US #11A//26A (#11A, 25, 26, 26A)
Own classic U.S. stamps from the Series of 1851-57 and 1857-61… All over 160 years old…
Collecting this set of early sought-after U.S. stamps is your chance to discover the secrets behind the “types” of 1851-61. If you’re like the stamp collectors at Mystic, the more you know about your stamps, the more you enjoy them.&nbs... more
US #11A//26A (#11A, 25, 26, 26A)
Own classic U.S. stamps from the Series of 1851-57 and 1857-61… All over 160 years old…
Collecting this set of early sought-after U.S. stamps is your chance to discover the secrets behind the “types” of 1851-61. If you’re like the stamp collectors at Mystic, the more you know about your stamps, the more you enjoy them. Now you can get four desirable stamps and become an expert at spotting the Type I-IV varieties of this period. Below you’ll learn how to tell the difference and learn lots of neat background history about your stamps – all over 160 years old.
What’s more, when you put this set in your collection, you’ll own three of the first perforated stamps ever produced in the United States (1857-61) and one from the earlier g imperforate series of 1851-57. That’s a big deal for your collection.
- Washington 3c Design of 1851 – Types I, II, III and IV
- “Workhorse” of the 1851-61 postal system, mailing the majority of America’s letters
Stamp Category: Definitive
Series: 1851-57 (imperforate), 1857-61 (perforated 15½)
Value: 3c
Issue dates: 1852-1855 (#11A); 1857 (#25, #26, #26A)
Printed by: Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co.; After 1858: Toppan, Carpenter & Co.
Quantity printed: 466,750,000 (combined estimate)
Format: Printed in sheets of 200 stamps, divided into two panes of 100 each, in rows of 10x10
Printing Method: Engraving
Perforations: Imperforate (#11A); Perforated 15½ (#25, 26, and 26A)
Colors: Dull red (#11A, #26 and 26A); Rose (#25);
Why the stamps were issued: The 3c Washington stamps were issued to pay the first-class rate for single letters of one-half ounce or less for a distance of 3,000 miles or less.
About the printing: The design was engraved on a die – a small, flat piece of steel. The design was then copied to a transfer roll – a blank roll of steel. Several impressions or “reliefs” were made on the roll. The reliefs were transferred to the plate – a large, flat piece of steel from which the stamps were printed.
About the design: George Washington’s portrait on the four stamps is based on a statue by French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon. The statue is considered by many to be one of the most life-like representations of America’s first president. It was created using detailed measurements of his body as well as a life mask of his face.
For decades, collectors have studied the 1851 3¢ Washington and its types. Types or “varieties” occur when a stamp has differences which vary from the way it was originally engraved. A damaged plate or foreign matter can cause these differences on the plate and on the stamps printed from it. They can also occur when the design is being transferred to the plate when lines are manually re-cut. Varieties may also occur with differences in color.
Special design details: To tell the difference between the 3c Washington design, look closely. Use a magnifier if that’s helpful, and have fun!
US #11A, from the series of 1851-57, is imperforate, dull red, Type II: There is an outer frame line on all four sides of the stamp. An inner line appears on the right and left sides due to recutting of the printing plate.
The next three types are from the later series of 1857-61and all are perforated 15½:
US #25 – Rose, Type I: This type has an outer frame line on all four sides. There is no inner frame line.
US #26 – Dull red, Type III: There is no outer frame line at top or bottom of the design. The frame lines on the sides are continuous due to the recutting of the printing plate. They don’t stop at the bottom of the design.
US#26A – Dull red, Type IV: Like type III, there are no outer frame lines on top and bottom. But the side frame lines are not continuous between the stamps, and they stop at the bottom of the design.
About the 1851-57 Series: On July 1, 1851, 1c, 3c, and 12c stamps were issued. These new stamps met the reduced postal rates passed by act of Congress on March 3, 1851. U.S. #1 and #2 were demonetized. Later reductions due to the Act of March 3, 1855 led to 10c (1855) and 5c (1856) additions to the series.
About the 1857-61 Series: Perforated stamps of the same designs as the 1851-57 issues, plus three new designs with higher denominations (Washington, 24c gray lilac; Franklin, 30c orange; Washington, 90c blue) were issued beginning in 1857.
The 1857-61 issues were the first perforated U.S. stamps. Their designs were reproduced from the imperforate plates of 1851. Because the same plates were used, the perforated stamp types don’t differ much from the corresponding imperforate stamps. The entire series (U.S. #18-39) is noted for having narrow margins because the perforations were taking up the space which was formerly empty.
History the stamp represents: America’s first two postage stamps were issued in 1847. Rates were determined by the weight and distance the letter was mailed. Letters mailed 300 miles or less were 5¢ per half ounce; while those mailed over 300 miles were 10¢ per half ounce. Postage could be paid by the sender at the time the letter was mailed, or by the addressee upon receipt.
These stamps and rates remained in use until 1851, when Congress reduced postal rates. These new rates created the need for new denominations. The first stamps issued to meet the lower rates were issued on July 1, 1851. The new 1¢ stamp was used on newspapers, circulars, and “drop letters” (letters mailed to the same town.) The single letter rate, based on a half-ounce, was changed to 3¢ for mail sent up to and including 3,000 miles (except for drop letters.) Mail exceeding this distance was lowered to 6¢ and two of the new 3c stamps could be used to pay postage to the West Coast. Besides the 1c and 3c stamps, a 12c stamp was issued.
Prepayment was still optional. If postage was paid by the addressee upon receipt, the rate was higher. Due to increased collect rates, the use of postage stamps was greatly stimulated. The cheaper rates were attractive to Americans, too. Prepayment of postage with stamps was made mandatory January 1st, 1856. Requiring people to pre-pay postage lightened the burden on postal clerks and allowed mailers to simply drop their letters in the post office mail slot, rather than waiting in long lines.
When the world’s first postage stamps were released, no provision was made for separating the stamps from one another. Postal clerks and stamp users merely cut these “imperforates” apart with scissors or tore them along the edge of a metal ruler. A device was needed which would separate the stamps more easily and accurately.
In 1847, Irishman Henry Archer patented a machine that punched holes horizontally and vertically between rows of stamps. Now stamps could be separated without cutting or tearing. Perforations enabled stamps to adhere better to envelopes. He sold his invention to the British Treasury in 1853. That same year, Great Britain produced its first perforated stamps.
A few years later, the U.S Post Office Department followed England’s example, introducing perforated stamps with the Series of 1857-61.
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