History of the Postage Stamps of the United States of AmericaTiffany, John K. (John Kerr)
History
History of the Postage Stamps of the United States of America
Tiffany, John K. (John Kerr)
Postage stamps -- United States
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:
The rates for international postage had been decided upon as 5
cents, the United States series of postage stamps had not such a
value. Mr. Jewell, the Postmaster General at the time, suggested
to President Grant the propriety of having his portrait on the
new stamp of the required value. Gen. Grant did not agree with
his Cabinet officer. Finally, he suggested that if Mr. Jewell
would insist upon consulting his wishes, he (Gen. Grant) would
be well pleased if the portrait of old Zack Taylor, with whom he
served in the Mexican war, could be used on the new stamp.
Instead of instructing the then contractors to prepare a
portrait of Gen. Taylor, which would be in harmony with the
other stamps of the series, Mr. Jewell found in the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing, a portrait of Taylor, which had been
used on the old tobacco strip series. This portrait was
transmogrified into the five cent stamp. It was badly engraved
and of wretched color.
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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