Official stamps
In the 1870s, government departments lost the franking privilege.
Separate series of stamps were issued for each department's use.
Except for the issues of the Post Office Department, which feature only
numerals, the stamps were patterned on the then-current "banknote" issues.
1873 issues, Continental Bank Note
Company
Printed on thin hard paper.
Department of Justice
Offices of the Department of Justice were required to use these stamps
on official mailings.
Although 1¢ through 90¢ issues were printed and the plate numbers used
are known, the only reported sightings for any denomination for many years
were for a plate
block of 12 and a plate strip of 4 of the 10¢ issue. Recently, examples of specimens and proofs have emerged, many from the sale of the American Bank Note Company archives.
Scott
O25SD, 1¢ Department of Justice, specimen, plate number 85
Scott O25S var, 1¢ Justice, specimen overprint on imperf proof, plate number 85
Scott
O26SD, 2¢
Department of Justice, specimen, plate number 90
Scott O26S var, 2¢ Justice, specimen overprint on imperf proof, plate number 90
Scott
O27TC3, 3¢
Justice trial color proof on india paper, plate number 28
Scott O27S var, 3¢ Justice, specimen overprint on imperf proof, plate number 28
Scott
O28, 6¢
Department of Justice, plate number 77
Photographically cropped from the only known plate block.
Scott O28S var, 6¢ Justice, specimen overprint on imperf proof, plate number 77
Scott
O29, 10¢
Department of Justice, plate number 97
Scott O29S var, 10¢ Justice, specimen overprint on imperf proof, plate number 97
Scott
O30, 12¢
Department of Justice, top imprint pair
Scott O30S var, 12¢ Justice, specimen overprint on imperf proof, plate number 91
Scott O31S var, 15¢ Justice, specimen overprint on imperf proof, plate number 99
Scott O32S var, 24¢ Justice, specimen overprint on imperf proof, plate number 115
Scott
O33, 30¢
Department of Justice, bottom imprint single
Scott O33S var, 30¢ Justice, specimen overprint on imperf proof, plate number 110
Scott O34S var, 90¢ Justice, specimen overprint on imperf proof, plate number 113
In 1879, the American Bank Note Company reprinted the 3¢ and 6¢ denominations on soft porous paper.
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This page last updated September 4,
2017.
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