• Home
  • Stamp Identifier
  • Buy Catalog
  • Quick Navigate
  • About
  • The Swedish Tiger

#147 - 1870 without grill 3ยข

Image

See below for details

Basic Info

3¢ - Green, pale green, dark green, pale green or yellow green

Type of Paper: Hard white wove paper, thin to medium thick
Subject: George Washington
Number issued:
250,000,000
Perforations: 12
Scott #:
147
Printer:
National Bank Note Company
Earliest Documented Use:
March 1, 1870

Value

Used
$1 - $3
No postmark with gum (MH)
$25 - $35
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)

$250- $450

Postal rates at the time

Up to 3000 miles, per ½ oz.: 3 cents
Over 3000 miles, per ½ oz.: 10 cents
Drop letters: 2 cents
Mainly used for domestic first class mail as a result quite commonly found today

Plate #'s

Image

#147 was issued with the following plate #'s

Imprint and plate number
1-11, 25, 29, 31-32, 36-44, 54-55

The design inspiration

Image

Bust of George Washington
by Jean-Antoine Houdon
1785
The source of the design

Printed both sides

Image

Printed both sides
147a

Double Impression

Image

Double Impression
147b

#147 Characteristics

The shades

Image

A shade with a check mark could be #147

The paper

Image

#147 is printed on hard white wove paper, thin to medium thick.

Hard paper was used by the National Bank Note Company and the Continental Bank Note Company. Soft paper was used by the American Bank Note Company,

The hard paper of the Bank Note issues is fairly white, perhaps it might better be called grayish white or sometimes a somewhat bluish white, while the soft paper seems slightly yellowish when compared with the hard paper.

Soft paper has a looser weave and more porous paper than hard paper, so it feels softer, displays a mesh or weave when viewed by holding the stamp between your eyes and light so that you are looking “through” the stamp.

Some people can also ID hard paper be “flicking” the edges and thereby “feeling” the stiffness of the paper versus the feel of soft paper if flicked in the same way. There's more of a snap to the hard paper.

On high magnification the perforation tips on soft paper will have more strands of paper sticking out than hard paper.

Soft paper is fairly dead looking under a long wave UV light ( (briefly and from a reasonable distance in a darkened room) while hard paper reflects more light. If reference copies of stamp designs known only on hard paper or soft paper are viewed under UV light, the difference in paper brightness should be apparent.

For a reference stamp obtain the inexpensive 1861 3¢ (#65), it is only available in hard paper.

Image

A simple test is to hold a stamp to a lamp, you will see the hard paper is more translucent.

The Secret Mark

Image

Look for a shadow of the tail on the upper tail at
bottom left has been strengthened This was a 'secret mark' that identifies #158 if it is hard paper, #184 if it is soft paper and #207 if it is the re-engraved design.

Klan support

Image

A KKK postmark from Wisconsin. These KKK postmarks can be found from all over the US. They are scarce and carry a good value.

Image

The Klu Klux Klan was very much active in the north as well as the south. Above is a 1870 photograph of KKK supporters in the north. In 1870, there was no shame in showing your support for the KKK, hence none of the infamous hoods that were worn years later are in this photograph.

Essay's and Proofs

Image

CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY
Engraved die on proof paper, unadopted design
147-E1

Image

CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY
Essay on India, die sunk on card, unadopted design
147-E1a

Image

CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY
Vignette design of Columbia
Engraved die on India
147-E1A

Image

CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY
Engraved die on India
Die sunk on card
147-E1B

Image

CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY
Engraved die on India
Die sunk on card with Columbia
147-E1C

Image

CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY
Large Die Essay on India with Lincoln
147-E1b

Image

CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY
Engraved die on India
Die sunk on card
147-E2

Image

CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY
Engraved die on India
Die sunk on card, with cut out vignette inserted
147-E3

Image

CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY
Engraved die on India
Die sunk on card
147-E5

Image

CONTINENTAL BANK NOTE COMPANY
Engraved die on India
Die sunk on card
147-E6

Image

NATIONAL BANK NOTE COMPANY
Die on thin white card
Black vignetter, grey-black frame
147-E7

Image

Large Die Essay on Glazed Paper
Incomplete engraving of Washington's bust
147-E8

Image

Die on India
Die sunk on card
147-E12

Image

Essay with safety underprinted network on thick paper
147-E13

Image

Essay on thick paper
147-P13a

Image

Plate Proof on India
147-P1

Image

Die Proof on white wove paper
147-P2

Image

Trial color proof on india
147-TC1

The 1870 series without grill applied - National Bank Note Company

Click a stamp to continue

Image
145
Image
146
Image
147
Image
148
Image
149
Image
150
Image
151
Image
152
Image
153
Image
154
Image
155
Previous Issue
Next Issue