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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

UNITED STATES Official stamps

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Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the catalogue;
contact me if you want to purchase it.

Stamps issued for the different departments of the U.S. government. The use of these stamps was stopped in 1881.

1873 Agriculture

  1 c yellow
  2 c yellow
  3 c yellow
  6 c yellow
  10 c yellow
  12 c yellow
  15 c yellow
  24 c yellow
  30 c yellow

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Stamps with overprint "Specimen" are worth * to ***.

1873 Executive

  1 c red
  2 c red
  3 c red
  6 c red
  10 c red

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

With "Specimen" overprint these stamps are much less rare (*** to R).

1873 Interior

  1 c red
  2 c red
  3 c red
  6 c red
  10 c red
  12 c red
  15 c red
  24 c red
  30 c red
  90 c red

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Stamps with overprint "Specimen" are worth * to ***.

1873 Justice

  1 c violet
  2 c violet
  3 c violet
  6 c violet
  10 c violet
  12 c violet
  15 c violet
  24 c violet
  30 c violet
  90 c violet

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Stamps with overprint "Specimen" are worth ** to R.

1873 Navy

  1 c blue
  2 c blue
  3 c blue
  6 c blue
  7 c blue
  10 c blue
  12 c blue
  15 c blue
  24 c blue
  30 c blue
  90 c blue

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Stamps with overprint "Specimen" are worth * to ***.

1873 State

  1 c green
  2 c green
  3 c green
  6 c green
  10 c green
  12 c green
  15 c green
  24 c green
  30 c green
  90 c green

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Larger size

(Genuine, image obtained from a Bennett auction)

  2 $ green and black
  5 $ green and black
  10 $ green and black
  20 $ green and black

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

I have seen forgeries of the dollar values, example:

(Forgeries! Between 'Department' and 'State', 'FACSIMILE' is written, are these Senf forgeries?)

(Zoom in on the 'FACSIMILE' overprint)

I've also seen a similar forgery of the 2 $ value (also with overprint 'FACSIMILE' at the same place).

Other sources (Schweizer Illustr. Briefmarken-Zeitung April 1885 or http://briefmarken.ag/) talk about forgeries with "FACSIMILE" overprint made by a certain Mr. Dauth (maybe the printer of the Senf forgeries?).

Stamps with overprint "Specimen" (1 c to 90 c) are worth * to ***.

1873 Treasury

  1 c brown
  2 c brown
  3 c brown
  6 c brown
  7 c brown
  10 c brown
  12 c brown
  15 c brown
  24 c brown
  30 c brown
  90 c brown

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Stamps with overprint "Specimen" are worth * to ***.

1873 War

  1 c red
  2 c red
  3 c red
  6 c red
  7 c red
  10 c red
  12 c red
  15 c red
  24 c red
  30 c red
  90 c red

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Envelopes of the War Department, example:

These envelopes were issued in 1873 in the values: 1 c, 2 c, 3 c, 6 c, 10 c, 12 c, 15 c, 24 c and 30 c (all in red, with the portrait of a different person in the center).

Stamps with overprint "Specimen" are worth * to ***.

1873 Post Office Dept. Official Stamp.

  1 c black
  2 c black
  3 c black
  6 c black
  10 c black
  12 c black
  15 c black
  24 c black
  30 c black
  90 c black

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Stamps with overprint "Specimen" are worth * to ***.

Cut from an envelope, inscription "POST OFFICE DEPT OFFICIAL STAMP.":

The following values were issued in 1873: 2 c black, 3 c black and 6 c black. All values exist in two types. Forgeries seem to exist of the 3 c and 6 c values.

Postal Savings Stamps

1911 Inscription "US POSTAL SAVINGS OFFICIAL MAIL"

  1 c violet
  2 c black
  10 c red
  50 c green
  1 $ blue

These stamps have perforation 12 and watermark 'USPS'.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer