Very few collectors will ever be lucky enough to own this stamp. The 7¢ Edwin Stanton stamp is part of an 1880 Special Printing Issue. Experts think less than 500 stamps were printed over a century ago and fewer than 100 exist today (approximately 80 examples are known to exist).
The Special Printings came out of a significant industry shift. When the American Bank Note Company acquired the Continental Bank Note Company in 1879, they produced high-quality reprints of existing designs on softer paper, with more variation in color, using the new steam-driven press. They were intended for collectors — but collectors largely ignored them at the time, which explains why so few survived.
The 7¢ banknote found its primary postal use when the Prussian closed mail rate via England dropped from 10¢ to 7¢ on October 1, 1871. The 1880 Special Printing is a different matter entirely — issued without gum and never intended for postal use.
The stamp's subject, Edwin Stanton, served as the 27th U.S. Secretary of War under Abraham Lincoln through most of the Civil War. His organizational work in mobilizing the North's military resources was a significant factor in the Union's victory.
Stamps like this don't cross our desk often, and when they do, they don't last. We only have two. Once they are gone, it may be a long time before another surfaces. If you've been looking to add a serious piece of American philatelic history to your collection, this is the one. Order now before it finds a new home.
Very few collectors will ever be lucky enough to own this stamp. The 7¢ Edwin Stanton stamp is part of an 1880 Special Printing Issue. Experts think less than 500 stamps were printed over a century ago and fewer than 100 exist today (approximately 80 examples are known to exist).
The Special Printings came out of a significant industry shift. When the American Bank Note Company acquired the Continental Bank Note Company in 1879, they produced high-quality reprints of existing designs on softer paper, with more variation in color, using the new steam-driven press. They were intended for collectors — but collectors largely ignored them at the time, which explains why so few survived.
The 7¢ banknote found its primary postal use when the Prussian closed mail rate via England dropped from 10¢ to 7¢ on October 1, 1871. The 1880 Special Printing is a different matter entirely — issued without gum and never intended for postal use.
The stamp's subject, Edwin Stanton, served as the 27th U.S. Secretary of War under Abraham Lincoln through most of the Civil War. His organizational work in mobilizing the North's military resources was a significant factor in the Union's victory.
Stamps like this don't cross our desk often, and when they do, they don't last. We only have two. Once they are gone, it may be a long time before another surfaces. If you've been looking to add a serious piece of American philatelic history to your collection, this is the one. Order now before it finds a new home.
