U.S. #75
1862 Thomas Jefferson
- Issued to replace 5c buff stamp of the 1861-62 series, due to collector complaints
- Most often combined with a 10c stamp to pay letter postage to France and with a 5c stamp to other foreign destinations
Stamp Category: Definitive
Series: 1861-66 Issue
Value: 5c
Earliest Documente... more
U.S. #75
1862 Thomas Jefferson
- Issued to replace 5c buff stamp of the 1861-62 series, due to collector complaints
- Most often combined with a 10c stamp to pay letter postage to France and with a 5c stamp to other foreign destinations
Stamp Category: Definitive
Series: 1861-66 Issue
Value: 5c
Earliest Documented Use: January 2, 1862
Printed by: National Bank Note Co.
Quantity printed: 1,000,000 (estimate)
Format: Printed in sheets of 200 stamps, divided into vertical panes of 100 each
Printing Method: Engraving
Perforations: 12
Color: Red brown
Why the stamp was issued: It was issued to take the place of the 5c value (#67) of the previous year. The buff-colored #67 upset collectors, who protested the way cancellations showed so prominently on the stamp. Both stamps took the place of the demonetized 5c stamps of the 1857-61 series.
There was no 5c domestic rate, so the stamp was used in combination with other stamps for heavier mail and for mail to foreign destinations like France.
About the printing: The design was engraved on a die – a small, flat piece of steel. The design was 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: The image of Thomas Jefferson is based on an 1805 portrait of the third president by Gilbert Stuart.
Special design details: Well-centered examples of the stamp are hard to find and command premium prices.
About the 1861-66 Series: The series consists of US #73, and 75-78. The 3c value, formerly #74, has been reassigned to the Trial Color Proof category of the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers.
The 5c Jefferson and 24c Washington stamps had the same face values as those demonetized at the beginning of the Civil War. New to the line-up were the 2c Jackson, needed for the increased postal rate, and the 15c Lincoln stamp. The frame designs vary greatly from the Series of 1857-61. The denominations were not only written out, but were also shown in numerals displayed in the upper corners of the stamps. This helped distinguish them from the demonetized series, which could no longer be used. The 15c Lincoln stamp was the first presidential “mourning” stamp. Issued one year after Lincoln’s assassination, it was also the first 15c U.S. stamp, paying the single rate to France.
History the stamp represents: Due to the outbreak of the Civil War, all US stamps were demonetized and declared invalid for postage. This prevented the Confederate States of America (CSA) from selling them and using the money to support the Southern war effort.
The new stamps were sent to post offices along with a notice that required an exchange period of six days be announced in local newspapers. During the exchange period, old stamps could be exchanged for new ones. After the six-day exchange period, the old stamps were no longer accepted as postage.
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