Twelve Dollars. Vesta, Goddess of the Fireside, full robed in curved niche, with horizontally lined ground, and bordered by a colorless line. The left hand lifts her drapery; the right holds a burning lamp. Figures of value, "$12" in upper corners on tablets. Value, "Twelve Dollars" also in colorless letters on beaded frame beneath. Inscriptions, "Newspapers," "Periodicals," on solid (sic), italic letters on sides, and "U. S. Postage" in small white letters above. Frame of vertical lines. Color, rich green.
Twenty-Four Dollars. Goddess of Peace in curved niche, bordered by a colorless line, and on horizontally lined ground, a half naked figure leaning against a broken column. She holds in her right hand an olive branch, while her left grasps three arrows. The value, "Twenty-four Dollars" is in colorless letters beneath, on a solid tablet; also in figures "$24" in ornamented curves in upper corners. Inscriptions, "U. S. Postage" in white shaded letters above, and "Newspapers," "Periodicals" on the sides between which latter and each upper corner is a six-pointed star. The back ground is vertically lined. The ornaments bordered by a colorless line. Color, purplish shade.
Thirty-Six Dollars. Figure representing Commerce, in full garments, in curved niche, bordered by a colorless line with hatched background. She holds in her left hand the caduceus, the winged rod of Mercury, in her right a miniature ship. Figures of value, "$36" in the upper corners and "Thirty-six Dollars" in ornamented capitals below, in two lines. Inscriptions, "Newspapers," "Periodicals," also in ornamented capitals on sides and "U. S. Postage" in colorless capitals above. The frame is vertically lined. Color, dull red.
Forty-Eight Dollars. Hebe, the Goddess of Youth, partly draped in curved niche with colorless border and horizontally lined ground. The right hand holds a cup, which she is offering to the eagle around whose neck is thrown her left arm. Shaded figures of value, "$48" on shields in the upper corners, the word "Postage" between in colorless capitals on solid label. The value, "Forty-eight Dollars" also in colorless letters below on solid ground, in curved ornaments. The letters "U." and "S." in colorless circles between the corners and side inscriptions, "Newspapers," "Periodicals," the latter being in colorless letters on solid curved labels. Frame vertically lined. Color, light brown.
Sixty Dollars. Vignette of an Indian Maiden, standing in a rectangular frame. She is robed from her waist downward. Her right arm is extended, while her left hangs by her side. The background is a landscape. Trees and vines to the left, and wigwams to the right in the distance, bordered by a colorless line between fine colored lines. Figures of value, "$60" on shields in the upper corners. Value, "Sixty Dollars" also in white letters on solid tablets below. Inscriptions, "Newspapers," "Periodicals," in white on solid labels on the sides. "U. S." in colorless capitals on the ground, and "Postage" on a band in colored letters above. Ground vertically lined. Color, rich purple.
Post Office Department,
Office of the Third Assistant Postmaster General,
Division of Postage Stamps, Stamped Env. & Post Cards.
Washington D. C., April 25, 1879.
The attention of Postmasters is hereby called to the fact, that on and after the first of May proximo, under the act of March 3d, 1879, matter of the second class, commonly known as newspaper and periodical matter, will be entitled to pass through the mail, at a uniform rate of 2 cents per pound. Care will be taken not to collect payment on such matter, at more than that rate. The same general regulations concerning the collection of newspaper postage, as have been heretofore promulgated will remain in force, and the same books and blanks together with the newspaper and periodical stamps, that are now outstanding will continue to be used. In future, however, the issue of the three and nine cents denominations of newspaper and periodical stamps, will be discontinued. * * * *
A. D. HAZEN,
Third Assistant Postmaster General.
Act of the XLV Congress, Session III, Chapter 180, approved March 3rd, 1879, Sections 10 and 14 merely change the classification to a uniform one at the rate of two cents per pound.