Scotts #257 US stamps

#257 - 1894 Unwatermarked 8¢

8¢
Bright violet brown or violet brown
Triangles in Corner

Subject: General Tecumseh Sherman
Number issued: 2,426,100
Perforations: 12
Watermark: Unwatermarked
Scott #: 257
Issued: September 28th, 1894

Value

Used
$2 - $4
No postmark with gum (MH)
$40 - $100
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)
$175 - $260

Earliest Date of Use

Earliest recorded date of use, May 11th, 1895 (much later than the date of issue due to the excess stock of the 1893 8¢, which had no triangle in the corners.)

Plate #'s

#257 was issued with the following plate #'s

58

Triangles in the corner

As this was the Bureau of Printing and Engraving contract a small triangle was cut into the design at top left and top right in order to distinguish this printing from the earlier 1890 series

Heavy cancels

Expect to see a lot of heavy cancels on this as it was the registered rate and registered cancels are typically heavy. Above left is a typical oval registry cancel (Chicago) and above right the same from New York.