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#184 - 1878 Soft Paper 3ยข

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Basic Info

3¢
Green, dark green, light green

Type of Paper: Soft porous paper
Subject: George Washington
Number issued:
250,000,000
Perforations: 12
Scott #:
184
Printer:
American Bank Note Company
Earliest Documented Use: July 2nd, 1878

Value

Used
25¢ - 75¢
No postmark with gum (MH)
$12 - $25
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)

$100 - $150

Plate #'s

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#184 was issued with the following plate #'s

Imprint and plate number
Continental Banknote Co.
292, 309, 310

American Banknote Co.
311- 312, 321-324, 329-330, 334-335, 340-341A, 342-343, 345-350A, 351-352, 357-58

First day issue

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A first day issue cover of #184, July 2nd, 1878

The design inspiration

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

Double Impression

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Double Impression
184b

#184 Characteristics

The paper

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#184 is printed on soft porous paper.


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.

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

The Secret Mark

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Look for a shadow of the tail on the upper tail at the bottom left has been strengthened. This 'secret mark' is visible on #184

A full pane

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A pane of 100 of #184, there were two panes to a sheet of 200

Essay's and Proofs

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184-E1a
Die essay on pelure paper mounted on soft card

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184-E1b
Die essay on stamp paper

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184-E1var
Die essay with cut out vignette

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184-E2a
Die easy on proof paper

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184-E2b
Die essay on stiff white card

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184-E3
Die Essay on proof paper

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184-E4c
Plate lithograph on stamp paper

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184-E4e
Plate sheet on stiff white wove paper

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184-E4f
Plate sheet on glazed thin white wove paper

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184-E4k
Die essay on proof paper

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184-E4l
Die essay on coloured card

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184-E5a
Die essay on glazed paper
50 x 74mm

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184-E5b
Die essay on proof paper

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184-E5c
Die essay on colored card

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184-E5e
Die essay on proof paper

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184-E5g
Die essay on proof paper

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184-E5h
Plate Essay on Semi-Glazed Yellowish Wove

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184-E5i
Plate Essay on Glazed Yellowish Chemically prepared Wove

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184-E6
Plate essay x 4, mounted on card

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184-E7
Frame with vignette mounted in place, die on card
Note: There is some doubt whether No. 184-E7 exists as a genuine essay

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184-E8var
Coupon essay on bond

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184-E8d
Coupon essay on bond

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Folder for 184-E8

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184-E9
Die essay on India, mounted on card

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184-E10b
Die essay on proof paper

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184-E10c
Die Essay on glazed ivory paper

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184-E11a
Die essay on India paper

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184-E11c
Die essay on ivory glazed paper

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184-E12a
Die essay on India die sunk on card

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184-E12b
Die essay on white glazed paper

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184-E12c
Die essay on India

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184-E12e
Plate essay on Francis patent bluish chemical paper

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184-E13b
Die essay on white glazed paper
62 x 77mm

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184-E13c
Plate essay on India

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184-E13d
Plate essay on India, perf 12

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184-E14a
Plate essay on India, die sunk on card

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184-E14b
Plate essay on ivory glazed paper

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184-E14c
Die essay on proof paper

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184-E15a
Die essay on India

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184-E15b
Die essay on proof paper

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184-E15c
Die essay on ivory glazed paper

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184-E16
Die essay on India die sunk on card

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184-E17a
Die essay on white card

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184-P3
Plate proof on India

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184-P6
Imperf proof on stamp paper

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184-TC6a
Trial color proof on stamp paper, perforated
Ultramarine

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184-TC6d
Trial color proof on stamp paper, perforated
Brown

The American Bank Note Company 1879 series

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