# 488 - 1916 2c Washington, carmine, type III

Issue Date: 1916
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Rotary Press
Watermark: None
Perforation: 10 horizontally
Color: Carmine

 

When the Type II plates used to produce the earlier 2¢ Washington stamp wore out, officials switched to Type III plates. The deeper cuts in the plates resulted in a new type of stamp – #488. There were a lot more Type III stamps issued than Type II. 

 

Some of the primary features of the Type III Rotary Press Washington stamps are: the left ribbon has two shading lines on the top fold; there are also two shading lines in the last fold of the right ribbon; the bottom two strands of hair behind Washington’s ear extend past the vertical strands to their right; the top right laurel berry shows a distinct “V.” 

 

Because soldiers didn’t have free franking privileges at the start of the war, the U.S. Post Office issued booklet panes of 1¢ and 2¢ stamps specifically for the American troops in France. When the Act of October 1918 granted that military personnel could send mail free of postage, the booklets were no longer necessary and were returned to the United States. 

 

At that time, a special 1¢ war tax stamp was issued to be used on fourth class mail. Internal Revenue stamps were supplied for this purpose and distributed to postmasters to sell to the general public. These stamps had to be affixed to any parcels, except those of the American Expeditionary Forces.

 

In addition to the Post Office Department, service organizations such as the Red Cross, YMCA, and the Salvation Army provided our troops with a variety of postal cards. These cards were issued for Christmas and Easter, as well as special cards which were used when troops embarked on their voyage to France, or when a soldier changed camps. These cards carried messages such as “The ship on which I sailed has arrived safely overseas.” or “Hello. Am feeling great. Will write again soon. Am going to camp...” and had blanks for pertinent information and the sender’s name. Blank postcards were also provided for short messages home.

 

Field service cards were another form of stationery issued to the troops. Produced by the AEF, these postcards had pre-printed messages which could be filled out by the soldier without giving away important military information. Some cards had various sentences printed which the men could simply cross out if they did not apply, while other cards left blanks for soldier to fill in regarding where he was stationed and his state of health.

 

Perhaps one of the most sought-after pieces of wartime postal items is the Christmas coupon. According to general orders, each man was given one coupon and an envelope. This coupon, after being endorsed by an officer, could then be sent to the soldier’s family or anyone stateside from whom he was expecting a package. Packages, which were restricted to size and could not exceed 3 pounds, could be sent at a special rate of fifteen cents.

 

In 1989, Mystic Stamp Company Vice President David Sundman presented the Smithsonian Institute with a 2¢ AEF Booklet Pane. This unique piece of postal history is now a permanent part of the National Philatelic Collection, which is housed in the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum.