Ten Cents. Portrait of Washington, after Stewart, faced three-quarters to the left, on an oval disk with hatched ground, bordered by a colorless line between two fine colored lines, the colorless line crossed in parts by small horizontal lines, on a hatched back-ground, bordered by outlined foliations, which form small ovals in the upper corners containing a colorless "X," with "U. S. Postage" in colored capitals between them. Thirteen colorless stars on the ground above the oval. "Ten Cents" in colorless capitals in a waved line below.
Plate impression, 18 by 24 mm., in color, on white paper.
10 cents, green.
This stamp was issued to provide for the single rate to California.
Issue of January 5th, 1856.
Five Cents. Portrait of Jefferson, the third President of the United States, faced three quarters to the right, on an oval disk, 12½ by 15½ mm., with hatched ground, bordered by a colorless line between two fine colored lines, in a broad frame with solid ground, ornamented by colorless lines forming a geometric lathe pattern. This frame is rounded at the corners, with a small projection of about 2 mm. between at the top, bottom and sides, and is surrounded at a little distance by a fine colored line following the same outline. On the back ground, without labels, above "U. S. Postage," below "Five Cents," in colorless Roman capitals.
Plate impression, 19 by 25 mm., in color, on white paper.
5 cents, in shades of yellow brown, red brown, and dark brown.
This stamp was issued to prepay the registration fee, but is often found in unsevered pairs upon California letters, and sometimes in triplets including the registration fee and a single postage to California.
On the 24th of April, 1856, a stamp of the value of twenty-four cents was approved.