Issued: Issued August 12th 1895, Earliest recorded date of use for #276, March 1st, 1896, for #276A, 6th April, 1896

Earliest documented usage of #276A, April 6th , 1896

Plate Size: Sheets of 400 subjects (4 panes of 100). Both #276 and #276A were printed from the same plate. 5 of the 20 rows were #276A

Printer: The Bureau of Printing and Engraving

Watermark: USPS, double lined, see below

Quantity Issued: #276 192,449 and #276A 63,803

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

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.

The $1 issue was primarily used for registered mail,
as shown above, therefore light cancels sell at a premium.

 

The original 1870 design of Perry was based on Walcotts bust, of which I am unable to find an image. Below is shown a similar marble bust of Perry by Erastus Dow Palmer, a contemporary of Walcott.

Shown below is a version, that very nearly made it as the default Jefferson bust to be used. Next to it is one of the many essays of the final 1870 version.

Commodore Matthew Perry (1794 -1858)

There are no varieties of #276 or $276A

There are no proofs or essays of #276 or #276A