1862 5c Confederate States,Jefferson Davis,blue, thin-to-thick paper (De La Rue & Co)

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5¢ Jefferson Davis

The 5¢ Jefferson Davis stamp was produced in Richmond by Archer and Daly using plates made in England. The stamp was often used in pairs to pay the 10¢ letter rate. The earliest-known cancellation is July 25, 1862

When the Civil War erupted, the U.S. demonetized (made worthless) its postage stamps and issued new ones to prevent the South from using U.S. stockpiles. The Confederate Post Office was organized in February 1861 and took over postal operations on June 1, 1861. Some Confederate post offices used the old system of paying cash for postage, others used their own provisional issues.

Unlike the North, the South lacked the means to produce fine engraved stamps from steel plates. Shipments of stamps and printing equipment from London-based engravers Thomas De Le Rue and Co., Ltd. were able to avoid the Union blockade. The newly acquired printing press was set up in Richmond. The first stamps printed in the U.S. used high quality paper and ink from England.