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#374-82
1910-11 Regular Issues, Single Line Watermark, Perf. 12, Complete Set of 9 Stamps
$965.00
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U.S. #374-82
Series of 1910-11
This set represents the first sheet stamps printed on single line watermark paper, part of the popular Washington-Franklin series that ran from 1908 to 1922. In August 1910, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing decided to change the watermark used on postage stamp paper, reducing the size of the lettering and switching from a double line design to a single line pattern. The new watermark strengthened the paper and gave it a more uniform thickness, since the earlier double line version tended to weaken the paper's structure.
This complete run of nine denominations, ranging from one cent through fifteen cents, gave collectors a full picture of the everyday postage rates used during this period. The one cent value featured Benjamin Franklin, the first Postmaster General, while the remaining eight denominations all pictured George Washington, continuing the practice established earlier in the Washington-Franklin series of pairing these two founding figures across the full run of definitive stamps.
The single line watermark remained in use for several years before the Bureau discontinued it in 1916, a cost cutting measure driven by the economic pressures of World War I. Officials determined that eliminating the specially produced watermarked paper would generate significant savings, outweighing the modest increased risk of counterfeiting that came with switching to plain paper. This set of nine stamps captures a brief but significant chapter in early twentieth century American postal history, marking the transition point between two distinct watermark styles used on the nation's everyday postage.
Here are the stamps in this set:
374 - 1c Franklin, Green
375 - 2c Washington, Carmine
376 - 3c Washington, Deep Violet, Type I
377 - 4c Washington, Brown
378 - 5c Washington, Blue,
379 - 6c Washington, Red Orange,
380 -8c Washington, Olive Green
381 - 10c Washington, Yellow
382 - 15c Washington, Pale Ultramarine
U.S. #374-82
Series of 1910-11
This set represents the first sheet stamps printed on single line watermark paper, part of the popular Washington-Franklin series that ran from 1908 to 1922. In August 1910, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing decided to change the watermark used on postage stamp paper, reducing the size of the lettering and switching from a double line design to a single line pattern. The new watermark strengthened the paper and gave it a more uniform thickness, since the earlier double line version tended to weaken the paper's structure.
This complete run of nine denominations, ranging from one cent through fifteen cents, gave collectors a full picture of the everyday postage rates used during this period. The one cent value featured Benjamin Franklin, the first Postmaster General, while the remaining eight denominations all pictured George Washington, continuing the practice established earlier in the Washington-Franklin series of pairing these two founding figures across the full run of definitive stamps.
The single line watermark remained in use for several years before the Bureau discontinued it in 1916, a cost cutting measure driven by the economic pressures of World War I. Officials determined that eliminating the specially produced watermarked paper would generate significant savings, outweighing the modest increased risk of counterfeiting that came with switching to plain paper. This set of nine stamps captures a brief but significant chapter in early twentieth century American postal history, marking the transition point between two distinct watermark styles used on the nation's everyday postage.
Here are the stamps in this set:
374 - 1c Franklin, Green
375 - 2c Washington, Carmine
376 - 3c Washington, Deep Violet, Type I
377 - 4c Washington, Brown
378 - 5c Washington, Blue,
379 - 6c Washington, Red Orange,
380 -8c Washington, Olive Green
381 - 10c Washington, Yellow
382 - 15c Washington, Pale Ultramarine
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