The 1895 Bureau Series
Watermarked Double Lined letters - USPS

The Value of the Stamp


George Washington (biography)
2c - Carmine or deep carmine - Type I
Horizontal lines run through upper triangles with same thickness
Scott #265 - Double line USPS wmk. - 1895

 
NY Auction Houses
 
Spring 2003
-
-
-
-
Fall 2003
-
-
-
-
Spring 2004
$8-$12
$3-$9
-
-
Fall 2004
-
$3-$8
-
-
Spring 2005
-
$12-$15
-
-
Fall 2005
$8-$65
$5
$70-$375
-
Spring 2006
$20-$65
$8-$22
$1,100
95
Fall 2006
-
$4-$18
$2,100
98
Spring 2007
$22
$4-$9
$135
90
Fall 2007
-
$3
-
-
Spring 2008
$16
$4
$325
90J
Fall 2008
$30-$100
$8-$11
$800
95
Spring 2009
$16-$19
$6-$8
$600-$1,500
95
Fall 2009
$17-$45
$6-$16
-
-
Spring 2010
$20-$75
$6-$17
-
-
Fall 2010
-
-
-
-
Spring 2011
-
-
-
-

Used stamps are worth less than $1

Statistics


Issued: May 2nd, 1895, a first day cover is shown below


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

Printer: The Bureau of Printing and Engraving

Watermark: USPS, double lined, see below

Quantity Issued: 300,000,000

A pane of the 1895 2c (type I, II and III all come from the same pane)

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


What you should look for


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.

Look for part of one of the above letters in the watermark
Remember, the letters have to be double lined. If single
lined then go here to identify your stamp

This was the first instance of the Bureau applying a watermark, it was applied to make counterfeiting more difficult. It is not known if the Bureau had anticipated the Chicago Counterfeits or added the watermark because of them. The story of the Chicago Counterfeit can be found on the page for Scotts #248.

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.

THE DETRIOT POST OFFICE DUE OVERPRINT

In 1895 the Detroit Post Office ran out of 2c Postage Due Samps and resorted to hand stamping both a 1895 2c stamp and the envelope with a straight line 'Due 2' indicating that two cents of postage was due. The covers are now worth around $500 each.

Plate number blocks bearing plate #116 are scarce and demand a premium.


The Inspiration for the Design


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

Varieties to look for


No varieties recorded

The Making of the Stamp


There are no essays or proofs of #265

 


>