This stamp was never issued perforated, and any specimens so catalogued will be found to be the reprints. The printer's imprint is at the bottom or top of the four centre rows in the sheet. As the Department is accustomed to call the half sheets issued "sheets," it is often difficult to know which is meant. It has been stated that there are only 100 stamps on the plate. The imprint is 4 mm. from the stamps, and the places where the stamps are to be cut apart are indicated by single lines ruled horizontally and vertically. XIX. THE ISSUE OF 1857. Without any change in the law, and, so far as is known, without any announcement of the improvement, on the 24th of February, 1857, the three cent value of the type of 1851 was issued perforated, and the other values of the series speedily followed with the perforation, and so remained without addition until the middle of 1860. ISSUE OF 1857. Same values, types and colors as the prior issue, perforated with 15 holes in the space of two millimetres. Plate impression, in color, on white paper, perforated 15. 1 cent, shades of indigo blue. 3 " " " red. 5 " " " brown. 10 " " " green. 12 " " " black. The report of the Postmaster General, dated December 1st, 1860, states that: "Larger denominations of postage stamps have been adopted and introduced, especially intended for the purpose of affording requisite facilities to prepay the postage on letters to foreign countries, and of removing all excuse heretofore existing for paying such postages in money. The new denominations are twenty-four cents, thirty cents and ninety cents. The two latter have been introduced since July 1st, last," i. e. since the commencement of the new fiscal year. ISSUE OF JUNE 15TH, 1860. TWENTY-FOUR CENTS. The stamp described on page 95 as prepared imperforated in 1856, but not regularly issued in that condition, was now issued perforated. Plate impression, 18½ by 25 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 15. 24 cents, lilac. ISSUE OF AUGUST 12TH, 1860. THIRTY CENTS. Head of Benjamin Franklin, in profile to the left, similar to that on, the Carrier's Stamp of September, 1851, on an oval disk with hatched back-ground bounded by a colorless line ornamented by a single fine colored line. A colored back-ground fills out the rectangle and is ornamented by a shield of the United States in each of the four corners, the bottom of the shields pointed towards the center, and the ground just behind them ornamented by colorless rays, with a foliated ornament on each side of them. Between the ornaments in colorless capitals, on the solid ground, above, in two lines, "_U. S._" and "_Postage_," below "30," on the left side "_Thirty_," and on the right side "_Cents_." Plate impression, 20 by 24 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 15. 30 cents, orange. ISSUE OF AUGUST 13TH, 1860.