1869-1890 3 Old United States Stamps, Used with slight imperfections, #114, 183 & 222

Get 3 Used U.S. Stamps – All Over 130 Years Old – In One Money-Saving Order!

Order now and you'll receive US #114, 183, & 222 in used condition with one or two small imperfections that don't detract from the stamps' beauty or collectibility but save you BIG off Mystic's U.S. Stamp Catalog prices.  Here's a little more about each stamp:

U.S. #...  more

Get 3 Used U.S. Stamps – All Over 130 Years Old – In One Money-Saving Order!

Order now and you'll receive US #114, 183, & 222 in used condition with one or two small imperfections that don't detract from the stamps' beauty or collectibility but save you BIG off Mystic's U.S. Stamp Catalog prices.  Here's a little more about each stamp:

U.S. #114
1869 Locomotive

• First US postage stamp to picture a train
• Hard to find with good centering
• Ranked #18 in 100 Greatest American Stamps

Stamp Category:  Definitive
Series:  1869
Value:  3c
Issue Date:  March 19, 1869
Earliest Documented Use:  March 27, 1869
Printed by:  National Bank Note Co.
Quantity printed:   335,534,850 
Format:  Printed in sheets of 300 stamps, divided into vertical panes of 150 each
Printing Method:  Engraving
Perforations:  12
Color:  Ultramarine

Why the stamp was issued:  The main usage for the 3c Locomotive Pictorial was payment of the half-ounce first class domestic letter rate.  It saw more use than any of the other Pictorial stamps.        

About the printing:  The design was engraved on a die – a small, flat piece of steel.  The design was copied onto a transfer roll – a blank roll of steel.  Several impressions or “reliefs” were made on the roll.  The reliefs were transferred to the plate – a large, flat piece of steel from which the stamps were printed.  

About the design:  The artwork is based on a National Bank Note Company design, used previously on its currency bank notes.  William Frangipane, in his United States Stamps: A History, makes the argument that the stamp is, in a way, the first US commemorative stamp as it celebrates the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, as well as the fast mail service of  the era.

About the 1869 Pictorial Series:  It was suggested this new series honor the history of the US Post Office.  According to the Post Office’s request for contract bids – the new series would begin “with Franklin, the Continental postmaster, and the post rider of the early days, followed by the locomotive of a later day and the ocean steamer carrying the mails… the most important scenes in the early history of the country, its triumphant arms, and Washington its first, and Lincoln its last president.” 

As  result, the 1869 Pictorials were the first US stamps to feature something besides the bust or head of an American president or statesman.  This marked a significant change in US stamp design.  For the first time, methods of transportation, symbols of America, historic events, and explorers appeared on postage stamps.  The Pictorials are considered by some to be forerunners of US commemorative stamps. 

Though sought-after today, the Pictorials were unpopular at the time of their issue.  Some Americans thought it unpatriotic to replace the nation’s leaders with other subjects.  Though expected to be printed over a period of four years, the stamps were withdrawn from sale within a year of their release.

Printed on hard white wove paper, five of the stamps were the first US issues to be printed in two colors.  Using two colors required two press runs, one to print the center design (vignette) and one to print the frame.  This led to the accidental creation of some rare inverts of numbers 119, 120 and 121 – the first inverts in US postal history.

The series consists of eleven stamps – US #112-122.  Each stamp was embossed with the “G” grill, added to prevent reuse of the stamps.  The stamps have a unique, nearly square shape, not used on any other US postage stamp for almost 70 years.  Their G grill was nearly square as well, smaller than earlier grills due to the smaller stamp size.  The G grill was used exclusively on the Pictorial Series. 

History the stamp represents:   The 3c locomotive stamp carried on the theme of a history of the US Post Office.  As with other stamps in the series, having an image other than a president or statesman was a preview of things to come: the full-fledged commemorative stamps of the next generation. 

When the stamp was issued, the transcontinental railroad was less than two months away from completion.  The stamp not only celebrates the speed with which mail delivery was being accomplished by rail at the time, but also that historic event.   

U.S. #183
1879 2¢ Jackson
American Bank Note Printing

Earliest Known Use: August 18, 1878
Quantity issued: 547,073,700 (estimate)
Printed by: American Bank Note Company
Method: Flat plate
Watermark: None
Perforation: 12
Color: Vermilion

Continental Bank Note Co. was awarded a second contract that covered the period of 1877-1881. On February 4, 1879, the American Bank Note Company took over Continental, and the contract was assumed by American. Since American acquired all the old plates used by National when the two companies consolidated, the American Bank Note stamps all bear the same secret marks. Those plates that did not previously have secret marks were not altered in any way.

One can, however, differentiate between the stamps printed by Continental and American by determining which type of paper was used. Both National and Continental used hard paper, which is fairly white, has a smooth surface, and is uniform in thickness. In addition, the stamp is fairly translucent when held up to a window or a bright light. Hard paper is sometimes better referred to as being a grayish or bluish white.

American, on the other hand, used soft paper, which is characterized by being thicker and having a coarser and uneven texture. When compared to hard paper, it is yellowish in appearance and is not as translucent.

U.S. #222
1890-93 Regular Issue 4¢ Lincoln

Issue Date: February 22, 1890
Issue Quantity: 46,877,200
Printed by: American Bank Note Company
Method: Flat plate
Watermark: None
Perforation: 12
Color: Dark brown

During Abraham Lincoln’s Presidency, many new developments came about; the first transcontinental telegraph line, paper money, and free mail delivery. A traditional portrait of Lincoln is featured on the 4¢ 1890-93 Regular Issue stamp.

Although similar in design to the previous issues, the 1890-93 Series was smaller in size and featured new colors.

The 1890-93 Regular Issue stamps were the last issued printed by the American Bank Note Company for 50 years. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing was awarded exclusive control of stamp production until the 1943 Overrun Nations.