| 3 | lines beneath "Post Office," | |||||
| with a smaller stroke over each, | ||||||
| and dots between them. | ||||||
| 3 | lines | and | 2 | dots | beneath | "Saint." |
| 4 | " | 1 | " | " | "Louis." | |
Mr. Pemberton at one time chronicled a fourth variety of this value also, but could not afterward identify it. Indeed the impressions show great variation from the intended design in the corner flourishes, which seem to have been engraved too fine in parts.
Twenty Cents. While the author and many others do not believe the twenty cent value to be genuine, in deference to such authorities as Messrs. Scott and Pemberton, who accept the few specimens known, they are here described. In the American Journal of Philately, of January, 1870, Mr. Scott, after describing the three varieties each of the 5 and 10 cents for the first time, mentions the 20 cent value as a new discovery. Comparing the three specimens, he says: Two are exactly alike, and have evidently been altered from variety three, above described, while the third is different, having evidently been altered from variety two. At a later date he mentions a fourth specimen. Five specimens are all that have ever been chronicled, we believe.
Mr. Pemberton describes the first three more at length, in a paper in the Stamp Collector's Magazine, for January, 1871. He says he had before him 13 stamps of the 5 cent value, and 12 of the 10 cents, but he does not state how many he had of the 20 cents, but that 10 of the 25 specimens were lent him from America. The American Journal, for January, 1871, however, says he had the three known specimens of the 20 cents. The theory of his article is that the twenty cents was made by erasing the numerals, and of course incidentally other surrounding parts of the varieties two and three, of the five cent value on the plate, and engraving the numerals 20, printing that value and afterwards erasing the 20 and replacing the five. It is also the theory of the article that this was done with all three varieties of the 3 cents, although the author had seen only two varieties of the 20 cents, and only one specimen of the 5 cents, which he could torture into a re-engraving. He alters the arrangement of varieties of Mr. Scott, to which we prefer to adhere, and thus describes them:
Variety One, from variety three of the five cents.
One long and one short line under "Saint." Half of each of the original top strokes and the third stroke under "Louis" being erased, but the dot left. The inner line of the frame erased from the T to L, and a smaller portion of the outer frame above erased also.
Variety Two, from variety two of the five cents. Four strokes under "Saint," but bolder and closer than the original, the vertical stroke over the left bear's paw nearly erased.
Four strokes under "Louis," but deeper and more regular, the third stroke downwards on a level with the bear's ear. L of "Louis" has been re-engraved. Bear's paw on the garter erased.
The inner line of frame half erased between "Saint," and "Louis."
It remains to be added that the numerals are, in both these varieties, very badly drawn, single lined and solid, instead of open and ornamented, and are shaded by miserably drawn irregular horizontal fine lines of uneven length, totally different from the figures in the other two values.