The Die Varieties of the Nesbitt Series of United States Envelopes Part 15

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote D: The Knives, Nos. 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 are those of the list in the CATALOGUE FOR ADVANCED COLLECTORS and are not referred to in the National Society's list.]

[Footnote E: The abbreviations used to designate the papers are: W--white; B--buff; A.B--Amber-buff; S.B--salmon-buff; Y.B--yellow-buff; Or.--orange and C.M--coa.r.s.e manila.]

THIRD ISSUE: 1861.

In the report of the Postmaster-General for the fiscal year 1861, it is stated that the three, six and ten cent dies would be changed, and the new ones were issued August 15th, 1861. They remained in use till September, 1864. Another important change was the abolis.h.i.+ng of the former ten cents, or California, rate which took place shortly after July 1st, 1863.

In addition to these new dies, the Post Office introduced the following new denominations: i.e. 12, 20, 24 and 40 cents. These latter appear on large sized envelopes, known to the cataloguers as Knives 14--Size 7, "Official," 19--Size 8, "Extra Official," and 20--Size 8, "Extra Official." The 1861 report says that the large envelopes were intended for the purpose of mailing large packages and for foreign correspondence. The total issue amounted to 20,000.

THREE CENTS, ROSE.

Head of Was.h.i.+ngton facing to left. Inscriptions in outline, block letters. "United States" above: "Three Cents" below, separated on each side by a small circle containing a colorless numeral of value.

The die is an oval measuring in

Die A:--23 mm. or less in width.

Die B:--23 1/2 mm. or more in width.

Die A includes varieties 1 to 7.

Die B includes varieties 8 to 17.

As in former issues, the engraver has presented the collector with various heads which differ in the arrangement of the hair but, as in addition to these minor details the lettering of the various dies is a far more essential feature, it has not been thought necessary to reproduce the heads.

To find the main varieties the following system, based on line prolongation, has been adopted:

Draw a straight line along the outer vertical stroke of the final "E"

of "THREE" and note its position with regard to letters "D," "S" and "T" of " UNITED STATES." This establishes four main groups or cla.s.ses.

Cla.s.s I.--The line runs to the left of "S" of STATES.

Cla.s.s II.--The line pa.s.ses through "S."

Cla.s.s III.--The line touches the upper bar of "T" to left.

Cla.s.s IV.--The line runs through centre of "T" or beyond it.

[Ill.u.s.tration: I, II, III, IV]

The varieties of this die are, furthermore, plainly differentiated by the size of the letters used for the inscription. There are three sizes:--very tall letters, medium size, and decidedly small letters.

Even a cursory observation reveals various shapes of the letter "C" of "CENTS," and "D" of "UNITED." Likewise, the s.p.a.cing between the words and the distance from the words to the circles containing the numerals of value vary considerably.

Formerly the existence of a broken circle at the side was chronicled as one of the most noteworthy varieties, but this feature is of little value. The philatelist may, however, be interested to hear the opinion of Messrs. Tiffany, Bogert and Rechert: "We have concluded that only two varieties are worthy of a place in our list. The others, though existing, are too minute to interest the average collector."

The above statement only proves that Horace is right when he a.s.sures us "_Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus_." Now and then the best experts are asleep! In the writer's opinion all the varieties of the three cents rose cannot fail to interest the collector, and no two can be singled out as being of more or less importance.

By using a 10 mm. unit distance measurement, we detect numerous other varieties, of which some are shown in the subjoined diagram.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

We are now prepared to study the several varieties of Dies A and B.

DIE A.

CLa.s.s II.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Variety 1:--Elongated "C" without dot in centre. The lettering is large. Wide, open "U." "NITE" widely s.p.a.ced, especially "TE." "ED" near. "U" far from "3." "DS" near. "S"

of "STATES" near "3." "T" of "THREE" far from "3." "HR"

wide. "RE" wide at top. "NT" wide at base. "S" large and far from "3." Uncommon on white, very rare on buff.

Variety 2:--Open, short "U." Large, wide open "C." Small lettering. Wide, open "U," and far from "3." "NITE" widely s.p.a.ced. "TAT" well s.p.a.ced at top. "S" near "3." "T" of "THREE" near "3." "EC" wide. "C" of "CENTS" is tall, well rounded, and its ends are far apart. "S" of "CENTS" far from "3." Found on white and buff paper, quite rare.

CLa.s.s III.

Variety 3:--Smallest letters; "S" of "CENTS" not so near as in Var. 4. "U" very small, contracted at top, and far from "3." "UNITE" evenly s.p.a.ced; "ED" wide at top and "D" in an almost vertical position. "DS" wide. "TA" of "STATES" wide at top. "T" of "THREE" near "3." "EC" wide. "C" small and wide open. "C" far from "E." "TS" close at top. Common on both papers.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Variety 4:--Similar to variety 3. "S" of "STATES" nearer circle. The lettering of this variety is like that of Variety 3, but "U" of "UNITED" is nearer "3" and "S" of "CENTS" close to "3." Note also that the top stroke of the "T" of "THREE" is shorter on the left than on the right.

Found only on buff, but quite common.

CLa.s.s IV.

Variety 5:--"U" very near circle. Rather small letters.

s.p.a.ce between bars of "U" narrow. "NI" wide at top. "DS"

near. Final "S" of "STATES" near "3." "T" of "THREE" very far from "3." "C" small, open and end poorly rounded. "EC"

wide. "S" of "CENTS" far from "3." Perhaps the rarest of all the varieties.

Variety 6:--"C" large, well formed, and far from "E."

Similar to Variety 5. "U" further from "3," more open, and larger than in Variety 5. "C" well rounded and large. "S" of "STATES" large.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Variety 7:--Elongated "C" with dot in centre. Large lettering. "U" nearly horizontal and near "3." This variety has several characteristic features. 1st:--"TS" of "CENTS"

is very widely s.p.a.ced at base; 2nd:--"C" of "CENTS" is tall, straight and oval shaped. 3rd:--The left cross stroke of "T"

of "THREE" is very short, and the letter is out of proportion to those of the rest of the inscription. "EE" of "THREE" widely s.p.a.ced. "D" is large and slants decidedly to the left. "DS" close. Final "S" of "STATES" near "3." "EC"

wide. "S" of "CENTS" far from "3."

DIE B.

Excepting perhaps numbers 9 and 14, the lettering of the varieties of this cla.s.s is generally large.