Issued: 5th October 1894, earliest recorded example 17th October 1894

Plate Size: Sheets of 400 subjects (4 panes of 100)

Printer: The Bureau of Printing and Engraving, their first contract

Watermark: None

Quantity Issued: 100,000,000

#251 is distinguishable by the Type II triangle in the corners. The triangles were placed there to distinguish them from the earlier printing of this design by the American Bank Note Company. The fact that the triangles are different is only attributable that they were cut into the plates in a different manner; there was no special significance to each of the three known designs of the triangle.

Below is a typical example of the 1894 Bureau Issue, you will notice the blind perfs and rough appearance of the perforations. The machines for perforating the stamp had just been relocated from New York to Washington DC and did not have the old operators from the ABC, consequently the new operators took some time to get used to perforating the large sheets of 400 stamps. By the next issue, in 1895, they had got the practice down to a science, hence that issue has nice clean cut perforations. The untidy perforations of this issue does not detract from its value.

Occasionaly postmarks from states that had tiny amounts of mail in this year can add to the value. This is particularly true of Alaska and the Territories. For a list of the number of stamps issued by each state in the year ending 30th June 1894 click here.

The design was taken from the portrait bust of Washington by Jean Antoine Houdon. Now at Mount Vernon.

No varieties recorded

Essay 251-E1
Dark Violet Red
Die Sunk on India

251- E2
Die on India, die sunk on card

251- P2
Large Die Proof on India