Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-24
UNCLE SANS POSTAGE STAMPS
The New Ones just Issued and Their
Predecessors.

ANNNSCooONSs
ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL HAZEN TELLS
THE STORY OF THE srAMPs-rHE CHANGE IN
. coLoR-THE REASONS FOE MAKING NEW DE-
sIaSs-cURIoUs FACTS FRoM HISTORY.
The new postage stamps are in the market
and the man who for the past five years has
grovled necessarily because had to decorate
his envelopes with green stamps may now, for
financial consideration, rejoice in the posses
sion Of philatelistical beauties that car
mine tinted and just as cheap as the old emerald
arrangements.
II there is man in the United States
who knows all about native postage stamps that
individual is Third Assistant Postmaster Gen.
eral Hazen, under whose supervision the new
issue of stamps was designed, and of him STAR
reporter this morning requested informa ton
as to the old stamps, when were they first used?
"Our first postage stamps" said the general,
appeared in 1S47 the denominations being 5
and 10 cents. These lasted until 1851, when
letter postage was reduced to cents. new
series of stamps Was then introduced the first
issue consisting of and Scent stamps only
Afterward the series was enlarged by the addi-
tional denominations of 5, 10, IL, "a, 30 and 30
cents
The next series came in 1861 aud for a curious
reason. When the war of the rebellion broke
out there was a vast quantity of stamps ont
standing in the hands of postmasters in the
southern states. These stamps were scattered
broadcast. the postmasters doubtless supposing
they would never be called upon 10 account for
them. For the protection of his department
and TO avoid rendering an equivalent In service
FOR stamps that had never been paid for Post
master General Blair promptly declared that
upon given date all stamps previously issued
would no longer be valid for postage. Only
Gh3NrN 4 =
notice that during the interval the stamps
would be redeemed if presented for the pur-
pose. This was Immediately followed by a Few
issue OF stamps. known as the series of 1861"
THE STAMPS OF 80.
"How low did that series last?"
at was replaced in March, 1869. by a new
issue. popularity known as the horseback.
steam boat and railroad stamps The sup
posed fitness of things did not strike the
public in that light, and, owing to the unpopu-
larlty OF the stamps, they were superseded in
Nav, 1870, by new issue. In this series return
was made to the custom which had prevailed
from 1S47 to 1869 of adjoining the stamps with
the portraits of dead American celebrities The
people were glad to see Washington ct al. back
again, and the new stamps were pronounced a
success. The series of 1870 was discontinued
on the 22d of February, 1890, but in the inter-
yenlng twenty years SO many changes had been
made in the designs and colors that the original
Just passing into postal history. The late series
therefore lasted twenty years"
THEIR AVERAGE LIFE.
"What was the average life of the previous
issues?" asked the reporter.
"There were four different issues from 1S47
to 1863, and their average duration was there
fore five and a half years. The changes l re-
ferred to were in colors and took place mainly
in the latter part of 1887. / do not recall the
exact date, as l was not in the department at
the time. There were previously. however,
some notifications in the designs and colors
occasioned principally by changes in the rates
OF postage. The design of the 1-cent stamp
was changed in 1887. The head of Franklin
was allowed to remain, but it was re-eus raved
and new border was substituted. 1t con-
tlnued to be printed in ultramarIne blue. The
2-cent stamp, originally printed in brown, was
changed to vermilion in 1875, for the reason
that the 10-cent stamp being printed in a
slightly different shade of the same color the
two denominations were frequently COMPOUNDED
with each other.
ION the 1st of October, 1893, letter postage
was reduced from cents to 2 cents; and, since
Washington had always filed the leading place
in the various issues, a new 2 cent stamp bear
ing his portrait was gotten out, replacing the
head Of Jackson on the old one. 1t was printed
In metallic red, but this color was changed in
1887 to hight green
The Scent stamp, not representing any
single rate Of postage, was discontinued
but some demand having arisen its issue was
shortly resumed. As before, it was printed in
dark green, but in 1887 this color was sup
planted by vermilion. The Accent stamp was
adopted in 1888 to meet the new double rate of
letter postage. The head OF Jackson aban-
doned on the 2-cent denomination. was placed
on the new stamp. 1t was printed in dark
green, and this was changed to carmlne in
1887. The scent stamp was introduced in 1878
TO meet the uniform foreign letter rate estab-
hshed by the international postal convention
of 1874. 1t bore the head of Zachary Taylor
and was printed in deep blue. In 1851 the old
design was replaced with a new one, bearing
the head Of Carried and printed in chocolate
This color gave way to a steel blue in 1887
The scent stamp, bearing the bust of Lin
coin, introduced in 1870, remained unchanged
In design and color (cochineal red) up to the
present time. The same was the case with the
lO-cent stamp, containing the head OF Jeffer-
son and printed in light brown and also with
the lucent stamp with the profile Of Webster,
In orange.
1.-THE S0-cent stamp, containing the bust
OF Hamilton and printed In black. went
unchanged IN design and color until 1887, when
tappeared in brown, without any alteration
Of the design
The 90-cent stamp, containing the handsome
features and symmetrical head of Perry. with
beautiful and appropriate surroundings. was
also left untouched In design, but in 1887, the
gallant commodore was stripped OF his dress
Of earmine and ROBBED in royal purple.
Inc series originally embraced 12-cent
stamp, with the bust of Henry Clay, printed in
neutral tint of purple, and 12-cent stamp
with the head Of Winfield Scott ID pure pur-
pie.
"A 7-cent stamp, bearing the profile ofStan-
ton, was added shortly after the introduction
OF the series IN 1870; but this denomination as
well as the IL and accent stamps, was discon-
tnued on the 1st July, 1876
WHY CHANGES WERE MADE
"Was there any necessity for a change in the
styles at the present time 2"
Changes were not strictly necessary" said
the general; but there were some good reasons
for them. There are no works of art subjected
to such general inspection and such severe crit
icism as postage stamps. They are used by
everybody, and the stamp collecting fraternity,
whose number Is legion, serutinize the work
down TO its minutest details. The stamps GO
abroad in large numbers, and by many people
the tastes of q country are judged by its post
age stamps. There Is a friendly rivalry among
the different nations to excel in the STYLES of
their stamps. The stamps of this country
occupy high place, il not the very highest. in
the opinion of impartial critics; and they have
often been commended by the postal admins
uatons OF other countries. SO MANY changes
as have shown, were made tina. some con-
fusion existed among the public and
postmasters as to the different stamps
which were still current. Each stamp repre-
sented the taste of its maker, and the changes
had thrown the series out Of harmony in ar
rangement. 1t was like house built in Sec