US 31 – 35 1857 10¢ Washington A12 – A15, A23

3132

3334

35

 
Scott U.S. #31
Series of 1857-61 10¢ Washington
Type I
 
First Day of Issue: September 21, 1857
Quantity issued: 600,000 (estimate)
Printed by: Toppan, Carpenter & Co.
Printing Method: Flat plate
Watermark: None
Perforation: 15.5
Color: Green
 
There are five major varieties of the Series of 1857-61 10¢ Washington stamp. Types I through III (U.S. #31-33) are basically the same as the imperforate 10¢ types (U.S. #13-15).  The left shell of this Type I stamp has outer lines missing and the bottom right shell is complete. The top outer lines may also be incomplete.

 

 Scott U.S. #32
Series of 1857-61 10¢ Washington
Type II

First Day of Issue: July 27, 1857
Quantity issued: 2,900,000 (estimate)
Printed by: Toppan, Carpenter & Co.
Printing Method: Flat plate
Watermark: None
Perforation: 15.5
Color: GreenThere are five major varieties of the Series of 1857-61 10¢ Washington stamp. Types I through III (U.S. #31-33) are basically the same as the imperforate 10¢ types (U.S. #13-15).  The bottom outer line is broken and both lower shells are cut away on the Type II stamp, which is the most common of the types.
 
Scott U.S. #33
Series of 1857-61 10¢ Washington Type
III
 
Earliest Known Use: May 3, 1857
Quantity issued: 2,400,000 (estimate)
Printed by: Toppan, Carpenter & Co.
Printing Method: Flat plate
Watermark: None
Perforation: 15.5
Color: Green
 
There are five major varieties of the Series of 1857-61 10¢ Washington stamp. Types I through III (U.S. #31-33) are basically the same as the imperforate 10¢ types (U.S. #13-15). On the Type III stamp, both the top and bottom outer lines are broken, as well as the shells.
 
This denomination satisfied the domestic first class rate over 3,000 miles and the foreign letter rate under 2,500 miles.
 
Scott U.S. #34
Series of 1857-61 10¢ Washington
Type IV
 
Earliest Known Use: December 2, 1858
Quantity issued: 240,000 (estimate)
Printed by: Toppan, Carpenter & Co.
Printing Method: Flat plate
Watermark: None
Perforation: 15.5
Color: GreenThere are five major varieties of the Series of 1857-61 10¢ Washington stamp. Types I through III (U.S. #31-33) are basically the same as the imperforate 10¢ types (U.S. #13-15). The Type IV features lines that were re-cut at the top, bottom or both, resulting in various differences.
 
Scott U.S. #35
Series of 1857-61 10¢ Washington
Type V
 
First Day of Issue: April 29, 1859
Quantity issued: 10,000,000 (estimate)
Printed by: Toppan, Carpenter & Co.
Printing Method: Flat plate
Watermark: None
Perforation: 15.5
Color: GreenThere are five major varieties of the Series of 1857-61 10¢ Washington stamp. Types I through III (U.S. #31-33) are basically the same as the imperforate 10¢ types (U.S. #13-15). The outer lines are complete on the Type V stamp; however, the side ornaments are cut away in varying degrees.

 

America’s First Perforated Stamp Series

At the point when the world’s first postage stamps were discharged, no procurement was made for isolating the stamps from each other. Post office representatives and stamp clients simply cut these “imperforates” separated with scissors or tore them along the edge of a metal ruler. A gadget was required which would isolate the stamps all the more effectively and precisely.

In 1847, Irishman Henry Archer protected a machine that punched gaps on a level plane and vertically between columns of stamps. Presently stamps could be isolated without cutting. Punctures empowered stamps to hold fast better to envelopes. He sold his creation to the British Treasury in 1853. That same year, Great Britain delivered its initially punctured stamps.

The 1857-61 issues were the initially punctured U.S. stamps. Their outlines were replicated from the imperforate plates of 1851.