The 1895 Bureau Series
Watermarked Double Lined letters - USPS

The Value of the Stamp


George Washington (biography)
2c - Reddish carmine - Type III
For the Pink Color see 267a below
Horizontal lines run through upper triangles but not
through the double white lines that border the triangles.
Scott #267 - Double line USPS wmk. - 1895

 
NY Auction Houses
 
Spring 2003
-
-
-
-
Fall 2003
-
-
-
-
Spring 2004
-
$2-$5
-
-
Fall 2004
$3-$10
$1-$3
-
-
Spring 2005
$2-$5
$1
-
-
Fall 2005
$2-$10
$1
-
-
Spring 2006
$2-$4
< $1
$725
98
Fall 2006
$4
$1-$3
$350
95
-
-
$425
95J
Spring 2007
$4-$7
$1-$2
-
-
Fall 2007
$7
$1-$2
$280
95
-
-
$4,250
100
Spring 2008
$5-$6
$1-$4
-
-
Fall 2008
$10-$19
$2-$7
-
-
Spring 2009
$7-$21
$1-$3
$140
95
-
-
$750
98
Fall 2009
$3-$28
$1
-
-
Spring 2010
$6
$1-$4
-
-
Fall 2010
-
-
-
-
Spring 2011
-
-
-
-

Used stamps are worth less than $1


2c - Pink or bright pink - Type III
Scott #267a - Double line USPS wmk. - 1895

 
NY Auction Houses
 
Spring 2003
-
-
-
-
Fall 2003
-
-
-
-
Spring 2004
-
$3-$8
-
-
Fall 2004
-
$4-$7
-
-
Spring 2005
-
-
-
-
Fall 2005
-
$5
-
-
Spring 2006
$3-$4
-
$2,200
95
Fall 2006
-
-
-
-
Spring 2007
-
-
-
-
Fall 2007
$5
-
-
-
Spring 2008
-
-
-
-
Fall 2008
$20
-
-
-
Spring 2009
-
-
-
-
Fall 2009
-
$2
-
-
Spring 2010
-
$3
-
-
Fall 2010
-
-
-
-
Spring 2011
-
-
-
-

Used stamps are worth less than $1

Statistics


Issued: Feb 6th, 1896, a first day cover of #267 is shown below (#267 on right)

#267a earliest recorded date of use, Dec 8th, 1897 shown below


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

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

Watermark: USPS, double lined, see below

Quantity Issued: 7.5 Billion

A pane of the 1895 2c (types 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

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 DETROIT 2c POSTAGE 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.


Shown above is a block of #266 and #267, the left four
stamps being the former. It is desirable to find blocks or
pairs that show two of the types, either Type I and II
or in this case Type II and III.


#267 1896 Counterfeit
Lithographed


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


Brookman mentions a variety whereby the shading lines in the center of the upper right triangle are missing. Although I cannot find of one in auction records, because of the authority on this, it no doubt exists, or existed. Whether it is a genuine printing flaw or due to a flyspeck of dust on the stamp will never be known.

The Making of the Stamp


267P

Finished Plate Proof on Stamp Paper

 


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