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Large Bank Note Issues (1879-1881)

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90-cent carmine Perry single

In 1878 Continental Bank Note Company (CBNCo) negotiated with American Bank Note (ABNCo) to consolidate their businesses. The merger went into effect in 1879, and American Bank Note assumed control of the federal contract for postage stamps that Continental Bank Note had brought to the marriage.

The Large Bank Note Issues (1879-1881) represented ABNCo’s effort to fulfill the stamp contract with minimal expense and time. Just as CBNCo had used the National Bank Note 1870-1871 Issue plates, ABNCo produced stamps using the printing plates for CBNCo’s most recent issue. The one distinguishing difference between the American Bank Note Company stamps and those of the previous two companies was the soft porous paper used by ABNCo. The denominations of the CBNCo issues were continued by ABNCo with the exception of the 12- and 24-cent stamps. American Bank Note did not produce an original stamp design for a postage stamp until the 5-cent Garfield in 1882.

Alexander T. Haimann, National Postal Museum

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1-cent Franklin single

The printing plate of the 1-cent Franklin was originally produced by the National Bank Note Company in 1869. When it was reused by American Bank Note Company a decade later, it carried Continental Bank Note Company’s identification marks or ‘secret marks’ that had distinguished its 1873 printings. On the 1-cent Franklin, the mark is the small horizontal dash in the largest of the pearls immediately to the left of the ‘1’ at the bottom of the stamp. CBNCo most likely etched this mark on each stamp design in the plate using a small amount of acid.

Continental Bank Note Company, along with other printing and engraving firms, had been consolidated into the American Bank Note Company in 1879. When ABNCo took over the contract to print U.S. stamps and acquired all printing plates held by CBNCo, it differentiated its printing of the 1-cent Franklin of the 1879 Issue by using soft, porous paper. CBNCo had used white wove paper.

The mail rate for a postcard was one cent in 1879. The 1-cent Franklin (as a single use) could have paid the card rate or, in combination with other denominations, higher rates. Approximately 590 million stamps of the 1-cent Franklin were printed by American Bank Note Company.

Alexander T. Haimann, National Postal Museum

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2-cent vermilion Jackson single

The 2-cent Jackson stamp of the American Bank Note Company 1879 Issue was printed from the original National Bank Note Company (NBNCo) plate that had been modified with secret marks by Continental Bank Note (CBNCo). That distinguishing mark is, at best, difficult to spot, and in some printings it has not transferred to the paper. On the 2-cent stamp design, the secret mark is a small diagonal line in the top left of the stamp that extends from the rim of the border line above the ‘U.S.’ to the tip of the curled ornament.

Louis Delnoce of NBNCo engraved the design from the Hiram Powers bust of Andrew Jackson. NBNCo had printed the stamp in a red brown ink, and CBNCo and ABNCo printed it in vermilion. The 1875 and 1879 versions of the stamp are distinguishable only by the soft porous paper used by American Bank Note.

The stamp could have paid the multiple domestic rates or, in combination with other denominations, higher foreign destination rates. American Bank Note Company printed approximately 440 million of the 2-cent Jackson issue.

Alexander T. Haimann, National Postal Museum

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3-cent Washington single

American Bank Note Company reused the engraved printing plates for U.S. postage stamps that it acquired when seven engraving and printing firms merged to form ABNCo in 1879. The plates had transferred from Continental Bank Note (CBNCo), and Continental had received all but one plate from the earlier federal stamp contractor, National Bank Note Company.

When CBNCo had possession of the plates, it had added secret, distinguishing marks to them to differentiate its issues from those of National Bank Note. The secret mark that it added to the 3-cent Washington plate designs can be found in the outline of the ribbon below the ‘R’ in the word ‘THREE.’ It is the heavy shading of the lower white border line of the larger ribbon.

Since the rate to send a half-ounce, first-class letter was three cents, this stamp most often paid the first-class domestic mail rate. Approximately 1,335,000,000 stamps of the 3-cent Washington were printed by American Bank Note Company. Jean-Antoine Houdon’s bust of George Washington was the source for the design.

Alexander T. Haimann, National Postal Museum

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5-cent Zachary Taylor single

When American Bank Note Company (ABNCo) received the federal contract to print postage stamps in 1879, Continental Bank Note (CBNCo) relinquished all designs and property to ABNCo. Most of the printing plates had originated with the National Bank Note Company. CBNCo had only created one original stamp design—the 5-cent Zachary Taylor. Because the stamp and its plate were original to CBNCo, the company’s secret, distinguishing mark that was always engraved on the National Bank Note plates was not necessary.

The only difference between the original CBNCo stamp and the new ABNCo issue was the paper. CBNCo used a yellowish wove paper for its 1875 Issue, and ABNCo printed its 1879 issue on a soft porous paper.

The U.P.U. international rate had been in effect for four years when ABNCo released its 5-cent Taylor stamp, which was typically used for this purpose. Approximately forty-two million of the 5-cent Taylor were printed by American Bank Note Company.

Alexander T. Haimann, National Postal Museum

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6-cent Abraham Lincoln single

The Thomas Jones (1811-1881) sculpture of Abraham Lincoln was the model for the 6-cent stamp of American Bank Note Company's 1879 issue. Jones measured Lincoln for the sculpture before Lincoln's inauguration on March 4, 1861. Within less than fifteen years of his assassination, three 6-cent stamps had born Lincoln's image.

The 1879 issue of the stamp differed from earlier issues in both color and the type of paper used. It was a shade of pink and was printed on soft porous paper. The printing plate still included Continental Bank Note’s secret mark at the bottom left of each stamp. See the four vertical lines that are heavily shaded where the ribbon ends curve to head towards the bottom of the ‘x’ in ‘six’.

The 6-cent Lincoln paid the double-weight, first-class rate for letters mailed domestically, which was its most popular use as a single stamp. In combination with other denominations, it also paid higher weight and foreign destination rates. American Bank Note Company printed approximately 23,650,000 of the 6-cent Lincoln stamp.

Alexander T. Haimann, National Postal Museum

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10-cent brown Jefferson single

American Bank Note Company printed two versions of the 10-cent Jefferson stamp, one with and one without the Continental Bank Note ‘secret mark’. Perhaps some of the 10-cent Jefferson printing plates, transferred by Continental Bank Note when it consolidated with ABNCo in 1879, had the design re-entered using the National Bank Note transfer rolls (this could have caused stamps with and without secret marks to appear on the same plate and proof), or perhaps the secret mark wore-off, the printing plates having received extensive use into 1880. This second theory seems likely since there are very strong secret marks on some issues and much lighter and less distinct marks on others.

CBNCo’s secret mark, a small bottom semi-circle, appears at the top of the stamp where the words “U.S. POSTAGE” are outlined by a white frameline. The secret mark has been inserted in the scroll to the right of the frameline.

The American Bank Note stamps are differentiated from the earlier issues by their soft, porous paper.

The 10-cent Jefferson could have paid the registered mail fee or, more frequently, the U.P.U. international double-weight rate. Approximately 16 million stamps without the CBNCo secret mark and approximately 22 million stamps of the 10-cent Jefferson with the secret mark were printed by American Bank Note Company.

Alexander T. Haimann, National Postal Museum

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15-cent Daniel Webster single

American Bank Note Company (ABNCo) reused the National Bank Note (NBNCo) design of Daniel Webster in its 1879 Issue. Webster had proposed the legislation to produce pre-paid adhesive postage stamps. The stamp's image was inspired by a sculpture by Shobal Vail Clevenger (1812-1843), which was completed around 1838.

ABNCo printed a 15-cent Webster that was closer to the original NBNCo issue because the secret distinguishing marks that Continental Bank Note had cut into the plate had been diminished by cleaning or by the introduction of a new, soft porous paper. That paper provides one means of identifying the ABNCo issue; the ink color on the stamp offers another avenue in that the ABNCo stamp is a different shade, a red orange. Continental Bank Note’s was yellow orange and NBNCo’s used shades of orange.

The 15-cent Webster conveniently paid the registered fee and the U.P.U. five-cent rate in one stamp. American Bank Note printed approximately 14,750,000 stamps of the 15-cent issue.

Alexander T. Haimann, National Postal Museum

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30-cent Alexander Hamilton single

Born in the West Indies, Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) served as an aid to George Washington during the Revolutionary War, as a representative to the Continental Congress, and as a New York delegate to the Constitutional Convention. Hamilton passionately supported a strong central government, and he authored fifty-one of the eighty-five treatises of the Federalist Papers. Hamilton’s work as a member of the federalist faction is a benchmark of political advocacy in the United States. In his role as secretary of the treasury in Washington's cabinet, the conservative Hamilton sponsored legislation to pay-off government debt and charter a national bank. Hamilton died in a dual with Aaron Burr in 1804. This great American patriot was commemorated with a stamp in 1870.

The 30-cent Hamilton design of 1870 was completed by National Bank Note Company. It was the first stamp to depict a secretary of the treasury and would remain the only one until the 1967 1.5-cent Albert Gallatin stamp. The 30-cent Hamilton of American Bank Note’s 1879 Large Banknote issues can be differentiated from this earlier stamp by its soft porous paper.

The stamp was typically used in combination with other denominations to fulfill expensive postal rates. Approximately 4,000,000 Hamilton stamps were printed by American Bank Note Company.

Alexander T. Haimann, National Postal Museum

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90-cent carmine Perry single

The American Bank Note 90-cent Oliver H. Perry issue was the third version of the stamp issued. The National Bank Note Company created the plate for this 90-cent stamp to print the original 1870-1871 stamps, and Continental Bank Note Company reused the plate for its 1873 Issue. The ABNCo stamp is only distinguishable from these previous printings by its soft porous paper. The stamp was used primarily in combination with other denominations to fulfill expensive rates. American Bank Note Company printed approximately 215,000 of the 90-cent Oliver H. Perry stamp.

Commodore Oliver H. Perry defeated the British naval fleet in the War of 1812 and in so doing preserved the young American nation. His brother Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to open itself to trade with the West and negotiated an 1854 treaty to allow American ships to enter two Japanese ports. United States postage stamps have honored both men. Oliver Perry appeared on twelve stamps and Matthew appeared on one stamp.

Alexander T. Haimann, National Postal Museum

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