In place of the heads on the regular stamps, the official stamps adopted for the Post Office Department have conspicuous figures (numerals) to represent the denomination, with the word "_Official_" above, and the word "_Stamp_" below.

These printed in black, and resting on an oval shaped background, render the stamps especially distinctive, and leave no good excuse for confounding them with the other stamps. To further distinguish them, the name of the Department is printed across the top in lieu of the words "U. S. Postage." There is also a slight difference in the ornamentation of the border.

In design, the official stamps for the other Departments do not differ materially from those issued for sale to the public, the profile busts are retained but each stamp has at the top the name of the particular Department for which it is provided.

Other changes appearing in the border need not be specified.

The stamps for each Department have their own distinctive color, as follows: For the Executive, carmine; State Department, green; Treasury Department, velvet-brown; War Department, cochineal red; Navy Department, blue; Interior Department, vermilion; Department of Justice, purple; Department of Agriculture, straw; and for the Post Office Department, black.

The official stamps will correspond in denomination with the regular stamps except that for the State Department there will be four additional denominations, viz: two, five, ten and twenty dollars respectively. These additional stamps are designed from a profile bust of the late Hon. William H. Seward, and are of double size and printed in two colors.

OFFICIAL STAMPS FOR POSTMASTERS.

Postmasters at all offices will be furnished with the official stamps of this Department in suitable denominations and amounts as far as they can be supplied. The Department will exercise its own discretion in filling requisitions, and will send only in such denominations and amounts, as the needs of an office may seem to require. The less important offices, say those at which the money order system has not been established, will need only three cent stamps, but comparatively few offices will require stamps above the denomination of six cents. The higher denominations will be supplied to a few of the larger offices only. Postmasters will combine stamps of the most convenient denominations at hand to meet emergencies for which they may have no single stamp exactly filling the rate required."

EDWARD W. BARBER, Third a.s.sistant Postmaster General.

ISSUE OF JULY 1st, 1873.

The several denominations for all the departments have certain characteristics that are common to all stamps of that value, which may as well be stated once for all, to avoid repet.i.tion.

With the exception of those of the post office department, the head is the same as that on the ordinary stamp of the same value then current.

The value is expressed in numerals and words beneath the oval in the same numerals, letters and scrolls as on the ordinary stamps of the same value, except that in those for the Post Office Department the numerals in the 1, 12 and 30 cents and the letters in all are a trifle smaller.

The ONE CENT has the head of Franklin in an oval as described, the large "1" dividing "_One Cent_" on a band bordered by heavy white lines as described, but the ornament across the ends is omitted except in that for the Executive and Agriculture, and is lessened in that for the Interior.

The TWO CENTS has the head of Jackson as described, the large numeral "2" dividing "_Two Cents_" upon a scroll with white border as described, the ends of the scroll are, however, differently arranged to accommodate parts of the design.

The THREE CENTS has the head of Washington as described, the large "3"

dividing the words "_Three Cents_" upon a scroll as described.

The SIX CENTS has the head of Lincoln, the large "6" dividing the words "_Six Cents_" upon a scroll with colorless borders as described.

The SEVEN CENTS has the head of Stanton, the large "7" dividing the words "_Seven Cents_" upon a label following the oval and bordered by the white line between two colored lines and ending in a curve and ball as described.

The TEN CENTS has the head of Jefferson, the large "10" dividing the words "_Ten Cents_" upon a colorless bordered scroll as described.

The TWELVE CENTS has the head of Clay, the large numerals "2" dividing the words "_Twelve Cents_" in block letters following the oval bounded by the white line between two colored lines and curved back as described.

The FIFTEEN CENTS has the head of Webster, the large numerals "15"

dividing the words "_Fifteen Cents_" upon a label bordered as described.

The TWENTY-FOUR CENTS has the head of Scott, no numerals below, the words "_Twenty-four_" and "_Cents_" upon two labels and in block letters as described. In that for the Department of Agriculture the upper label is changed into a scroll with large ends curved backwards, then forwards and then downwards.

The THIRTY CENTS has the head of Hamilton, the large numerals "30" on the shield dividing the words "_Thirty Cents_" in colored letters on the scroll as described.

The NINETY CENTS has the head of Perry, the large numerals "90" dividing the words "_Ninety Cents_" in block letters on a label bordered as described, but the ends have a small curve inward in those for the Post Office Department, are square in those for the Interior and Navy Departments, are curved inwards in that for the War Department, are terminated by curves forming a point in that for the Department of Justice, and are square with a projecting small half circle in those for the Treasury and State Departments.

EXECUTIVE.

The oval containing the bust, the scroll or label and numeral are all placed upon a back-ground of vertical parallel lines so disposed as to produce the stripes of the shield or flag. Above and following the oval a solid colored label inscribed in colorless capitals, "_Executive_,"

and bounded by a white and exterior colored line terminating in a foliated ornament against the oval; foliated ornaments in the corners forming small white circles enclosing "_U._" and "_S._" on rectangularly hatched disks.

Plate impression, 19 by 25 mm. in color, on white paper, perforated 12.

1 cent carmine, 6,800 issued.

2 cents " 9,100 "

3 " " 23,500 "

6 " " 5,500 "

10 " " 5,150 "

DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

The oval containing the bust, the scroll or label and numeral are all placed upon a ground of parallel vertical lines. At the top these are crossed by horizontal lines at about 1 mm. from the edge over a s.p.a.ce of equal width, so as to form a darker band and thus form a double frame half way down where the darker frame terminates on each side in a round ball, except in the 12 cents, which has the dark frame all the way round. In the values with scrolls "_U._" on the left, "_S._" on the right above the ends of the scrolls in large white letters shaded outside. In the values with labels the same letters in the corners below the ends of the labels, also colorless, except in the 15 cents, in which they are crossed by parallel horizontal lines. Above the ovals "_Dep't of State_," in similar capitals, large at the sides and gradually decreasing towards the center. Above these a fine curved colorless line between colored lines, the lower heavily shaded; beneath the letters a white ornament terminating on each side in a fleur de lis, and shaded by colored lines.

Plate impression 19 by 25 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.

1 cent green, 31,800 issued.

2 cents green, 41,800 "

3 " 109,200 "

6 " 82,100 "

7 " 37,800 "

10 " 64,900 "

12 " 20,800 "

15 " 22,800 "

24 " 13,800 "

30 " 20,100 "

90 " 6,043 "

To these are added the four higher values of larger size. These have a large profile head of Wm. H. Seward, facing to the left, on a hatched ground forming an oval disk, with a ground of fine parallel lines all printed in black. The lines are arranged to form a panelled triangle in the upper corners, the lines being horizontal and light in the borders and thickened to form the darker panels which contain a foliated ornament. On a broad colorless, curved label, with rounded ends, "_Department of_" in outline Roman capitals shaded at top by curved parallel colored lines, a series of curved parallel colored lines filling the lower part of the label. Beneath this, in outlined pearled capitals, following the label and shaded outside, "_State_." At the sides bunches of rods tied above and below with crossed bands with "_U.

S. A._" in colorless letters below each. Across the bottom a hatched label with colorless borders inscribed in colorless letters shaded outside with the value.

Plate impression 25 by 39 mm., in color, on white paper, perforated 12.

Two dollars, black and green, 3,508 issued.

Five " " " 363 "

Ten " " " 363 "

Twenty " " " 363 "

TREASURY DEPARTMENT.

The oval containing the portraits, the scrolls or labels and large numerals are placed on a background of vertical parallel lines arranged to form a drapery with fringes, cords and ta.s.sels, and a panel similar to the State Department stamps. At the top a label indicated by a colorless line curved up at the ends and terminating above in foliated ornaments, is inscribed "_Treasury_" in the same letters as the other official stamps with "_U. S._" beneath the left end and "_Dept._"

beneath the right end.