1873 6c Yellow, Department of Agriculture, Lincoln, Hard Paper

# O4 - 1873 6c Yellow, Department of Agriculture, Lincoln, Hard Paper

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U.S. #O4
1873 6¢ Lincoln
Official Stamp – Agriculture

Printed By: Continental Bank Note Co.
Printing Method: Engraved
Perforations:
12
Color: Yellow
 
Official Mail stamps are genuine postage stamps, although they were never available at any post office.  These unique stamps are called Officials because their use was strictly limited to government mail.  Before 1873, government agencies had “franking” privileges.  This meant that government mail could be sent free of postage as long as it bore an authorized signature on the envelope.  As of July 1, 1873, “franking” privileges were discontinued and special official stamps were put into circulation for use on government mail.
 
Each department was issued its own set of stamps.  Many of the designs were taken from the current series of regular postage stamps being printed at that time - the so-called “Bank Note Issues.”  The department names were inscribed on the stamps instead of the usual “U.S. Postage” and each set was printed in its own distinct color.  Only the Post Office Department had its own unique design - a numeral in an oval frame.
 
In 1884, the Officials were declared obsolete and were replaced with the “penalty” envelope.  These envelopes were imprinted with an official emblem and carried a warning against unauthorized use by private individuals.
 

Department of Agriculture

1873 6¢ Yellow, Department of Agriculture, Lincoln, Hard Paper
US #O4 – 1873 Department of Agriculture stamp picturing Abraham Lincoln

On February 9, 1889, the US Department of Agriculture attained cabinet-level status.  The change was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland.

The United States Department of Agriculture, commonly called the USDA, has its roots in the patent office.  In 1837, lawyer Henry Leavitt Ellsworth became the commissioner of patents and sought a way to improve crops and livestock in America.  He began collecting and distributing seeds and plants to the rural communities through congressmen and agriculture societies.  For his foundational work, Ellsworth is called “The Father of the Department of Agriculture.”

2000 Flag Over Farm Rate Change, collection of 3 stamps
US #3448-50 – Flag Over Farm Rate Change Collection

The earliest incarnation of the Department of Agriculture was established in 1839 as the Agricultural Division of the Patent Office.  A decade later, the Patent Office was transferred to the new Department of Interior.  Over the next few years, calls were made to establish a separate bureau of agriculture.

1913 50¢ Dairying Parcel Post
US #Q10 was adapted from a Department of Agriculture photograph.

On May 15, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln approved the Department of Agriculture, led by a commissioner without Cabinet status.  Lincoln described the new department as the “people’s department.”  At the time, about half the country’s population lived on farms.  In the following decades, farmers and advocacy groups lobbied for the Department of Agriculture to get Cabinet rank.

1898 2¢ Trans-Mississippi Exposition: Farming in the West
US #286 – This 1898 Farming in the West stamp is based on a photo of a 27,000 acre “bonanza farm” in North Dakota.

The House of Representatives and Senate passed bills in 1887 giving the Department of Agriculture Cabinet status, but was dropped by a conference committee after farmers objected to the addition of labor.  Then, on February 9, 1889, President Grover Cleveland signed legislation elevating the department to Cabinet level.

1952 3¢ 4-H Club
US #1005 – Founded in 1902, the 4-H Club movement was supported by the USDA.

The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 established another important service of this department.  Cooperative extension offices are now in most rural counties of the US to provide education in agriculture and home economics.  Other programs directed by the USDA are 4-H and the Future Farmers of America (FFA), as well as support for colleges involved in agricultural research.

1953 3¢ Future Farmers of America
US #1024 – Future Farmers of America was established in 1928.

American farmers are often so successful at producing crops there is often a surplus.  The Department of Agriculture oversees food distribution programs in the US, such as free and reduced lunch and supplying food to low-income and homeless families each month.  Overseas programs provide relief to developing countries and those recovering from disasters.

2015 49¢ Summer Harvest
US #5004-07 – The USDA offers free seeds and resources for farmers.

Today, the Department of Agriculture oversees the development and implementation of federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food.  It also works with farmers and ranchers to promote agricultural trade and production, ensure food safety, protect natural resources, assist rural communities, and put an end to hunger in America and around the world.

 

 

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U.S. #O4
1873 6¢ Lincoln
Official Stamp – Agriculture

Printed By: Continental Bank Note Co.
Printing Method: Engraved
Perforations:
12
Color: Yellow
 
Official Mail stamps are genuine postage stamps, although they were never available at any post office.  These unique stamps are called Officials because their use was strictly limited to government mail.  Before 1873, government agencies had “franking” privileges.  This meant that government mail could be sent free of postage as long as it bore an authorized signature on the envelope.  As of July 1, 1873, “franking” privileges were discontinued and special official stamps were put into circulation for use on government mail.
 
Each department was issued its own set of stamps.  Many of the designs were taken from the current series of regular postage stamps being printed at that time - the so-called “Bank Note Issues.”  The department names were inscribed on the stamps instead of the usual “U.S. Postage” and each set was printed in its own distinct color.  Only the Post Office Department had its own unique design - a numeral in an oval frame.
 
In 1884, the Officials were declared obsolete and were replaced with the “penalty” envelope.  These envelopes were imprinted with an official emblem and carried a warning against unauthorized use by private individuals.
 

Department of Agriculture

1873 6¢ Yellow, Department of Agriculture, Lincoln, Hard Paper
US #O4 – 1873 Department of Agriculture stamp picturing Abraham Lincoln

On February 9, 1889, the US Department of Agriculture attained cabinet-level status.  The change was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland.

The United States Department of Agriculture, commonly called the USDA, has its roots in the patent office.  In 1837, lawyer Henry Leavitt Ellsworth became the commissioner of patents and sought a way to improve crops and livestock in America.  He began collecting and distributing seeds and plants to the rural communities through congressmen and agriculture societies.  For his foundational work, Ellsworth is called “The Father of the Department of Agriculture.”

2000 Flag Over Farm Rate Change, collection of 3 stamps
US #3448-50 – Flag Over Farm Rate Change Collection

The earliest incarnation of the Department of Agriculture was established in 1839 as the Agricultural Division of the Patent Office.  A decade later, the Patent Office was transferred to the new Department of Interior.  Over the next few years, calls were made to establish a separate bureau of agriculture.

1913 50¢ Dairying Parcel Post
US #Q10 was adapted from a Department of Agriculture photograph.

On May 15, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln approved the Department of Agriculture, led by a commissioner without Cabinet status.  Lincoln described the new department as the “people’s department.”  At the time, about half the country’s population lived on farms.  In the following decades, farmers and advocacy groups lobbied for the Department of Agriculture to get Cabinet rank.

1898 2¢ Trans-Mississippi Exposition: Farming in the West
US #286 – This 1898 Farming in the West stamp is based on a photo of a 27,000 acre “bonanza farm” in North Dakota.

The House of Representatives and Senate passed bills in 1887 giving the Department of Agriculture Cabinet status, but was dropped by a conference committee after farmers objected to the addition of labor.  Then, on February 9, 1889, President Grover Cleveland signed legislation elevating the department to Cabinet level.

1952 3¢ 4-H Club
US #1005 – Founded in 1902, the 4-H Club movement was supported by the USDA.

The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 established another important service of this department.  Cooperative extension offices are now in most rural counties of the US to provide education in agriculture and home economics.  Other programs directed by the USDA are 4-H and the Future Farmers of America (FFA), as well as support for colleges involved in agricultural research.

1953 3¢ Future Farmers of America
US #1024 – Future Farmers of America was established in 1928.

American farmers are often so successful at producing crops there is often a surplus.  The Department of Agriculture oversees food distribution programs in the US, such as free and reduced lunch and supplying food to low-income and homeless families each month.  Overseas programs provide relief to developing countries and those recovering from disasters.

2015 49¢ Summer Harvest
US #5004-07 – The USDA offers free seeds and resources for farmers.

Today, the Department of Agriculture oversees the development and implementation of federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food.  It also works with farmers and ranchers to promote agricultural trade and production, ensure food safety, protect natural resources, assist rural communities, and put an end to hunger in America and around the world.

 

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