The Act of the XLVIII Congress, Session II, Chapter 342, approved March 3rd, 1885, provides as stated in Order No. 109 of the Postmaster General, dated April 24th, 1885, "That all publications of the second class, * * * shall on and after July 1st, 1885, be entitled to transmission through the mails at one cent a pound or fraction thereof. * * * To provide for wants that may arise from this change in the rate of second class postage, the Department has decided to issue a newspaper and periodical stamp of the denomination of one cent, the design and color of which will be the same as those of the present series of newspaper and periodical stamps of the denomination of from 2 to 10 cents. Stamps of this new denomination will be ready for issue by the 1st of June, after which all postmasters needing them will make requisition for suitable supplies."
Newspaper and Periodical Stamps.
Series of 1875-1885.
Plate impression, 24 by 35½ mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.
| June 1st, 1885, | 1 | cent, | black. | ||
| Jan. 1st, 1875, | 3 | cents, | " | to April 25th, 1879. | |
| 9 | " | " | """ | ||
| 2 | " | " | |||
| 4 | " | " | |||
| 6 | " | " | |||
| 8 | " | " | |||
| 10 | " | " | |||
| 12 | " | carmine, | |||
| 24 | " | " | |||
| 36 | " | " | |||
| 48 | " | " | |||
| 60 | " | " | |||
| 72 | " | " | |||
| 84 | " | " | |||
| 96 | " | " | |||
| 1 | dollar | 92 | " | deep brown | |
| 3 | dollars | vermilion | |||
| 6 | " | light blue | |||
| 9 | " | orange | |||
| 12 | " | rich green | |||
| 24 | " | purplish slate | |||
| 36 | " | dull red | |||
| 48 | " | light brown | |||
| 60 | " | rich purple | |||
These stamps were not reprinted in 1874, but samples ungummed and surcharged "specimen" were sold to collectors.
Observations.
A slight change in the regulations now prohibits postmasters from selling these stamps even to publishers, but the money is received and the requisite amount in stamps placed upon the stubs and cancelled. The amount sold and the amount used in an office should now correspond. The stubs are sent periodically to Washington with the accounts, compared and destroyed. Used specimens and even unused specimens are likely to grow rare in collections.