Chapter LXIII: , Section 1, approved March 3rd, 1847. An Act to

establish certain Post Roads and for other purposes.

"And be it further enacted, that to facilitate the
transportation of letters by mail, the Postmaster General be
authorized to prepare postage stamps, which, when attached to
any letter or packet, shall be evidence of the prepayment of the
postage chargeable on such letter, which said stamps the
Postmaster General may deliver to any deputy postmaster who may
apply for the same, the deputy postmaster paying or becoming
accountable for the amount of the stamps so received by him, and
if any of said stamps shall not be used, but be returned to the
General Post Office, the amount so returned shall be credited to
such deputy postmaster, and such deputy postmaster may sell or
dispose of any stamps so received by him to any person who may
wish to use the same, but it shall not be lawful for any deputy
postmaster, to prepare, use, or dispose of any postage stamps
not authorized by and received from the Postmaster General. And
any person who shall falsely and fraudulently make, alter or
forge any postage stamp with intent to defraud the Post Office
Department, shall be deemed guilty of felony, and on conviction
shall be subject to the same punishment as provided in the 21
Section of the Act approved March 3rd, 1825, entitled an Act,"
etc.

This is the first authorization of postage stamps in the United States, and it will be well to observe that the use of any stamps other than _those authorized and received from_ the Postmaster General is strictly prohibited. The use of the stamps of the postmasters herein before treated of, must therefore have ceased from and after the 1st of July, 1847, when the law went into effect, or as soon thereafter as supplies were received from the Department. This effectually determines the character of such locals, as the so-called "Horseman," and "U. S. Mail Prepaid," before referred to.

According to the law and custom in the United States, a contract for the engraving and printing of stamps, under the authority of this Act, was made by the Postmaster General with Messrs. Rawdon, Wright, Hatch and Edson, for four years. During this time they furnished 4,400,000, five cent stamps, and 1,050,000, ten cent stamps, of which 3,712,000 five cent, and 891,000 ten cent stamps are officially reported to have been distributed by the Department to deputy postmasters for sale. A portion of these, valued at $12,038.55, were however afterwards returned to the Department and exchanged for those of the subsequent issue, and credited to the deputies who returned them.

ISSUE OF JULY 1ST, 1847.

The issue consisted of two values only, five and ten cents.

FIVE CENTS. Portrait of Benjamin Franklin, Continental Postmaster General, facing three quarters to the left, on an oval disk with hatched ground, 141/2 by 171/4 mm., bounded by a broad colorless line with a fine colored line outside, in a rectangular frame, also bordered by a broad colorless line with a fine colored line outside. The ground work of this frame is composed of fine horizontal colored lines, and is ornamented by foliations, and inscribed in outlined colorless capitals, "_U._" and "_S._," in the upper corners, with "_Post Office_," between, following the form of the oval, large numeral "5," and "5," in the lower corners, with "_Five Cents_" between, following the form of the oval.

Between the lines of the outer border, exactly in the centre, are the initials of the engravers, "R. W. H. & E.," in small colored capitals.

Plate impression, 181/2 by 231/2 mm., in color, on faintly bluish paper.

5 cents, bronze.

TEN CENTS. Portrait of George Washington, first President, facing three quarters to the right, on an oval disk, with hatched background, bordered by a broad colorless line, with a fine colored line outside, in a rectangular frame, bordered in the same manner. The ground of the frame and inscriptions are similar to the five cents, but changed for the value to a large "X," in each lower corner, with "_Ten Cents_," between. Same small initials in the lower border.

Plate impression, 181/2 by 231/2 mm., in color, on faintly bluish paper.

10 cents, black.

In the Hartford Times of August 5th, 1885, appeared a long article, entitled: "The First Postage Stamps," from which the following relating to the actual date of this issue may be here repeated.

"Thirty eight years ago to-day the first postage stamps were
used in the United States. * * * On the 25th of March, 1840,
John M. Niles, of Hartford, became Postmaster General and
signalized his administration by many reforms. * * * It was
necessary to cap all by a genuine innovation, and he performed
this by suggesting the postage stamp. The suggestion was
received with ridicule, and Mr. Niles soon after retired. * * *
When Cave Johnson assumed the post office, on the 5th of March,
1845, he found it an Herculian task to reinstate the reform
measures of Mr. Niles. * * * Among the measures of Mr. Niles
that he adopted was the postage stamp idea. * * * Johnson
garnished his conversation with fathering the suggestion
originated six years before. * * * The matter took form as a
bill. * * * Approved March 3rd, 1847. The date of the issue was
appointed as July 1st, but there was a delay in the contractors'
work and the time ran over a month.

On the 5th of August, soon after the opening of the Postmaster
General's office for the day, an old gentleman called to see Mr.
Johnson on business. The gentleman was the Hon. Henry Shaw, a
New Yorker, * * * and the father of the well known Henry Shaw,
Jr., (Josh Billings). * * * Mr. Johnson came into his office
accompanied by the printer of the new stamps, a few minutes
after Mr. Shaw had arrived, on that August morning. Sheets of
the stamps were laid before the Postmaster General, who, after
receipting for them, handed them to his visitor to inspect. Mr.
Shaw returned them after a hasty glance, and then drawing out
his wallet, he counted fifteen cents, with which he purchased
two of the stamps--the first two ever issued. The five cent
stamp he kept as a curiosity, and the ten cent stamp he
presented to Governor Briggs, as an appropriate gift."

OBSERVATIONS.

In nearly all the early catalogues and in some recent foreign ones, these stamps are catalogued upon _white_ paper. Mr. Terrell, Third Assistant Postmaster General, in a letter published on page 111, American Stamp Mercury, 1870, states positively that this issue was never printed except upon faintly tinted bluish paper. It may be observed, generally, that the paper of all stamps of the early issues of all countries which were affixed to the blue or bluish paper in general use at the time, has a tendency to vary from the original color, sometimes becoming blue or bluish, when originally white, darker or lighter blue or even whitish if originally blue. This has been variously explained, as the action of some ingredient in the paper of the letter, or of the stamp, in the gum or the ink.

It must be further observed that the color of the impression of the five cents varies greatly from the original pale red brown, called bronze. Many shades of faint red brown, red brown, faint dark brown, deep dark brown, black brown, bluish black, and almost pure black, may be found. Whether these result, as seems to be the case, from a natural change in the course of time, from something in the ink, paper or surroundings of the stamp itself, or whether it results from the use of different colored ink originally, may perhaps be impossible now to determine.

The ten cent, however, varies very little in the color of the impression. Beyond a lighter, or grayish shade, a black with a bluish cast, and the ordinary black impression, little is to be noticed.

The stamps are separated in the sheet by about 2 mm., each way. Double copies of the five cents, adhering either by the side, or by the top and bottom, are often found on old letters, and occasionally, three or four adhering specimens are encountered. The ten cents is almost invariably found in single specimens, though a few pairs, and even three used together are known.

According to a statement in the American Journal of Philately, of April, 1871, this issue was withdrawn from circulation between June 11th and September 30th, 1851. The instructions of the Department to the deputy postmasters, concerning the distribution of the next issue, published in June, 1851, order that these five and ten cent stamps must not be recognized as prepaying letters after the 30th of June, 1851, and request the public to return them to the deputy postmasters, in exchange for others of the new issue. The report of the Postmaster General for the year expiring June 30th, 1851, and published in the fall of that year, further states: "Directions for the destruction of the dies and plates, employed in the manufacture of the stamps formerly used, have been given, and for counting and burning such stamps as have not been issued to postmasters or have been returned."

These facts probably explain the extreme rarity of unused stamps of this issue, and the re-engraving of the dies by the Government, when it was considered advisable to make an exhibit of all its issues of adhesive stamps at the Centennial Exhibition.

The existence therefore, of a specimen of four unused five cent stamps, adhering by the sides, and another of four unused ten cent stamps, adhering also by the sides, in the private collection of Mr. Sterling, is worthy of notice. The latter specimen, at any rate, is probably unique, and though called whitish paper by him, has nevertheless, the bluish tint, and certainly is not _white_ paper.

NOTE. There are _proofs_ however on white paper.

XVIII.

THE ISSUE OF 1851.

The Act of the XXXI Congress, Session II, Chapter XX, approved March 3rd, 1851, and entitled: "An Act to reduce and modify the Rates of Postage in the United States, and for other purposes" reads:

"Be it enacted, etc., that from and after the 30th day of June,
1851, in lieu of the rates of postage now established by law,
there shall be charged the following rates, viz: For every
single letter in manuscript, or paper of any kind, upon which
information shall be asked for, or communicated, in writing, or
by marks or signs, conveyed in the mail for any distance,
between places within the United States, not exceeding 3,000
miles, when the postage upon said letter shall have been
prepaid, three cents, and five cents when the postage thereon
shall not have been prepaid, and for any distance exceeding
3,000 miles, double these rates; for every such single letter or
paper when conveyed wholly or in part by sea, and to or from a
foreign country, for any distance over 2,500 miles, twenty
cents, and for any distance under 2,500 miles, ten cents,
excepting however, all cases where such postages have been or
shall be adjusted at different rates by postal treaty or
convention already concluded or hereafter to be made; and for a
double letter there shall be charged double the rates above
specified; and for a treble letter, treble these rates; and for
a quadruple letter, quadruple these rates; and every letter or
parcel not exceeding half an ounce in weight, shall be deemed a
single letter, and every additional weight of half an ounce, or
every additional weight of less than half an ounce, shall be
charged with an additional single postage. And all drop letters,
or letters placed in any post office, not for transmission, but
for delivery only, shall be charged with postage at the rate of
one cent each, and all letters which shall hereafter be
advertised as remaining over or uncalled for in any post office
shall be charged with one cent in addition to the regular
postage to be accounted for as other postages now are."

The second section fixed the rates upon newspapers of all descriptions, coming from the publishers, etc., etc., which were not to be paid for by stamps, but:

"Every other newspaper circular, hand bill, engraving,
pamphlet," etc., etc., "shall be charged one cent an ounce under
500 miles and one cent each additional ounce between 500 and
1500 miles," double beyond, etc., etc.

The third section provides:

"And be it further enacted, that it shall be the duty of the
Postmaster General to provide and furnish to all deputy
postmasters, and to all other persons applying and paying
therefor, suitable postage stamps, of the denomination of three
cents, and of such other denominations as he may think expedient
to facilitate prepayment of postages provided for in this Act;
and any person who shall forge or counterfeit any postage stamp,
provided or furnished under this Act, whether the same are
impressed or printed on or attached to envelopes or not, or any
die, plate or engraving therefor, or shall make or print, or
knowingly use or sell, or have in his possession, with intent to
use or sell, any such false, forged or counterfeit die, plate,
engraving, or postage stamps, or who shall make or print, or
otherwise procure to be made or printed, any postage stamps of
the kind provided and furnished by the Postmaster General, as
aforesaid, without the especial authority and direction of the
Post Office Department, or who, after such postage stamps have
been printed, shall, with intent to defraud the revenue of the
Post Office Department, deliver any postage stamps to any person
or persons other than such as shall be authorized to receive the
same by an instrument of writing duly executed under the hand of
the Postmaster General, and the seal of the Post Office
Department, shall on conviction thereof be deemed guilty of
felony, and punishable by a fine not exceeding 500 dollars, or
by imprisonment not exceeding five years; or by both such fine
or imprisonment, and the expenses of procuring and providing all
such postage stamps and letter envelopes as are provided or
authorized by this Act, shall be paid, after being adjusted by
the auditor of the Post Office Department, on the certificate of
the Postmaster General, out of any money in the Treasury,
arising from the Revenues of the Post Office Department."

The 4th section provides that postage stamps shall be defaced as the Postmaster General may direct, and the penalty for omitting so to do.

The 10th section provides for the appointment of carriers, the rate to be one or two cents prepaid, the carriers to be paid out of the receipts from this postage.

The 11th section authorizes the coining of the three cent coin, probably to facilitate the payment of these rates.

The other matters mentioned in the foregoing Act are of little interest here, but the following circular contains some matters of importance:

REGULATIONS CONCERNING POSTAGE STAMPS.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
_June 10th, 1851_.

"To facilitate the payment of postages upon letters and
packages, postage stamps of the following denominations are
provided and furnished by the postmaster General, pursuant to
the third section of the "Act to reduce and modify the rates of
Postage in the United States," and for other purposes approved
March 3rd, 1851.

Viz: No. 1. Printed in black, representing the head of
Washington, of the denomination of twelve cents.
No. 2. Printed in red, representing the head of
Washington, in profile, of the denomination of three
cents.
No. 3. Printed in blue, representing the head of Franklin,
in profile, of the denomination of one cent.

These stamps will be furnished to one or more of the principal
postmasters in each county, who will be required to supply the
other postmasters in their vicinities, upon being paid for the
amount furnished."

The remaining provisions relate to the mode of distribution, accounting, cancelling, etc., and are of no particular interest. The circular is signed "Nathan D. Hall, Postmaster General."

A similar circular dated April 3rd, 1852, is almost an exact repetition of the foregoing. The stamps issued may be described more fully thus:

ISSUE OF JULY 1ST, 1851.

ONE CENT. Bust of Benjamin Franklin, first Postmaster General, in profile, facing to the right, in an oval disk 17 by 201/2 mm., with a ground of very fine horizontal colored lines, slightly waved, bordered by a colorless line between two fine colored lines. The colorless line is ornamented by a line of fine dots. Above is a label, bordered at the top by a similarly ornamented colorless line, between two fine colored lines, terminated at the ends by the corner ornaments of the stamp, with a ground of fine colored lines following the lines of the oval, and inscribed in outline capitals "_U. S. Postage_." Below the oval is a similar label, the ends terminated by a similar border, with a ground of fine colored lines, inscribed "_One Cent_" in outline capitals. This label is shaded by a number of vertical lines. Scroll and foliated corner ornaments extending down the sides. There is no outside line finishing the frame. The stamps are very near each other on the sheet.

Plate impression, 19 by 22 mm., color, white paper.

1 cent, shades of indigo blue.

THREE CENTS. Bust of Washington, first President of the United States, in profile to left, on an oval disk, with hatched ground, bordered by a fine colorless line between two fine colored lines, surrounded by a frame composed of colorless lines, forming diamonds on a solid ground, the alternate diamonds filled in with diagonal colorless lines, leaving a colored chain conspicuous, with rosettes in the four angles. The space between the oval and frame filled with horizontal lines, and the corners outside the rosettes filled with ornamented triangles. Above and below all these are solid colored labels, with a small piece containing a diamond cut off at each end by a vertical colorless line, inscribed in colorless Roman capitals, above "_U. S. Postage_," below "_Three Cents_." The whole is surrounded, at a little distance, by a colored line forming a rectangle.

Plate impression 20 by 25 mm., color, white paper.

3 cents, in shades of brick and rose red.

TWELVE CENTS. Bust of Washington, after Stewart, facing three quarters to the left, on an oval disk 131/2 by 17 mm., with hatched ground, bordered by a colorless line between two colored lines. This colorless line is crossed by horizontal lines. About this is a frame like that of the 3 cents, with rosettes at the angles, but showing six and two half links in the chain on each side, instead of five and two half links as in the three cents. The outside corners are filled by small foliations. The space between the oval and frame is filled by horizontal lines. Inscription above "_U. S. Postage_," below "_Twelve Cents_" in colorless capitals, shaded outside on the back ground and following the curve of the oval. The whole is surrounded by a fine colored line.

Plate impression, 19 by 25 mm., color, white paper.

12 cents, black.

As it was considered desirable to keep the amounts collected and paid for delivery by carriers (under section 10 of the act) separate, a special stamp for the payment of such postage was soon added:

ISSUE OF SEPTEMBER 29TH, 1851.

ONE CENT. Bust of Benjamin Franklin, in profile, to the left, on an oval disk, 15 by 171/2 mm. with hatched ground, bordered by a colorless line between two fine colored lines. Frame, labels, etc., like the three cents, but with a colorless star between curved colorless lines at the end instead of the diamonds. The inscription is in colorless Roman capitals, on the upper label "_Carrier's_," and "_Stamp_" in the lower label.

Plate impression, 191/2 by 24 mm., color, rose paper.

No value indicated, indigo blue.

Specimens exist in brick red, some of which show the crack in the die. These must be proofs, although a letter purporting to be from W. M. Ireland, Third Assistant Postmaster General, dated August 10th, 1869, and published in the August number of the American Journal of Philately, after describing this stamp says:

"Color, orange-brown, typographed in color on white paper.
Proofs were issued printed in blue on pink paper; also in green
and yellow. It was issued about September 29th, 1851, but was
suppressed almost immediately, owing to its great similarity to
the then three cent stamp. Only about 300,000 were ever issued.
It has always surprised me that the Department has never kept
any official history of its stamps."

This stamp was succeeded by the;

ISSUE OF NOVEMBER, 17, 1851.

ONE CENT. Eagle poised for flight, turned to the left, resting on a branch of laurel, on an oval disk, 18 by 13 mm., the ground of clouds and rays, surrounded by a fine colored line, a colorless line, and a band of solid color inscribed in colorless Roman capitals above "_U. S. P. O. Dispatch_," below "_Prepaid, One Cent_," with ornaments of oak leaves on the left and of laurels on the right.

Plate impression, 19 by 25 mm., color, white paper.

1 cent, blue.

A letter dated from the Post Office Department, Finance Office. July 20th, 1869, and signed W. H. H. Corell, Third Assistant Postmaster General, published in the American Journal of Philately, says:

"The blue stamp "Eagle" was used for prepaying City letters
delivered by carriers. It was issued about Nov. 17th, 1851, and
was withdrawn Jan. 27th, 1852. It was very little used except in
Philadelphia, Pa., and Cincinnati, Ohio."

As a matter of fact however, the published reports of the Postmaster General, shows that there were issued:

4,777,552 from Nov. 1851, up to June, 1852.
4,370,383 " June 1852, " " " 1853.
7,103,416 " " 1853, " " " 1854.

These stamps were all engraved and printed by Messrs. Toppan, Carpenter, Cassilar and Co., of Philadelphia, under a contract with the Department.

The collector naturally desires to know what supposed peculiarities of the public demand led to the selection of these values, and not others. As already shown, the carriers were paid out of the receipts from the sale of the two carrier stamps.

The one cent was required for newspapers and other printed matter, either singly or in twos, threes, fours, fives, sixes, etc., and Mr. Sterling has preserved specimens thus used, adhering, either in strips by the sides or ends, or in blocks.

The three cent stamp paid the ordinary letter rate, and two or more would be required on double, triple, etc., letters. Mr. Sterling has also preserved strips and blocks of these found so used.

The single postage to California was six cents. This was also the double letter rate, and it seems singular that a stamp of this value was not issued. Its place was supplied by two three cent stamps, the double rate to California by four three cent stamps, etc. That it was also supplied occasionally by half of the twelve cent stamp, cut diagonally from corner to corner, specimens so used on the original envelopes in the possession of the same gentleman abundantly prove. The twelve cent must, therefore, have had no function except to replace a quadruple ordinary rate, or a double California rate. For foreign letters, the postage was 10 or 20 cents, when not provided for by treaty. Most of the treaties fixed the same rates, and stamps of those values would seem to have been required. The fact that prepayment was optional, may have influenced the demand for these values.

Soon after the issue of the foregoing series, the postal rates were again discussed in congress, and the law amended as follows:

XXXIII Congress, Session II, Chapter 173, Section 31, approved
March 30th, 1885, entitled: "An Act further to amend the Act
entitled: 'An Act to reduce, etc., approved March 3d, 1851.'"

Be it enacted, etc. That in lieu of the rates of postage now
established by law, there shall be charged the following rates
to wit: For every single letter in manuscript, or paper of any
kind in which information shall be asked, or, communicated in
writing, or by marks or signs, conveyed in the mail, for any
distance between places in the United States not exceeding 3,000
miles, three cents; and for any distance exceeding 3,000 miles,
ten cents. And for a double letter, there shall be charged
double the rates above specified; and for a treble letter,
treble these rates, and for a quadruple letter, quadruple these
rates; and every letter or paper not exceeding half an ounce in
weight shall be deemed a single letter; and every additional
weight of half an ounce, or every additional weight of less than
half an ounce, shall be charged with an additional single
postage; and upon all letters passing through or in the mail of
the United States, except such as are to or from a foreign
country, the postages as above specified, shall be prepaid,
except upon letters and papers addressed to officers of the
government on official business, which shall be so marked on the
envelope. And from and after the first day of January, 1856,
the Postmaster General may require postmasters to place postage
stamps upon all prepaid letters, upon which such stamps may not
have been placed by the writers.

And all drop letters, or letters placed in the post office, not
for transmission through the mail, but for delivery only, shall
be charged with postage at the rate of one cent each, and all
letters which shall hereafter be advertised as remaining over or
uncalled for in any post office, shall be charged with one cent
each in addition to the regular postage, both to be accounted
for as other postages now are.

Section 2. And be it further enacted, that it shall be unlawful
for any postmaster or other person, to sell any postage stamp or
stamped envelope for any larger sum than that indicated upon the
face of such postage stamp, or for a larger sum than that
charged therefor by the Post Office Department.

[Here follows the penalty for so doing.]