing adopted, as is claimed by the Postmaster General.

But similar varieties have certainly appeared, and for like causes, at other times. Collectors of curiosities will find:

The stamps from the plates with the imprint of this Company, now bear on the back a white gum, and not the brownish, used by the National Bank Note Company, which will help to distinguish impressions made by them from the old plates. The colors, however, are not identical, and will further serve to distinguish them. There may be exceptions, but ordinarily the One Cent is a pure indigo, without the red or ultramarine cast, of those printed previously, whether lighter or deeper impressions are chosen.

The Two Cents has also lost its reddish tone, and is a dull brown, with a tendency to blackish-brown, whether lighter or deeper in shade.

The Three Cents is of a duller and generally a pale shade.

The Six Cents is much lighter and is a washy pink.

The Seven Cents is a more yellowish vermilion.

The Ten Cents approaches very nearly to the original shade of the two cents, but is a little more of a blackish brown, very unlike the delicate original shade. The oval and face lines are dark and heavy.

The Fifteen Cents is a much paler orange.

The higher values, Twenty-Four, Thirty and Ninety Cents, have a thinner tone than the deep rich color of the former Company's work.

In the meantime, the following changes were announced in a circular to postmasters:

Issue of July 1st, 1875.

Two Cents. Same design, and from the same die and plate as the previous brown impression, the color only changed.

Plate impression, 19½ by 25 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.

2 cents, vermilion.

Issue of October 5th, 1875.

One of the New York daily papers in April, 1882, speaking of the new five cent stamp (Garfield) about to be issued, says: The history of the current five cent stamp with Taylor's portrait is as follows:

Issue of October 5th, 1875.

Five Cents. Bust of General Zachary Taylor, full face, on an oval disk lined horizontally and obliquely, the horizontal lines growing closer and closer towards the top, surrounded by a colorless line with outer colored line, and resting on a shield, vertically lined, and bordered by an exterior colored line, all on a background of colored horizontal lines, the shadows of short horizontal lines. Above the oval is a label, bordered by a colorless line between fine colored lines, and curved round and divided at the ends, the outer part terminating in a ball, horizontally lined and inscribed "U. S. Postage," in outline capitals shaded without. Below the oval is a ribbon, bordered by a colored line, and inscribed "Five Cents," the words divided by a large numeral "5", all in outline capitals, shaded without on a ground of short vertical lines.

Plate impression, 19½ by 25 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.

5 cents, dark blue.

The stamp is identical with the two and ten cent values, with the value changed, and the portrait of Taylor from the six ounce tobacco stamp of the "series of 1871," placed in the medallion.

Both the two cent vermilion and the five cent blue, bear the imprint "Printed by the Continental Bank Note Company," which also prepared the tobacco stamp in question.

These two stamps have been chronicled as having been issued grilled. The error crept into the French edition of this work likewise, but they were at least never so issued for circulation.

All the values as issued by this company have likewise been chronicled as unperforated. If they are not accounted for as indicated under the remarks made on page 172, they are the result of accident.

In many cases indistinct dots can be seen where the perforating machine failed to do its work. Such specimens are curious but do not require more than mention.

Before the second contract with the Continental Bank Note Co. expired, it was consolidated with the American Bank Note Co. under, the name of the American Bank Note Company, and new plates began to appear with the imprint of this company, in large colored block capitals, shaded by a colored line parallel to the letters and an outside row of lighter horizontal lines.

The one, two, three, five and ten are found with this imprint, without material change. The seven, twelve and twenty-four cent having long been retired are not to be looked for with this imprint, and the fifteen, thirty and ninety cents at this time were still printed from the plates, with the imprint of the Continental Bank Note Co.

The gum has the white shade and the colors are the same as used by that company.

The one cent of the dull indigo blue.

The two cents has a misty look.

The three cents inclines to a blue-green.

The five cents has heavier lines and is a darker blue.

The ten cents returns to the light appearance of the original of 1870 but is of the yellow-brown shade.

Issue of April 10th, 1882.

With the letting of the contract for another term in June, 1881, the American Bank Note Company again secured the contract.

Soon after the death of President Garfield, it was proposed that his portrait should be placed on the five cent stamp used for foreign postage, and the stamp printed in mourning, as was said to have been done with the fifteen cent stamp, then used for foreign postage, after the death of President Lincoln. The stamp with the head of Taylor, it was said had been hurriedly gotten up, and did not correspond with the rest of the series. By direction of Postmaster General James, the American Bank Note Co. therefore prepared the new stamp, after a photograph of President Garfield. Mrs. Garfield was consulted, and proofs in various colors were, it is said, submitted to her. Instead of black, she finally selected a vandyke brown. The first proofs were in black, and at the request of Mrs. Garfield it is stated, the Postmaster General sent one of them, mounted on card and placed in a frame of silver, surrounded by a second frame of gold, on a background of purple velvet, and protected by a glass in an ebony frame, to Her Majesty, the Queen of England.

From the correspondence columns of the daily papers, we learn that the Department received the first invoice of these stamps at Washington, the 7th of February, 1882, and that it was expected to begin the issue the 1st of March, following. Mr. Durbin obtained some copies which he used on St. Valentines day. But the stamps were not distributed from the offices until the 10th of April, 1882 and were then sold only as the supply of the old ones was exhausted. This is the date officially given by the report of Postmaster General for the year, and the same date is also given by the New York papers. The description given by the Postmaster General it is not necessary to repeat.

Issue of April 10th, 1882.

Five Cents. Portrait in profile to the left, of President Garfield, in an oval disk 16 by 20 mm., lined horizontally and obliquely, and bordered by a line of colorless pearls on a broad colored band, resting on a shield lined horizontally, and bordered by a colored line, very heavy on the right side and at the bottom, and an exterior fine colorless line at the bottom and sides, all on a back ground of horizontal lines bordered at the sides by a terminal line of color. The shield is square at the top, of the width of the stamp, with perpendicular sides not quite so far apart, the corners being slanted back, and is pointed at the bottom which is formed of two diagonal lines. A large solid six pointed star, bordered by a colorless line and exterior colored line covers the lower point of the shield and a part of the pearled border, and bears a large colorless numeral "5." On each side of this a ribbon indicated by a colored line, inscribed on left "Five," on right "Cents," in outline capitals, on a ground of short vertical lines. On the background of the stamp, beneath all, "U. S. Postage" in colored block letters, shaded on the left and top by colorless lines.

Plate impression, 19½ by 25 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.

5 cents, dark chocolate.

Issue of November, 1882.

Without any notice to the postmasters or the public, new plates were made by the American Bank Note Company, and slight changes were made in the engraving. These began to appear in November, 1882, and may be found in the one three, six and ten cent values.

One Cent. The vertical lines of the background are thickened in the upper half and so nearly touch, that the ground now appears solid and in fact from the running of the ink, sometimes really is solid. The curved ornamental lines in the upper corners and the balls are now shaded with one or more interior colored lines, instead of being plain. The exterior shading of horizontal lines is omitted here, at the ends of the upper labels, and also outside of the side lines, and is very faint under the lower ornaments and label.

(a) The first impressions of this altered plate are in an ashey blue and, the upper ornaments are rendered indistinct by the interior lines. There is a whitish space, like a reflection beneath the bust.

(b) Later impressions in 1886, show the upper ornaments more distinctly white, and shaded outside again by lines parallel to their curves. A heavy shadow now appears under the bust, the ground being almost solid where it falls. The color by daylight is again slightly of the ultramarine cast, but differing only slightly from the ashey hue by gaslight.

(c) Later impressions in 1887, show the return to the heavy upper ornaments, but their exterior shading remains as in (b). The ground work of the oval is uniform and there is no light or dark shadow under the bust. The ultramarine is of a more pronounced cast by daylight.

Two Cents. There seems to have been no change beyond that already mentioned, as the design was soon changed.

Three Cents. The altered die beside the other appears quite different, but a close examination is necessary to determine the differences at first. Once detected, they are very apparent. The lines of ground of the oval are heavier. The cross lines can still be seen with the glass, and the part behind the head is now crossed by vertical lines also. The shadows of the upper ornaments are now solid, and the horizontal lines cannot be detected. The shadows of the oval are also solid, and about half as broad as in the other die. The horizontal lines can be seen by the glass, but are very light. This is the most conspicuous difference. The vertical shadow lines under the lower label are omitted. The shield in the old die has a ground of horizontal lines on the right side, with an outside vertical border line, and two fine vertical lines on the horizontal lines form the shadow of the shield. The altered die has the three vertical lines, but the horizontal lines are omitted to the point where the bottom line begins. The color is a blue-green, not yellow-green as before.

Six Cents. The ground work of the oval, is practically solid or mottled, that of the panel nearly so. The border line cannot be distinguished from the ground, while in the original issue, not only is the border line distinct, but in the "sallie" the fine vertical shadow lines can be counted inside, and on the right side three, very close together, and four lines besides these between the panel and the edge, counting the outside line. In the new, none of these shadows exist, and there are only three lines between the panel and the edge, including the outside line. In the old, on the right side, there are fourteen lines in the frame above and below the projection. In the new there are thirteen above, and eleven below. The color is a brick red, neither the cochineal or pink previously used.

Ten Cents. The frame lines have all been strengthened as well as those of the background, so that the entire stamp is more uniform in engraving and color, but has entirely lost its light look. The edges no longer fade away, but stand out sharp from the paper. It is apparent to the eye that the space between the oval and the shield, is reduced one-third its width. There are only four vertical lines between the line of the shield and the line of the oval at their nearest point on the left, or six lines in all; in the originals, there were five lines, or seven in all. Beneath the ribbon containing the value in the old stamps, the horizontal lines of the background are scarcely visible, the vertical shade lines being conspicuous. In the new the horizontal lines are strong and clear.

The Issue of October, 1883.

The Act of the 47th Congress, Session II, Chapter 92, approved March 3d, 1883, provided that:

The report of the Third Assistant Postmaster General under date of November 8th, 1883, says:

The circular issued to postmasters read as follows:

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, 19½ 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, 19½ 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.

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.

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 Assistant Postmaster General, who recommended this holocaust, says:

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 advertisement 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:

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.

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.