#11A 1851 3¢ Red Brown - Type II
Basic Information
Colors: Dull red, plum
Subject: George Washington
Type: II
Plates: Plates 0, 1 thru 8
Printing Method: die-to-relief-to-plate intaglio engraving process
Printer: Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co.
Perforations: Imperforate
Watermark: none
Scott #: 11A
Quantity Issued: 140,000,000 (11 and 11A)
Issued: October 6th, 1851
Value
An unused stamp with gum: $1,100 - $5,500
A used stamp: $10-$20
Postal Rates
#11A on a Fort Scott, Missouri cover
Domestic Rates
The three cent stamp paid the ordinary letter rate, and two or more would be required on double, triple, etc., letters. The single postage to California was six cents which was the double letter rate. There was also the double rate to California supplied by four three cent stamps, etc. Double rate was defined as a distance exceeding 3,000 miles. A letter weighing less than ½ an ounce was single rate. Each additional ½ ounce was charged an additional single stamp (with the exception of CA, where it would an additional two stamps).
Foreign Rates
The foreign rate was supplied by the 10 and 20¢ rate, so strips or singles of the 3¢ can be found on these as well. At this time pre payment of envelopes was optional. Many chose to have the letter paid for by recipient at the foreign destination.
How to Identify this Stamp
Click the image to enlarge
Ink and the Plate Impression differences
Differences in the Ink
The ink used to print #10’s was a high-quality formula of approximately 80 percent Venetian red (ferric oxide/rust) and 20 percent vermilion (red mercuric sulfide). The ingredients not only gave the ink its distinctive orange brown color, but it also helped produce a superior impression, and its susceptibility to discoloration is very minimal (rust is the result of being exposed to the elements, and it is not susceptible to significant further discoloration). This first ink formula was discarded after about four months in favor of the brownish carmine shade. The reason for conversion to a new ink formula remains the subject of speculation. The iron oxide/vermilion mix certainly was more expensive, but rapid plate wear caused by the mercuric sulfide may have been an additional factor.
Differences in the Plate Wear
Plate wear on this design began to show in the finest lines first. Some #10’s printed from plates 1e and 1i do show significant wear. Severe plate wear on this issue is most evident on examples from plate 1L printed in the late-1854 to early-1855 period.
In the image at left, the #10 shown at top left is an example of a high-quality early impression, while the #11 shown at top right was printed from a severely worn plate, with poor-quality ink. Note the lack of detail in Washington’s head, and the lack of sharpness in the rosettes and especially the tessellated (cross-hatch) work in the #11 impression. The #11 at right was advertised on the Internet as a #10.
Click the images to enlarge
Color differences
The image to the left shows an orange brown #10 overlaid on a sulfuretted (browned) #11.
The color and texture of the ink are key factors in #10 identification. Except for some rare anomalies, the color of #10’s fall into a narrow range of an orange/brown mix. Although this is stating the obvious, many sellers advertise stamps missing orange, brown, or both colors as #10’s simply because their color looks unusual, or deeper, than most 1851-57 3-cent imperforate stamps they’ve seen. The texture of the ink almost always appears thick and rich compared to #11’s similar in color. The #11 at right in the above comparison is of the orange red shade, commonly mistaken for orange brown, but the color looks pale and watered down compared to the #10.
Close examination of the sulfuretted #11 in the high-resolution image of the words ’THREE CENT' above reveals tiny specks of original reddish ink color in the low-relief areas in comparison to the blackened higher-relief areas of the inking. The ink used in #10 printings was not susceptible to significant discoloration from exposure to sulfides, although many #11 inks were.
Stamps are commonly advertised as #10’s because of their dark appearance. Sulfuretted stamps are stamps printed with higher concentrations of ferric oxide in the ink formula that have been discolored by exposure to sulfur dioxides (commonly found in air pollutants). Sulfur dioxide (sulfide) exposure converts ferric oxide (found in Venetian red (ferric oxide/rust)-based pigments) to ferric sulfate (dark brown).
A June cancel confirming the stamp is NOT a #10, but the less valuable #11
#10 with a BLUE Philadelphia date stamp
#11 with a BLACK Philadelphia date stamp
Click the images to enlarge
Cancels
Cancellations can be used in limited cases to help confirm or rule out a stamp as a #10. In the 1850s letters generally were carried by the sender to the post office for mailing, and only the stamps needed for that day’s mailing were purchased,. The stamps were immediately affixed to the letters brought in for mailing. Stamps used more than a few months after distribution to the post office were the exception. The earliest known use of Scott #10 was July 1, 1851. Approximately 98 percent of #10’s were used by the end of May 1852, so any examples dated with a June date stamp are almost certainly #11. There are only a few confirmed contemporary usages of #10s after 1852 (2/10/53, 6/26/54, and one in 1858).
Philadelphia cancels also can be used as dating aids, since Philadelphia abruptly converted from blue to black ink for their cancellation hand stamps on about January 1, 1854. The #11 above, although strong in orange pigment and lacking good plating marks, could not be a #10 because of the black Philadelphia April cancel (and worn-plate impression).
The Inspiration for the Design
The design of US stamp #11A was inspired by a bust of George Washington created by the French neoclassical sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon
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.
Notable Stamps
Cracked Plate
Position 94L5L
Click the image to enlarge
The cracked plate varieties of the US 1851 3¢ Washington stamp were primarily caused by an integral flaw in the steel plate during the manufacturing or printing process. Because these stamps were printed from engraved steel plates that had not yet been hardened, the plates were susceptible to damage from physical stress or manufacturing defects.
The most famous crack associated with this issue was caused by an internal flaw in the steel of Plate 2, which resulted in a crack visible in positions 2L, 12L, 13L, 23L, and 33L. Over time, the crack extended further down the plate to the fourth row.
Plate 5L: This plate is known for a high frequency of defects, containing 6 major and 8 minor cracks.
Notable Positions: 84L, 94L, and 95L.
Characteristics: These cracks often appear as fine or heavy jagged lines, sometimes accompanied by "rust" marks or surface erosion.
Chicago Perforation
Click the image to enlarge
Chicago Perforations were made on the Hadley Perforation Machine, by the businessman R.K. Swift who attempted to sell the perforating machine to Toppan Carpenter. At the time Toppan Carpenter had just purchased the Britiish Bemrose perforating machine, thus they had no need for Swifts machine.
The Chicago Perf. is sometimes known as the 'sewing machine perf'.
Kensington Perforation
The Kensington perforation (often referred to as the Kensington/Philadelphia sawtooth perforation) was a private, experimental separation method applied to the U.S. 1851 3¢ stamp.
Cause and Origin
The primary cause for this and other "unofficial" separations was the inadequacy of existing methods for separating stamps from sheets. In the early 1850s, U.S. stamps were issued without perforations (imperforate), requiring postal clerks and users to:
- Cut them apart with scissors (a slow and tedious process).
- Tear them against a straight edge or metal ruler, which often damaged the stamps.
Because the official Toppan, Carpenter & Co. perforation machines did not begin regular production until 1857, various private individuals and businesses experimented with their own machines to speed up the mailing process.
It is exceptionally rare; only four recorded examples exist, two from Philadelphia and two from Kensington
Bergen Perforation
The "Bergen perforation" (often referred to in philately as the Bergen, New Jersey or Bergen private perforation) was an unofficial, private trial to make separating stamps easier before the U.S. government officially adopted perforating machines.
Cause and Origin
The Bergen perforation was an unofficial attempt by a postmaster or private individual in Bergen, New Jersey, to pre-perforate sheets for public convenience.
It was likely achieved using a sewing machine or a similar spiked-wheel device, resulting in a crude "pin-perforation" appearance rather than the neat round holes seen in later official issues
It is exceptionally rare.
Shades of #11/11A
Dull Red
Claret
Purplish Claret
Deep Claret
Plum
Pinkish
Brownish Carmine
Browni
Brownish Claret
