Confederate States of America (CSA)
Featuring Research Volunteer Contributions

Archer & Daly

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20-cent Washington CSA single

From the Confederacy's beginning, Postmaster General John Reagan wanted to provide steel-plate printed stamps similar to those used in the United States, but he was forced to use inferior lithographed and typographed stamps during the first two years of the war. John Archer was a practical engraver and steel-plate printer formerly employed by the American Bank Note Company in New York. He was no doubt enticed to the South in 1861 by Confederate authorities. He formed a partnership with Joseph D. Daly, a wealthy and politically influential plasterer in Richmond, Virginia. Archer & Daly procured the contract to print the 5-cent stamps from the electrotype plates provided by De La Rue, Ltd., London, before creating their own engraved designs. Frederick Halpin, a skilled engraver, followed Archer to Richmond. Daly left the firm after the printing of the Type II 10-cent (Scott CSA 12), and his name was removed from the plates' imprints. In 1864, when Richmond was in danger from Union forces, the Confederate government decided to move the production of stamps and currency to a safer city farther south.

Patricia Kaufmann

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5-cent Davis single

While Hoyer & Ludwig and J.T. Paterson & Co. were originally commissioned to produce the first lithograph issues so as to provide postage stamps to the Confederacy at the earliest possible date, an agreement was negotiated with the well-known engravers Thomas De La Rue & Co., Ltd., of London, England. The agreement provided for engraving designs and making electrotype plates for two denominations, printing a determined quantity, and supplying a printing press, ink, and paper, all to be delivery to the Confederacy for the local production of additional stamps, as needed. This stock was delivered in April 1862. The one-cent denomination was never used.

The central motif for the 5-cent 'local' or 'Richmond' print is a portrait of Jefferson Davis, designed and engraved by Jean Ferdinand Joubert De La Ferte for De La Rue. There were 36,250,000 stamps printed from one four-subject electrotype plate, panes of one hundred. Plating is unnecessary as complete panes still remain. These imperforate stamps were originally printed on thin, white, woven, hard-surface paper with colorless gum (as supplied by De La Rue on the same printing plate as the 'London Print'). Later productions were on inferior paper, using ink procured in Richmond. The color ranges across all shades of blue. Although printed from the same plate, they can generally be distinguished by the coarse, fuzzy impression and/or the presence of plate flaws. Early local prints can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from the London Prints. The earliest recorded date of use is July 25, 1862. The most typical use is of pairs paying the 10-cent letter rate after July 1, 1862.

Patricia Kaufmann

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2-cent Andrew Jackson single

The stamp's central motif, a portrait of Andrew Jackson, was designed and line engraved by Frederick Halpin. It was then transferred to a steel die. It is a full-face view of Jackson modified from the vignette of the U.S. 2-cent 'Black Jack' stamp of 1863, and it is sometimes referred to as the 'Red Jack'. There were 1,650,000 stamps printed from a two hundred-subject steel plate divided into panes of one hundred by a vertical gutter. Plating is unnecessary as full sheets remain. These imperforate stamps were printed on soft, porous paper of varying thickness and with colorless gum. The first printing was a soft, pale rose, and later prints were in brown-red with varying shades. There are two recognized double transfers as well as other minor varieties. The earliest recorded date of use is April 21, 1863. This issue was most often used to pay the two-cent drop letter and circular rates. Less frequently, strips of five stamps paid the ten-cent letter rate.

Patricia Kaufmann

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10-cent Jefferson Davis single

The central motif is a portrait of Jefferson Davis, designed and line engraved by John Archer, and then transferred to a copper plate. It is a side view of Davis that bears a striking resemblance to Abraham Lincoln. Legend has it that Varina Davis (1826-1906) objected to that likeness and asked that it be discontinued. More likely, the copper plate did not wear well. There were 1,000,000 stamps printed from one two hundred-subject steel plate divided into panes of one hundred by a vertical gutter. There is no imprint. Plating is not complete. These imperforate stamps were printed on soft, porous paper of varying thickness and with colorless gum. The earliest recorded date of use is April 23, 1863. Colors vary from milky blue, blue, dark blue, opaline blue, and gray blue. The most typical use was to pay the ten-cent letter rate. Students refer to this issue as the “TEE-EE-NN” to distinguish it from the Type I and II design, with the value in numerals as opposed to being spelled out.

Patricia Kaufmann

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10-cent Jefferson Davis frameline single

The stamp's central motif is a portrait of Jefferson Davis, designed and line engraved on steel by John Archer, then transferred to a copper plate. The distinguishing incised lines had been ruled as intended guidelines for making transfers. There were 500,000 stamps printed from one hundred-subject copper plate. There is no imprint. Plating is nearly complete with ninety-seven positions identified. These imperforate stamps were printed on soft, porous paper of varying thickness and with colorless gum. The earliest recorded date of use is April 19, 1863. Colors vary from blue to milky blue, dark blue, and greenish blue. The stamp's most typical use was to pay the ten-cent letter rate. This issue is referred to by students as the 'Frameline' to distinguish it from the other 10-cent Davis designs, particularly the Type I (Scott 11), which is essentially the same design without the bordering frames.

Patricia Kaufmann

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10-cent Jefferson Davis type I single

John Archer designed and line engraved the stamp's central motif, a portrait of Jefferson Davis. The engraving was then transferred to steel printing plates. This is the same engraving as the “Frame Line” issue but without the frame lines. There were approximately 23,800,000 stamps printed from two plates, each with two panes of one hundred. There were numerous imprint varieties of “Archer & Daly, Bank Note Engravers, Richmond, Va.” The inscription was altered over the life of the plates. "Daly" was removed first, and later the entire imprint was removed. Full sheets of two hundred and panes of one hundred are known. The earliest recorded date of use is April 21, 1863. Colors vary from blue to milky blue, dark blue, and greenish blue. The most typical use was to pay the ten-cent letter rate. An unknown number of sheets were perforated in gauge 12 1/2. This perforation experiment proved impractical, but the perforated stamps were released for use. The plates for the Archer & Daly stamps were transferred to Columbia, South Carolina, when Richmond's fall became inevitable in late 1864. Keatinge & Ball then printed the stamps.

See Keatinge & Ball for their printings of this same design.

Patricia Kaufmann

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10-cent Jefferson Davis CSA Type II single

Frederick Halpin designed and engraved the stamp's central motif, a portrait of Jefferson Davis. The engraving was then transferred to steel printing plates. They are very similar in design to Type I, distinguished most easily by the filled-in corners, outer scrolls, and the presence of a light outer line framing the entire design. There were approximately 23,800,000 stamps printed from two plates, each with two panes of one hundred. There were numerous imprint varieties of “Archer & Daly, Bank Note Engravers, Richmond, Va.” The inscription was altered over the life of the plates. "Daly" was removed first, and later the entire imprint was removed. Full sheets of two hundred and panes of one hundred are known. The earliest recorded date of use is May 1, 1863. Colors vary from blue to light blue, milky blue, dark blue, greenish blue, and opaline blue. The most typical use was to pay the ten-cent letter rate. An unknown number of sheets were perforated in gauge 12 1/2. This perforation experiment proved impractical, but the perforated stamps were released for use. The plates for the Archer & Daly stamps were transferred to Columbia, South Carolina, when the fall of Richmond became inevitable in late 1864, and the stamps were then printed by the company of Keatinge & Ball.

See Keatinge & Ball for their printings of this same design.

Patricia Kaufmann

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20-cent Washington CSA single

The central motif, a portrait of George Washington, was designed and line engraved on steel by Frederick Halpin. It was then transferred to a steel printing plate. There were approximately 2,350,000 stamps printed from one plate of two hundred in two panes of one hundred, separated by a vertical gutter. Full panes of one hundred are known. The earliest recorded date of use is June 1, 1863. Colors vary from green to deep green, milky green, bluish green, and yellow green. The inscription "Archer & Daly, Richmond, Va" is found only on the sheets of the first printing; the second printing sheets have no inscription. Double transfers are known, as well as the '20 on the forehead' variety. The most typical use was to pay the 20-cent overweight double letter rate, with pairs known paying the 40-cent Trans-Mississippi rate and bisects paying the 10-cent letter rate. The 20-cent stamp was printed primarily to be used as small change, the lowest denomination of CSA currency being a 50-cent fractional note. The Confederacy had no coins.

Patricia Kaufmann

Confederate States of America (CSA)