The 1898 Bureau Series
Watermarked Double Lined letters - USPS

The Value of the Stamp


Daniel Webster (biography)
Orange brown - Type II
The tips of the foliate ornaments break the the white curved line below "ten cents"
65,000,000 - Double line USPS wmk. - Scott #283 - 1897

How to identify the difference between 282C and 283


283 the leaf enters into the circular frame, 282C it just touches

 
NY Auction Houses
 
MNH
MH
Used
MNH
Graded
Spring 2003
-
-
-
$250
-
Fall 2003
-
-
-
$400
-
Spring 2004
-
$40-$60
$1-$3
-
-
Fall 2004
-
$40-$80
$1-$2
-
-
Spring 2005
$125-$130
$50-$75
$1
$900
-
Fall 2005
$110
$30-$45
$1
$1,350
-
Spring 2006
$900
$25-$55
-
$12,000
98
Fall 2006
-
$35
$1-$4
-
-
Spring 2007
-
-
$1-$10
-
-
Fall 2007
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2008
$100
$35-$40
$1
-
-
Fall 2008
-
$35-$50
< $1
$230
75
-
-
-
$325
80
Spring 2009
-
$25-$75
$1
$21,000
100
Fall 2009
-
$30-$45
$1
-
-
Spring 2010
$125-$260
$45
$1-$2
-
-
Fall 2010
$305-$320
$16-$70
$1-$2
$775
85
-
-
-
$13,500
98
Spring 2011
-
$20-$30
$1-$4
-
-
Fall 2011
-
$35-$75
$2-$5
-
-
Spring 2012
-
-
-
-
-
Fall 2012
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2013
-
-
-
-
-
Fall 2013
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2014
-
-
-
-
-


10c - Orange brown - Type II
VERTICAL WATERMARK
Double line USPS wmk. - Scott #283a - 1897
Spring 2009 - MNH (Graded 100) $21,000
Spring 2011 - MH (Graded 90) $375

Statistics


Issued: November 11th, 1895, earliest recorded date of use, March 13th, 1899.

Plate Size: Sheets of 200 subjects (2 panes of 100)

Printer: The Bureau of Printing and Engraving

Watermark: USPS, double lined, see below

Quantity Issued: 65,000,000

DETAILED FACTS AND FIGURES

The color was changed from the green of #273 to brown to conform to UPU regulations.

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


#283 is hard to find without a heavy cancel (shown above)
Lighter cancels are more desirable.

 

The Inspiration for the Design


The source photograph of Daneil Webster is shown below.

The final design saw Daniel Webster as the chosen subject, a decision made over General Sherman, who was chosen for the 8c design and John Adams. If John Adams had been chosen the stamp would have looked like the illustration below.

 

Varieties to look for


There are no varieties of #283

The Essay's and Proofs

 

283-TC1-black

283-TC1
Trial Color proof
Black

283-TC1 Gray Lilac

283-TC1
Trial Color proof
Grey-Lilac

283-TC1 Sepia US Stamps

283-TC1
Trial Color proof
Sepia

283-TC1-Oive

283-TC1
Trial Color proof
Olive Green

283-P2
Roosevelt Plate Proof on gray backed paper