CLASS V.

Bust points to middle of "O".

VARIETY 28. (26 × 26 mm.)

"ST" close. Wide space after "S" of "CENTS". Buff and Orange.

"Post" 7-1/2 mm. "U" wide, nearly vertical and near the left oval. "U.S." near. "PO" near, but "O" slightly above "P". There is a wide space between "OS". "T" near right oval. "T" of "TWO" far from left oval. "WO" very close. "OC near". "CE" close and top of "E" under the point. "EN" wide, especially at top: "N" slightly above "E". "NTS" close. Nose near left oval. Figures well centered in ovals. "U" line cuts top of "O" of "TWO" at right. Envelopes only.

VARIETY 29. (25 × 25-3/4 mm.)

Space before "U" and after "T" extremely wide. Light Manila.

"POST" 7-1/2 mm. "U" wide. "U.S." near and both letters close to inner frame line. "P" well to left of point and on a level with "O." "O" close to point. "POS" near, but "T" further from "S". "T" of "TWO" close to left oval. "WO" near. "OC" near and "C" under the point. "E" quite a distance to right of point. "EN" wide. "NTS" near right oval. Nose far from left oval. Figures well centered in ovals. "U" line passes through middle of "C" of "CENTS". Point of bust very broad. Wrappers only.

VARIETY 30. (26 × 25-1/2 mm.)

Nose far from oval line. Amber and Light Manila.

"POST" 7-1/2 mm. "U" wide, nearly vertical and near left oval "U.S." wide. "SP" widely spaced. "PO" close and nearly on a level, "OST" near. "T" far from right oval. "T" of "TWO" far from left oval. "WO" near, but "OC" wide. "CE" on level and close at top. "EN" well spaced. "TS" wide at base. "S" far from right oval. Nose far from left oval. Figures well centered in ovals. "E" line touches "S" of "U.S." at the right.

VARIETY 31. (25-3/4 × 25-3/4 mm.)

"P" considerably above "O". Point of bust square and nearly touches line. Buff and Orange.

"Post" 7-1/2 mm. "U" wide, inclined to left, and near left oval. "S" close to inner frame line. Top of "P" close to outer frame line. "POST" near. "T" far from right oval. "T" of "TWO" near left oval and base of "T" some distance from outer frame line. "WO" near. "OC" very wide. "C" low. Back stroke of "E" almost touches the point. "EN" wide and "N" high. "NT" wide at top. "TS" close. "S" near right oval. Nose near left oval. Figures well centered in ovals. "T" line passes through center of "U" of "U. S."

VARIETY 32. (26 × 26-1/4 mm.)

Bust ends in a sharp point, which nearly touches line over centre of "O" of "TWO". Orange and light manila.

"POST" 7-1/4 mm. "U" rather short, inclined to left and near left oval. "SP" wide at top. "P" near point and above level of "O". "PO" near but "O" slanting to right. "OS" well spaced, but "S" low. "ST" wide. "T" far from left oval. "WO" close. "C" of "CENTS" almost touches outer frame line and "CE" close at base. "ENTS" close and "S" near right oval. Nose near left oval. Figures well centered in ovals. "U" line passes slantingly from top of "E" to base.

VARIETY 33. (25-3/4 × 25-3/4 mm.)

Projecting hair. Wide space after "S" of "CENTS." Buff, Orange and Light Manila.

"POST" 8 mm. "U" wide, close to inner frame line and near left oval. Base of "S" some distance from inner frame line. "P" leans to the left. "PO" close but "O" slants to the right and is near the point. "OS" well spaced but "ST" spaced wider. "T" far from right oval. "T" of "TWO" far from left oval. "WO" near. "OC" wide. "C" some distance to right of point but on level with "E." The backstroke of the latter nearly touches the point. "EN" wide, and "ENTS" close to inner frame line. Nose far from left oval. Figures well centered in ovals. "P" line passes through back stroke of "E."

VARIETY 34. (25-3/4 × 27 mm.)

"S" of "U.S" touches line above. "OC" near. Buff envelope and wrapper.

"POST" 8 mm. "U" wide, inclined to left and near left oval. "SP" near, "P" far to left of point. "PO" well spaced at top and "O" a little raised. "OS" widely spaced. "ST" low, so that top stroke of "T" is somewhat above top of "S." "T" far from right oval. "T" of "TWO" near left oval. "WO" near. "C" slants to left, and "E" to right, so that there is a considerable space between the letters at base. "ENT" wide. "TS" close. "S" far from right oval. Figure in right oval near inner frame line, but in left oval well centered. "U" line passes between "CE."

VARIETY 35. (25 × 25-3/4 mm.)

"O" of "POST" slants sharply to left. Hair far from frame line. Buff, Orange and Light Manila.

"POST" 8 mm. "U" almost vertical and quite near to left oval. "U.S." near. "P" inclined to left. "O" near point. "OST" close. "T" near right oval. "T" of "TWO" far from left oval. "WO" near. "OC" near. "CE" wide at base. "N" higher than "E" or "T." "S" slants sharply to right and is far from right oval. Nose far from left oval. Figures well centered in oval. "T" line slants through "C" from right to left. Bust ends in a rather short point.

VARIETY 36. (26 × 26 mm.)

"P" tipped to left. "O" nearly touches outer frame line. Point of bust short and over centre of "O." Amber and Light Manila.

"POST" 8 mm. "U" large, inclined to left and near left oval. "U. S." near and base of "S" some distance from inner frame line. "P" near point and slanting to left. "PO" wide, "O" nearly vertical. "OST" wide. "T" far from right oval. "T" of "TWO" far from left oval. "WO" close. "OC" near. "C" is low and slants sharply to left. "CE" close at top. "ENTS" close. "T" almost touches line above. "S" near right oval. Nose near left oval. Figures in ovals well centered. "U" line touches ends of upper and lower stroke of "E."

VARIETY 37. (26-1/2 × 26 mm.)

"P" nearly touches line at top. "POST" near. Orange and Amber.

"POST" 8 mm. "U" wide, inclined to left and near left oval. "US" wide. "P" nearly vertical and some distance to left of point. "PO" on a level. "T" "of "POST" very far from right oval. "T" of "TWO" near left oval. "WO" close. "OC" near. "C" nearly under the point and vertical. "EN" well spaced at top. "NTS" close, especially the last two letters, "S" near right oval. Nose far from left oval. Figures in ovals well centered. "T" line slants across top of "E." Envelopes only. A common die.

VARIETY 38. (26 × 26 mm.)

Bust point behind "O." "NT" wide. Orange, Amber, Light Manila.

"POST" 8 mm. "U" wide, greatly inclined to left, and quite near left oval. "US" very wide. "P" near point and slanting to left. "O" some distance to right of point and inclined to right. "POS" wide but "ST" widest. Top stroke of "T" close to outer frame line. "T" of "TWO" near left oval. "WO" near. "OC" very wide. "C" almost vertical and close to point. Top of "E" slightly above "C." "EN" near. "TS" wide at base and "S" close to right oval. Nose far from left oval. Figures in ovals well centered. "U" line touches base of "T" of "CENTS."

VARIETY 39. (26-1/4 × 25-1/2 mm.)

"P" considerably above level of "O." "POST" wide. Amber, and Light Manila.

"POST" 9 mm. "U" wide, inclined to left, and near left oval. "US" wide. "SP" wide. "P" slants to left and is close to the point. "PO" very wide. "O" far to right of point and but little slanting. "OST" wide. "T" near right oval. "T" of "TWO" close to left oval, "WO" close. The entire word is well above the outer frame line. "OC" very wide. "C" under the point and upright. Top of "E" slightly above "C." "NT" close. "TS" wide. "S" close to right oval. Nose near left oval. Figures in ovals well centered. "W" line touches base of "U" at right. Broad point to bust. Envelope and wrapper.

VARIETY 40. (26 × 26 mm.)

"NT" very near. "POST" wide. Buff, Orange, Amber, Light Manila.

"POST" 9-1/2 mm. Inscription in upper label much resembles that of the preceding variety, but "S" of "U.S." is low and "PO" nearer. "T" of "TWO" near left oval. "WO" close. "OC" wide. "TS" close at top. Nose far from left oval. Figures in ovals well centered. "U" line passes along middle stroke of "N." One of the most common varieties.

Reference List of the Two Cent Envelopes and Wrappers of the Series of 1863 and 1864.

Wrappers.

1863.

Inscribed: "U. S. POSTAGE."

DIE A.

1864.

Inscribed: "U. S. POST."

DIE C.

DIE D.

FIFTH ISSUE: 1864-1865.

THREE CENTS, ROSE; THREE CENTS, BROWN; SIX CENTS, ROSE AND SIX CENTS, PURPLE.

In the Postmaster-General's report for 1864 it is stated that "during the last session of Congress a bill was passed for the relief of the contractor for furnishing the department with stamped envelopes and newspaper wrappers, under the provisions of which the existing contract expired on Sept. 11, 1864."

With the renewal of the former contract Nesbitt changed the dies of the two, three and six cents. The first we have already exhaustively treated. It is, of course, the two cents, black, "U. S. POST". All these dies remained in use until June 30th, 1870.

As a matter of history it may be noted here that the three cents printed in brown, likewise the six cents rose, both on official size, were issued in July, 1865. The dies have a portrait of Washington facing to the left in a plain oval. It is enclosed in a frame of colorless lines. Inscription above "UNITED STATES"; below, "THREE CENTS" or "SIX CENTS", in block capitals. Large numerals of value at each side.

None of the Nesbitt die varieties have given the writer so many anxious hours and have required such prolonged study as the three cents of 1864. Indeed, the final solution of the problem of classification of the various dies was only arrived at after more than two years continuous research. Like the famous balancing of the egg of Columbus, the problem, when solved, is extremely simple. Looking backward on the long series of failures, it seems strange that the chief characteristics have so long escaped the attention of cataloguers. The fact, however, is patent. Even as thorough and painstaking a student as the late Gilbert Harrison who, in 1895, chronicled, as he thought, all of the existing die varieties of the three cents has failed to observe the most important differences. Indeed, in the entire philatelic literature dealing with the Nesbitt dies of 1864 there is but one allusion to the feature which constitutes the surest means for the identification of the die varieties, and this is only a single sentence contained in the Historical Notes of Messrs. Tiffany, Bogert and Rechert. It reads:—

"It is worth mentioning, however, that while dies 9, 15 and 26 (the latter the die under consideration) all have the small bust of Washington, there are small differences in each which show them to be different engravings. * * In die 26 the front hair shows only five locks and the back hair only four lines."

We shall presently see that, like the three cents, red of 1853, (Die A) the diemakers have produced different groups of heads which, once known, are not only an absolute means of differentiating the varieties, but also protect the collector from acquiring a multitude of the same die.

Although, as stated above, the die of the three cents rose equals that of the three cents red in the use of various heads, it is, otherwise, quite dissimilar to the first issue, as will be seen presently.

As in the varieties of the two cent dies the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the three cents vary greatly. After careful research and taking the advice of experienced philatelists, it was decided to adopt only two sizes for classification: i.e.

Size A:—to include all stamps measuring horizontally 24 mm. but not exceeding 25 mm.
Size B:—to include all stamps measuring horizontally 25-1/2 mm. or more.

In our study of the three cents red of 1853 we noted, in addition to the various heads, some minor differences in the spacing of the letters forming the inscription. Referring now to the three cents of 1864, even the unskilled eye of the layman will be struck with the surprising changes, not only in the spacing of the letters forming a word, but, also, in the relative position of the words to each other and their distance from a definite point, such, for instance, as the figure "3." The subsequent cuts well illustrate this point.