So far I have not spoken of the various forms of watermarks employed by Nesbitt, nor of the tresses, or seals, found on the flaps. These are of importance to the collector of entire envelopes, but are a negligible quantity for those who prefer to get the die varieties as cut square specimens. As it is evident that the purpose of the present work is to enable the great body of collectors of United States stamps to become well acquainted with the early Nesbitt varieties, hitherto considered the exclusive property of the specialist, I suggest to the powers that supply our need in the way of stamp albums to prepare a couple of extra pages, showing the die and its main varieties. A friend of the writer, an enthusiastic collector of cut square specimens, has adopted this plan and it is certain that if any of our readers had an opportunity to see how attractive and interesting these pages appear, they would not hesitate to do likewise. Perhaps this suggestion will be heeded by the album publishers. If so, there will soon spring up special groups of collectors of the early Nesbitt Die Varieties. In conclusion I desire to express to Messrs. J. M. Bartels, Edward H. Mason and Geo. Rauh, all of Boston, my sincere thanks for the valuable aid which they have rendered me in preparing this work. Mr. Bartels has worked with me continuously in my investigations into the intricacies of these dies; Mr. Mason has placed his grand collection of United States envelopes unreservedly at my disposal, besides aiding me in many other ways, and it is to Mr. Rauh that I am indebted for the very fine and conscientiously executed drawings of the various, heads of this series. VICTOR M. BERTHOLD. Boston, Mass. Feb. 1905. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote A: The--Nesbitt Stamped Envelopes--and Wrappers--of the--United States of America,--with descriptions of the varieties of the dies,--and fifteen full-page illustrations--by--the late Gilbert Harrison.--Edited and completed--by--E. D. Bacon.--Published as a supplement to the "London Philatelist",--by M. P. Castle,--Vice-President of the Philatelic Society, London,--1895.] [Footnote B: The--Stamped Envelopes.--Wrappers and Sheets--of the United States--by John K. Tiffany, R. R. Bogert,--and Joseph Rechert.--A Committee of the National Philatelical Society,--New York--1892.--Published by--The Scott Stamp & Coin Co. Limited.--12 East 23rd St.] THE 1853-55 SERIES. It is strange that the Yankee, who is generally so quick witted in all matters pertaining to trade and commerce, has been comparatively slow in recognizing the value of the stamped envelope for business purposes. As a matter of fact, the famous Mulready and its numerous caricatures had been used in Great Britain for nearly a dozen years when the Thirty-second Congress, on Aug. 31, 1852, authorized the issue of stamped envelopes in the United States.