The 1895 Bureau Series
Watermarked Double Lined letters - USPS
Abraham Lincoln (biography)
4¢ Dark brown or dark yellow brown
Triangles in Corners
Scott #269 - Double line USPS wmk - 1895
Value
Used: $1
No postmark with gum (MH): $10-$30
Full perfect gum, no postmark, no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH): $30-$45
Issued: June 5th 1895
Plate Size: Sheets of 400 subjects (4 panes of 100)
Printer: The Bureau of Printing and Engraving, their first contract
Quantity Issued: 78,000,000
The earliest recorded date of use, July 22nd, 1895
DETAILED FACTS AND FIGURES
The Post Office report from 1899 supplies one with almost every detail you would wish to know about this stamp,
and every other stamp in this series. The level of detail is amazing.
Click here for more on this report.
The stamps were watermarked USPS and part of one of the three letters will be visible
(sometimes barely so) when immersing the stamp in watermark fluid using a simple black watermark tray.
By the way, you really have to believe you have got a valuable stamp before investing the $20 it costs
to buy the afore mentioned items. You could use the cheaper alternative, Ronosol Lighter fluid, however, unlike
watermark fluid, it is highly inflammable and dangerous to use, plus it stinks the house up.
The watermark will appear as part of the letters above.
A double lined letters USP. If there is no watermark then
go here and if there are no triangles in the corner (see below)
then go here.
The design was taken from this photograph of Abraham Lincoln.
This photo was taken by Alexander Gardner on Aug 9, 1863
As this was the Bureau of Printing and Engraving contract a small triangle was cut into
the design at top left and top right. This distinguishes it from the earlier 1890 series.
Plate proof on stamp paper (259P5)
THE BISECT
Although it was strictly against P.O. regulations to bisect stamps, the postmaster of this
rural New York post office had run out of 1¢ and 2¢ stamps and went ahead and split a 4¢ stamp.
Only two covers are known, both of which are shown above.
Detail of essay #222-E2
An interesting essay of Lincoln
254-E1
Large Die Essay on India
Die sunk on card
Dark Yellow Brown
254-E2
Die on India, die sunk on card
254-E3
Die on India, die sunk on card
Dark Brown
254-P1
Large Die Plate Proof
Mounted on Card
254 P2
Roosevelt Album Proof
Mounted on card