#64b 1861 3¢ Rose-pink
Basic Information
Color: Rose-pink
Subject: George Washington
Printing method: line-engraved intaglio on flat plates
Printer: The National Bank Note Company
Perforations: 12
Watermark: none
Scott #: 64b
Quantity issued: not known
Issued: August 17th, 1861
Value
An unused stamp with perfect gum: $425-$1,600
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: $250-$1,200
A used stamp: $30-$100
Rose-Pink
Rose-pink
Usage
#64b on a first day cover 1861 cover, dated August 17th, 1861
#64b was primarily used to pay the standard 3-cent domestic letter rate for mail weighing up to 1/2 ounce. As the most common postage stamp of its era, it was heavily used throughout the Civil War period for first-class mail.
Domestic Letter Rate: The most frequent use was for standard mail traveling distances over 3,000 miles (or any distance once the uniform rate was established in 1863).
Multiples for Higher Rates: These stamps were often used in multiples to pay for heavier letters or for international mail destinations requiring higher postage..
Civil War Soldiers' Mail: It was widely used by Union soldiers to send letters home, though soldiers were also permitted to send mail "postage due" if no stamps were available.
The Inspiration for the Design
Houdon’s bust
Montgomery Blair
Portrait Source
Houdon created the original bust from a plaster life mask and wet clay models during a 1785 visit to Mount Vernon at the invitation of Benjamin Franklin. It is considered one of the most accurate representations of Washington.
Artistic Elements
The stamp depicts Washington in profile facing left, with his hair tied back and his shoulders draped in a Roman toga.
Montgomery Blair
A notice went out to Postmasters declaring that they could exchange the Montgomery Blair was the Postmaster General at the time. He was an ardent and loyal Lincoln supporter. He was enthusiastic in his drive to deprive the South of both a mail service and Federal Stamps. His haste only led to delays in the transition and the birth of various schemes by entrepreneurs to profit from the change. He was fortunate in that new designs had already been prepared before his tenure, and thus he was able to implement his plans a little more quickly than possible.
Encased Stamps
Currency Substitute
Stamps were encased in brass and mica holders during the US Civil War (1862) to serve as durable, small-denomination emergency currency (commonly 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, or 25¢). This innovation by John Gault addressed a severe, wartime coin shortage caused by citizens hoarding gold and silver, while allowing businesses to make change and advertise their services.
Crossing the Mason-Dixon line
Dealing with the Confederacy
Union authorities assumed that a large number of the 1856 3¢ issue remained unaccounted for in the hands of Confederate Postmasters. To prevent fraudulent use of these stamps, Congress authorized the design and production of the 1861 3¢ to replace the old stamp design as soon as possible.
A notice went out to Postmasters declaring that they could exchange the old design for the new design, but they only had seven days to do so. After that point, all the old designs would be demonetized and therefore of no value. This notice was an abject failure, and the period of grace was twice extended, all the way up to November.
Some of the border states of the confederacy kept the stocks of the new design. Although invalid in the Southern States, they were happy to sell at 50¢ on the dollar to postmasters in Union Kentucky.
The Postmaster General declared that no mail from the North would be delivered to the South by the US Postal Service. This did not sit to well with the southerners. It prompted two companies in Kentucky to start a roaring business delivering mail across the border. These companies then smuggled guns, slaves, and all sorts of contraband during the course of the civil war. These companies were Whitesides and The Adams Express, an example of a mail from each is shown here.
The various 1861 3¢ stamps
Pink
(#64)
Pigeon Blood Pink
(#64a)
Rose-pink
(#64b)
Rose
(#65)
