The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-01-14
MAKING POSTAGE STAMPS
VARIOUS STAGES OF THE WORK
DESCRIBED,
Making the Plates and Printing
Cumming and Drying the Sheets
of Stamps.

Cumming and Drying the Sheets
of Stamps.
If there is one thing more than another
that is in general use and about the
manufacture of which so little is known
to the public who use them it is the post.
age stamp. An immense number are used
in this country annually, and for over
fifteen years the American Bank Note
Company, which is now situated on
Trinity place in the rear of old Trinity
churchyard, this city, has had the CON
tract for their manufacture for this coun-
try.
This company is the largest concern in
the world engaged in this class of work,
and beside manufacturing Uncle Sans
stamps, is doing the same kind of work
for the Governments all over the world.
In London and Paris the bank note
business is not as extensive as in New
York. Neither has the same artistic
standard of steel plate work been reached
in any other country as has been at
tanned in this country.
The contract for the printing of the
stamps for the United States is given out
by each new Administration, every four
years. Samples of paper that is to be
used are furnished with the proposals, and
bidders are advertised for in the public
prints. Experience has shown, however,
that Notwithstanding the immensity of
the contract and the consequent enor-
nous profit, that the bidders are few,
usually not more than four concerns en-
gaging in the competition.
The Government, which supports an
extensive establishment for this sort of
work exclusively, at Washington, known
as the Bureau of Engraving and Printing,
and where the United States currency
and United States bonds are printed,
has ever since the existence of the bureau
entered into the competition for the post
age stamp contract, but has never sue
ceeded in underbidding the American
Bank Note Company.
The first stage in the manufacture of
the stamps is the making of the die. The
design settled upon by the Government
is then made. The engraver then makes
an engraving in deep intaglio upon
process -softened steel. After the device
and border is cut, the steel is hardened
and the intaglio is ready for use. Then
the upper die or punch is made. A cube
of soft steel is pressed by hydraulic
ram upon the intaglio engraving, and
after it has been forced into all the de-
pressions it is slightly touched by the
engraver's graver and burnisher. A
cameo counterpart of the intaglio is. thus
formed, and from these the plate is made
up by pressing the hardened steel upon
the softer metal
The plates which PRINT 200 stamps
each impression belong to the Govern
ment, and each night are taken from the
presses and locked up in massive safes by
the United States Postage Stamp Collec-
tor, representative of the Government
at the Bank Note Company's establish
ment. When they are worn out they are
cut into pieces under the directions of
the Government. This postage stamp
collector distributes the stamps to the
various postmasters at the order of the
Postmaster General.
The paper upon which the stamps are
printed Is supplied bg the tis Government
daily upon the requisition of the manu-
facturer, careful record being kept of
the amount of the issue, and the com
pany must return the full number of
sheets whether in good or 'spoilt" work.
The presses used each carry five plates
of 200 stamps each. They are tremendous
affairs, and only ten of them are used.
each necessitating the employment of one
man to manage them and two girls, one
to lay the sheets on and the other to take
off.
The rolling of the ink into the plate,
the filling in of the lines and the final
polishing of the plate, is all done now by
the press. Formerly it was all done by
the printer, whose art really consisted in
the filling in and polishing, the latter
being done with whiting and the palm of
the hand. Then the plate was put in
the small press. The sheet was laid on
by the girl, and the man helper pulled
the press, the plate passing through under
the forced weight. 1t was only three
years ago that this form was gone through
with the hand presses.
Anu shSVtsi hlAci D6lug carefully
counted, are then taken to the cumming
room. The cumming too, until quite
recently, was done by / hand with a
broad brush, but now more effective
and rapid method has been devised of
passing roller over the backs of the
sheets by machinery, applying the gum
evenly over the entire surface. The
gum is imported in a farinaceous state,
and resembles undiluted gelatine.
The gummed sheets are then removed
to the drying room, where they are
placed on racks and passed over a series
of steam pipes. They are counted in
each department in order that the re-
sponsibility may be placed if any are lost
or mislaid. The gummed and dried
sheets are then piled up fifty thick, and
placed under heavy piece of machinery
provided with many hundred punches,
so arranged as to pierce the space be-
tween the stamps.
The sheets are run through length
wise and afterwards changed in position
and the cross perforations made. They
are then ready for use, and are held
awaiting the Tequisition of the Postmas-