All on large white paper.
VIII.
Stamps of the Providence Postmaster.
These stamps, of which the 5 cent value was catalogued as early as 1863, and the 10 cent in June, 1865, were issued by Mr. H. B. Sayles, postmaster at Providence, and engraved by a Mr. Kidden, of that city in 1846. None of the daily papers of the locality, which we have been permitted to consult, seem to have noticed the issue. The plate has however been preserved among the archives of the State of Rhode Island.
PROVIDENCE POST OFFICE.
Issue of 1846.
"Post Office," in a curved line, "Prov. R. I." in a straight line, and "Five Cents" in a curved line, all in outline colorless block capitals on a ground of fine horizontal lines, bordered by a fine colored, a broad colorless and second fine colored line, forming a horizontal oval, the space outside filled in with similar horizontal lined ground to form a rectangle, bordered by a fine colored line, the bottom and right side double thickness, and ornamented with a white foliated ornament in each of the four corners, separated by a white ball on the sides, and by from two to five balls above, but none at the bottom, where there is instead a prolongation of the foliation.
Plate impression (copper), 20 by 28 mm., on yellowish white paper.