The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-16
UNCLE SANS OFFICIAL STAMPS
MANY COLORED ISSUES or THE
DEPARTMENTS.
Some Held Al a High Premium One Error
Stamp OF the Navy Department-Cor'
ncr in State Department Stamps
An Army Post Jackass cancellation.

An army fObt JbChAsa ShHcoiiaNOh
No more attractive United States stamps
can be found than the 'many colored official
issues. These stamps were first printed in
1873, for the use Of the departments Of the
Government, and were designed to do away
with some Of the evils Of the %franking sys-
tenn. They are no longer issued.
They were quite common at one time.
One cigar dealer in Washington dealt in a
quiet way in postage stamps, and 1t is said
that Government clerks often exchanged
the used stamps of their departments for
a five or a ten cent cigar, and by this means
the dealer came into the possession OF
stamps now worth many dollars.
The stamps were not greatly different in
design from those used by the general
public. except that each department had
it's distinctive color and it's stamps bore
it's name The one cent stamp had the
portrait OF Franklin; the two vent, jackson;
the three cent, Washington; six cent, Lin
coin; seven cent. Stanton; ten cent, Jeffer-
son; twelve cent, Clay; fifteen cent, Webster.
twenty-four cent, Scott; thirty cent, Hamil-
ton, and ninety cent, Perry. The seven
cent stamp. used for foreign postage, was
omitted from the series of all the depart
ultUIb t1OtpU lUOb5 ldNlilB lOIClBh blil
munications. such as the State. War. Navy
and Treasury departments.
The stamps Of the Department Of Agri-
culture were all yellow in color and Of the
denomination Of 1, 2, 8. O.. 10, IL. Is, "a and
80 cents. The rarest Of the issue nov is
the twelve cent stamp, which is valued at
IS unused and $3.50 used.
The Executive Department stamps. which
were carmine in color, showed in the back
ground vertical stripes representing the
bars on the national shield. The demon
nations were /, 2. 8, 9 and 10 cents. But
few OF the stamps OF the higher values were
printed, and these at present are fairly
scarce, the rarest being the six cent stamp,
quoted at SIS unused and $l2 used.
A broad ribbon above the portrait is in
scribed Dept. OF the Interior on the YER
million colored issues Of this department.
The denominations consist Of /, 2, 8, 9, 10.
IL, is, ~. 80 and 90 cents. The last Is the
rarest, being valued at 81 unused and $3.50
used.
The stamps OF the Department OF Justice
show the last word above the portrait, with
the other two words in the left and right
upper corners. The Justice stamps were
Of the denominations Of /, 2, 8. o. 10. IL, is,
%, 80 and 90 cents and were all purple in
color. The three last values are scarce,
and respectively are quoted at 81, $50
and $3.50 when unused and $3.50. SIS
and $27.5O used.
On the Navy Department stamps the
two words are placed ~diagonally across the
top. In each upper corner is a large star.
with a smaller star in the centre at the sides.
These stamps included all the denomina-
ions from | to 80 cents and were ultra
marine In color.
A specimen of this stamp ip green is now
highly valued, being quoted at $e5. The
s~carcest of the normal stamps is the seven
cent, which is valued at SIS unused and
$3.50 used.
There were more denominations issued
for the Department Of State b for any Of
the others, They included stamps of 81,
printed in green and showed the words
dept. OF State" above the medallion. with
"Ur and "S' in the lower corners.
OF the four larger values the stamps were
alike in design but twice the size Of the
regular denominations. In the centre Is a
portrait of William II. Seward, while the
value, in large white capitals, is placed on a
tablet at the bottom. The rarest Of the
regular denominations Ia that of ninety
cents, which is valued at 3l2 unused and
$40 used.
About ten years ago a rumor got abroad
that there were fewer stamps OF the FIVE
dollar value than Of the others. and one
dealer promptly attempted TO corner the
market. He bought every specimen Of
fered, and the price rapidly advanced from
$3.50 to SOS.
AS a matter Of fact there were as many
Of these stamps as Of the ten and twenty
dollar denominations. Nevertheless the
premium on the Ave dollar stamp has al
ways remained the highest, and to-day 1t
Is quoted at sl95. as against $40 for the ten
and $50 for the twenty dollar stamp. The
two dollar stamp is valued at 500 30.
One reason given for the scarcity OF the
higher values Of the Department OF State
stamps is that the mails OF this Department
against the State Department. the account
being settled monthly by the payment OF
the high value stamps. These were turned
over to the Post Office Department by the
city postmaster as vouchers and then de-
etroyed. which, it would seem, ~precludes
the chance OF their existence IN used con-
dition.
The Treasury Department issues we're
all brown in color and embraced the eleven
regular denominations. The word Treas
ury" ia shown in a waved line at the top
of these stamps. The scarcest OF this
series is the t~wenty-four cent value. which
is quoted at $3.50 unused and So used.
An the stamps Of the Department OF War
bore the letters u and In the upper
corners. with war" and dept" under
meath. Still farther below are elongated
national shields TO the right and left. This
departments color was rose, and there we're
eleven values OF the stamps. They are all
plentiful. and none brings a premium higher
than 81. so in unused condition.
There is an odd variety OF the War De-
partment stamps Of which the standard
catalogue makes no mention, this being
known as the jaokass cancellation. II
seems that the postmaster in charge OF an
office near one Of the Western Army posts
used as a cancelling mark on the letters
bearing the War Department stamps the
representation Of a kicking mule.
The ninth and last department. that Of
the Post Office. had stamps of a special
design Of the denominations OF l. 2. o, e, 10,
II, is, "a 30 and 90 cents, all printed In
black. In the centre OF each was the large
Of value. Above was the word
CONCEAL" and below Stamp At the top
was Post Office Dept"
The letters "U' and "S' in small circles
are shown above the ends Of the ribbon Of
the 1, ?. 3. O.. 10 and 80 cent stamps, at each
side Of the value OF the "a cent and in the
lowSmD neTAofthe IL is and 90 cent stamps.
Al 81 these stamps are common, and the
highest premium is $3.50 for the latter in
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