NINETY CENTS. Bust of Washington, in General's uniform, after Trumbal, faced three quarters to the left, on closely hatched ground, appearing nearly solid, square below, arched above, bordered by a colorless line. Solid arched label above, inscribed in colorless capitals, "_U. S. Postage_"; below, solid straight label, inscribed in the same letters "_Ninety Cents_." The ends of the upper label are curved inwards, those of the lower label outwards, and the colorless line borders the ends and remaining side of each. Outside a double colored line borders all, forming foliated ornaments, etc. There is an added colored line at the top and bottom, and fine lines shading the ornaments. Plate impression, 18½ by 24 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 15. 90 cents, deep indigo blue. The twenty-four cents was required to prepay the single rate of postage on letters to England, and the thirty cents to prepay the single rate on letters to Germany. The ninety cents does not seem to have been required for any single rate. The contract with the Bank Note Engravers, Toppan, Carpenter and Co., expired on the 10th of June, 1861, and all the stamps made by them were withdrawn from circulation, and ceased to be available for postage, between August 1st, 1861, and January 1st 1862, as will appear from the circulars quoted, relating to the issue of 1861. They have been reprinted, differently perforated, and sold to collectors by the department. (See chapter on reprints.) OBSERVATIONS. The one, three, five, ten and twelve cent values were first made by perforating sheets from the original plates, and later, certain changes were made that require to be noticed. ONE CENT, PERFORATED. The first perforated sheets being from the same plates as the unperforated, the same observations apply to them. It is to be noticed that these had the fine colored line outside the labels _at the top and bottom_. Owing to the nearness of the stamps on the sheets the perforation generally cut into the stamps, either at the top or bottom, and cut these lines, but the remains will be found on the points left between the holes. Careful search will secure specimens in which both these lines are intact, though they are somewhat rare. The vertical lines, printer's imprint, etc., are of course in the same positions, and the same varieties of finer or coarser lines may be found. The color varies in the same degree. The paper is apparently the same, with the same tinting, from the imperfectly wiped plates.