From the correspondence columns of the daily papers, we learn that the Department received the first invoice of these stamps at Washington, the 7th of February, 1882, and that it was expected to begin the issue the 1st of March, following. Mr. Durbin obtained some copies which he used on St. Valentines day. But the stamps were not distributed from the offices until the 10th of April, 1882 and were then sold only as the supply of the old ones was exhausted. This is the date officially given by the report of Postmaster General for the year, and the same date is also given by the New York papers. The description given by the Postmaster General it is not necessary to repeat. ISSUE OF APRIL 10TH, 1882. FIVE CENTS. Portrait in profile to the left, of President Garfield, in an oval disk 16 by 20 mm., lined horizontally and obliquely, and bordered by a line of colorless pearls on a broad colored band, resting on a shield lined horizontally, and bordered by a colored line, very heavy on the right side and at the bottom, and an exterior fine colorless line at the bottom and sides, all on a back ground of horizontal lines bordered at the sides by a terminal line of color. The shield is square at the top, of the width of the stamp, with perpendicular sides not quite so far apart, the corners being slanted back, and is pointed at the bottom which is formed of two diagonal lines. A large solid six pointed star, bordered by a colorless line and exterior colored line covers the lower point of the shield and a part of the pearled border, and bears a large colorless numeral "5." On each side of this a ribbon indicated by a colored line, inscribed on left "_Five_," on right "_Cents_," in outline capitals, on a ground of short vertical lines. On the background of the stamp, beneath all, "_U. S. Postage_" in colored block letters, shaded on the left and top by colorless lines. Plate impression, 19½ by 25 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12. 5 cents, dark chocolate. ISSUE OF NOVEMBER, 1882. Without any notice to the postmasters or the public, new plates were made by the American Bank Note Company, and slight changes were made in the engraving. These began to appear in November, 1882, and may be found in the one three, six and ten cent values. ONE CENT. The vertical lines of the background are thickened in the upper half and so nearly touch, that the ground now appears solid and in fact from the running of the ink, sometimes really is solid. The curved ornamental lines in the upper corners and the balls are now shaded with one or more interior colored lines, instead of being plain. The exterior shading of horizontal lines is omitted here, at the ends of the upper labels, and also outside of the side lines, and is very faint under the lower ornaments and label.