1873 6c Executive Official, Carmine, Plate Proof on India Paper

Get this Plate Proof 1873 6¢ Official Stamp Issued for the Executive Branch

Proofs have a look all their own.  Pulled under controlled conditions, they show sharper detail and stronger color than the stamps we’re used to seeing.  When the Continental Bank Note Company was preparing to produce Official stamps, this proof was made to ensure that everything was in order with the plates before full-scale printing began.  It was printed on India paper.  Plate proofs were produced in very small quantities (fewer than 3,000 for most early stamps).

Plate Proofs
Once the design has been approved and the plates have been created, the printer will produce plate proofs to ensure that everything is in order before full-scale printing begins. Plate proofs are impressions taken directly from the printing plate and are usually produced in sheets, similar to the final stamps. However, they are typically printed on a different type of paper—often unperforated—and may be in a different color than the issued stamps.
Plate proofs allow collectors to study the alignment and spacing of the stamps on the plate, as well as any differences between individual stamps on the same sheet. Like trial color and die proofs, plate proofs are not intended for postal use, making them a prized addition to any collection.

Official Stamps
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.

This Official plate proof has been preserved for over a century and a half.  Now it’s your turn to give this stamp the home it deserves – in your collection.