The Washington weekly post., 1899-07-25
Issued by Confederate Postal
Department.
SOME OF THEM MADE IN LONDON
Difficulties In Securing Ink ard Suitable
Paper for Printing Southern Confederscy
Stamps Owing to the BIockade-Plates
Brought Over from London aud Printed
on Paper Made at Columbia. 5. C.-De-
scriptions of Rare Uncaneeled Issues.

The following article on the History of
Confederate Postage Stamps" was origin
ally written for The Lost Cause by Mr..
S NJ. Craiger. of Washington, who has
very complete collection of these now
very rare and valuable stamps:
Shortly after the first Confederate Con-
gTess had convened, in February, 1861, at
Montgomery, Ala, the then seat Of gov
ernment for the Confederate States of
America, the representative of a New
York bank note company proceeded to
Montgomery for the purpose Of contract
ing with the Confederate government for
its requirements in postage stamps, en-
velopes, &c, and negotiations with the
agent were commenced, but. pending their
completion, the outbreak Of hOstilities rem
dered the contemplated delivery of the
proposed stamps a practical impossibility,
which resulted in an abrupt termination
of the negotiations with the representa-
tive of the bank note company. 1t is prop
er to state in connection with this sub
ject that information of the transaction
referred to did not apear in print until
after Gen. Lees surrender, when the New
York papers published accounts of the
matter which created considerable excite
ment at the time in the East.
The Confederate government, soon after
the declaration of war, purchased from
New York parties supplies of paper and
envelopes of various kinds, sufficient to
last for several years, and these articles
of stationery were delivered at a certain
point within the State OF Kentucky TO a
Mr.. Joel White. doing business as a sta
toner in Montgomery, who transported
the goods into the Confederate lines TO
Richmond, Va, to which point the seat Of
the Confederacy was removed from Mont
gomery on May 20, 1861.
Details of organization of the Confed-
crate government, and especially of the
pOst-ofiice department. progressed slowly,
and nearly five months elapsed after the
seat of government was established in
Richmond before Confederate stamps
were placed on sale throughout the South.
First Issue of stamps
The first issue Of stamps was litho-
Sraphed, and this set, together with part
of the engraved set. was manufactured
from the paper previously purchased in
New York City. Tor several months the
ink used in printing the stamps was pro-
cured from the North and shipped via
Washington by blockade. but later 1t
came by water, principally by way Of
Charleston, s. c. Even under these cir
cumstances the photographers, Messrs.
Hoyer & Ludwig, Of Richmond, were
sometimes Obliged TO use anything they
could find in the way Of INK for printing
the stamps, as the supply of the former
commodity was no. always TO be depend
ed upon. owing TO the vigilance Of the
blcckading officers attached to the Union
Army and Navy.
The designs for the Autographed issue
of stamps were engraved By Hoyer *
Ludwig. The stamps were printed on
stcne and issued in the following order:
Five cents. green. head Of President
Davis. first used about October 25, 1851; 70
cents. blue, head Of Madison, appeared
about December 10. 1861; cents, green.
head Of Andrew Jackson. came into gen
eral use about January !, 1852: cents.
blue, head Of President Davis, placed on
ss le March 10, 1852; 10 cents, rose, head OF
Madison. The latter stamp appeared early
in april. 1852. and was the last OF the
autographed set OF stamps.
During the winter OF IS5l-'C2 Megsrs.
Thomas De La Rue & Co, Of london. for
warded to the Confederate government
specimens Of their handicraft In postage
stamps, which resulted In the Confederacy
authorizing a blockade runner 20 enter
additional stamps. IL being thought b.
the Confederate post-office department
that the output OF the Richmond con-
tractor would prove inadequate 10 the
demand.
Stamps Hsde in London
Arrangements were accordingly entered
into with the London firm for supplying
the following stamps: Five cents. blue
head OF President Davis, ana / cent
orange. head Of Jackson. The latter
stamp was never issued by the confed,
crate government on account Of a change
| stamps was typogrsphed and was placed
on sale about May ]. lss2.
The first supply OF foreign manufactured
stamps reached Richmond late In ths
spring OF 1872. Hsyer QLudWig also con.
tinued to supply stamps for several
months, although eventually the manu-.
facture Of autographed stamps was dis
continued entirely.
A number OF shipments OF postage
stamps from London reached Richmond
safely. later. however. when blockade
running became more hazardous, the
plates of the 5 cents blue we're broueh,
over from England 10 the seat OF The
1 Confeaeracy
In October. 1852. contract was entered
! into By the Confederate pOst-o!fice depart.
nient with the firm OF McssrE Archer &
Day. which was organized especially fol
| .hs service oi the Consedsfacy. Mr. krch,
er. who had been Ia the employ cf the
American Bank Nste Company. went q
| Richmond for the purpose OF superin.
| tending the issuance of The new engfAyed
set OF stamps. This issue consisted OF