A third seal was employed by the Dead Letter Office at Washington, and afterwards by other offices, to reseal letters opened at that office or broken in the mails. It was placed upon the flap of the envelope of letters opened at the Dead Letter Office, in order to ascertain the name of the sender, or on letters opened by the wrong persons through mistake, or upon the torn places of other packages. ISSUE OF (BEGINNING OF) 1877. A large rectangle with small head of Liberty, full face in an oval 11 by 8 mm. in the center. Above in curved line of colored block letters, "_Post Office Department_," below in double curve of Old English colored letters, "_United States of America_." On each side of the oval a solid label bearing in large colorless letters on left, "_Officially_," on right "_Sealed_." In the corners "_U. S._" in monogram. The frame is a broad band 3 mm. wide, vertically lined forming a rectangle with rounded corners, double lined outside and inside and shaded. The ground is covered with the words "_Post Obitum_" repeated in whole or part 180 times, in horizontal lines. On the frame below "National Bank Note Company New York" in small colored letters. Plate impression, in color, on white paper, 43¼ by 27 mm., perforated 12. No value, brown. ISSUE OF 1879. The foregoing stamp was replaced in 1879, by another of the same design, but the words "_Post Obitum_" in the ground are replaced by a pattern of interlaced circles. The same name on the frame. Plate impression, in color, on white paper, 43¼ by 27 mm., perforated 12. No value, brown. XXIX. REPRINTS.