The Postage Stamps of the United States
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is; CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THIS BOOK IS ONE OF A COLLECTION MADE BY BENNO LOEWY 1854-1919 AND BEQUEATHED TO CORNELL UNIVERSITY Cornell Universiiy uprary HE6185.U5 L94 1902 + The postage stamps of the United States, 3 1924 030 134 104 olin Overs Cornell University IS Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924030134104 The postage Stamps OF THE UNITED STATES JOHN N. LUFF New York: THE SCOTT STAMP & COIN CO., Ltd. 1902. 3 Copyright, 1897. By The Scott Stamp & Coin Co., Ltd. Contents, Page Introductory, ... 3 Historical Notes, ... .5 The Postmasters' Stamps, . 9 Alexandria, Va., 12 Annapolis, Md„ • '3 Baltimore, Md., 15 Boscawen, N. H., 20 Brattleboro, Vt., 21 Lockport, N. Y., . • 26 Millbury, Mass., 27 New Haven, Conn., 29 New York, N. Y., . 32 Philadelphia, Pa., 38 Pittsfield, Mass., . 39 Providence, R. \., . 40 St. Louis, Mo., 45 Washington, D. C, 52 Worcester, Mass., 54 Madison, Fla., . -55 Government Issues, 57 Issue of 1847, 59 Issue of 1851-55, . .65 Issue of 1857-60, -75 Issues of 1861-66, 81 Issue of i86r, . 81 " " 1863, 90 " " 1866, . 91 Issue of 1867, -97 Issue of 1869, • • . • '°^ Issue of 1870, . 119 Issues of 1873-75, . 130 Issue of 1879, • '44 Issues of 1881-88, . 147 Issue of 1881-82, ... 147 " " April loth, 1882, ..... 149 " " October ist, 1883, 151 " " June 15th, 1887, ..... 153 CONTENTS. Page. Issues of 1887-88, ISS Issue of 1890, 160 Issue of 1893, .... 170 Issue of 1894-95, 179 Issue of 1898 (Trans-Mississippi Series), 191 Issue of 1898, 196 Issue of 1901 (Pan-American Series), 200 Carriers' Stamps, 202 The Baltimore Carriers' Stamps, . 207 The Boston Carriers' Stamps, 211 The Charleston Carriers' Stamps, The Louisvile Carriers' Stamps, 222 The New York Carriers' Stamps, 225 The Philadelphia Carriers' Stamps, Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Pony Express Stamps, 238 The Franklin Carriers' Stamp, 24* The Eagle Carriers' Stamp, 248 Special Delivery Stamps, 250 Official Stamps (Issue of 1873), 256 Official Stamps (Issue of 1879), 274 Newspaper and Periodical Stamps (Issue of 1865), 289 " (Issue of '87s), 294 " (Issue of 1879), 303 " (Issue of 1894), 318 " (Issue of 189s), 320 Postage Due Stamps, 329 -Issue of 1879, 329 Issues of 1894-95, 336 Provisional Issues, 341 Reprints, Re-Issues and Special Printings, 343 Issue of 1847, 346 " " 1857, 348 " " 1861, 349 " " 1869, 35° " " 1870, 351 " " 1882, 354 " " 1883, 354 Stamps, Carriers' 355 Official Stamps, 356 and Periodical Newspaper Stamps, 359 Postage Due Stamps, 364 Official Seals, 365 Appendix, .... 375 Addenda, .... 401 Errata, ..... 403 Index, .... 405 Introductory, The first of the series of articles which constitute this •.vorl<, and which it is now ray pleasure topresent in a more permanent form, appeared in the American Journal of Philately for June, 1897. Philatelists had, for some time, felt the need of a new history of the postage stamps of the United States, as the only work on this subject, which was then extant, had been written many years before and, in spite of its numerous excellent features, had become obsolete. The discoveries of recent years had increased the interest in the stamps of this country, enlarged the field of collecting and given us new literary material which it was desirable to gather into some permanent form. I had frequently been urged to undertake this task but had hesitated on account of its magnitude, fully realizing the amount of research and labor involved in properly placing such a work before the public. However, I, at last, decided to undertake the work and have carried it out to. the best of my ability. I must leave it to my readers to decide what measure of success has attended my efforts. The difficulties attending the study of the stamps of the United States are great, especially in the case of the early issues. Of the postmasters' and carriers' stamps there are practically no records,- either public cr private. The men who issued or handled the stamps have most of them passed away. Those who remain can recall but little and human memory is proverbially fallible. To find the best and most reliable data we must turn to the earlier philatelic publications and from these sources I have drawn freely. Even in the case of the government issues we can obtain but little information. Until 1894 the si amps were not printed by the government but by contractors. The official records seldom hhow more than the quantities of stamps received and distributed. Even these records are usually inacces- sible, except in the shape of the annual reports of the Postmaster- General, which are, as a rule, merely perfunctory lists of the number of stamps of each value dibtribuled in each year and supply very h'ttle that we wish to know of design paper, colors and the numerous details which are of interest to philatelists. In preparing this work I have spared neither time nor, pains and, thanks to the liberality of my publishers, expenditure for material and investigation has not been stinted. The various chapters have now been carefully corrected 4 INTRODUCTORY. and amplified. I have tried to include every interesting detail and every item which might be of value. I fear I have sometimes given extracts and statistics that make dull reading, but it has seemed necessary to include them for the sake of completeness. Of regular issues by the government, the adhesive stamps only will be considered. The envelope stamps occupy a field by themselves and there are already extant several very, complete and elaborate works devoted to them. But, among the provisional issues by postmasters and the carriers' stamps, envelopes will be described. They are few in number and their inclusion is desirable for the sake of historical completeness. It is fitting that I should express here my obligation to many others, both collectors and dealers, for their valued assistance. They have placed at my disposal their collections and stocks and have aided me in other ways. It was originally my intention to make individual mention of those who assisted me, I now find that I have a long list of such friends, yet I fear that I may have failed to note some names Rather than risk a seeming, though unintentional neglect, I deem it best to say that I am indebted to many of those best known in philately in this country and in Europe, and to many others whose names are not so familiar but whose good will was the equal of any. To all I offer my sincere thanks. Historical Notes, The first efforts towards establishing a postal system in what is now the United States were made by the colonies of Massachussetts and Pennsylvania; by the former in 1676 and by the latter in 1683. The head offices were Early postal located in Boston and Philadelphia. These systems were designed for the ArrangcmeHts. convenience of the colonies establishing them, rather than for the benefit of the North American colonies in general. The mother country seems to have given no favorable attention to the needs of the colonies in the direction of postal communication until 1692 and the project remained unfruitful fur nearly twenty years after that date. In the annual report of the Postmaster- General, dated November 29th, 1831, we read : " As early as 1677, upon the petition of several merchants of Boston (Massachnssetts), Mr. John Hayward, scrivener, was appointed by the court, 'to take in and convey letters according to their direction.' This was probably the first post office and mail service authorized in America. Local and imperfect arrangements for the conveyance of mails were afterwards made, at different periods, in several of the colonies, until 1710, when the British Parliament passed an act authorizing the British Postmaster-Genera! ' to keep one chief letter office in New York, and other chief letter offices in each of her Majesty's provinces or colonies in America.' Deputy Postmasters-General for North America were subsequently and fio.n time to time appointed by the Postmaster-General in England, and Doctor Benjamin Franklin was so appointed in 1755. He was removed in 1774. On the 26th of July, 1775, the Continents Congress determined 'th.it a Postmaster- General be appointed for the United Colonies,' and to allow him ' a salary of one thousand dollars per annum for himself and three hundred and forty dollars per annum for a secretary and comptroller.' On proceeding to the election of Postmaster General, ' Benjamin Franklin, Esq., was unanimously chosen.' 77S States in The Articles of Confederation of 1 gave to the United Congress assembled ' the sole and exclusive right and power of establishing and regulating post offices, from one State to another throughout all the United States, and exacting such postage on the papers passing through the same as may be requisite to defray the expenses of an ofTice.' The little progress made during the period of the Confederation shows that this power was too limited to be useful, and when the increase of the mail service before the adoption of the constitution of the United States is compared with its subsequent extension one cannot fail to perceive that the prosperity, efficiency, and value of this department are chiefly to be ascribed to the national government founded under the constitution of the Union. The first Congress assembled under our present constitution passed ' An act for the temporary establishment of a post office ' approved September 22, 1789. This act directed the appointment of a Postmaster General, and was to continue in force until the end of the next session of Congress.