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#186 - 1879 Soft Paper 6ยข

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Basic Info

6¢
Pink, dull pink, brown-rose

Type of Paper: Soft porous paper
Subject: Abraham Lincoln
Number issued:
23,650,000
Perforations: 12
Scott #:
186
Printer:
American Bank Note Company
Earliest Documented Use:
April 18th, 1879

Value

Used
$2 - $5
No postmark with gum (MH)
$100 - $300
Full perfect gum, no postmark
no trace of stamp hinge mark (MNH)

$4,000 - $5,000

Plate #'s

#186 was issued with the following plate #

Imprint and plate number
305

There are no plate blocks recorded

The design inspiration

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Bust of Abraham Lincoln
by Leonard Volk

NYC Foreign Mail

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Foreign mail from NY, NY received a a special foreign mail cancel. Always circular and always with geometric designs. As the 6¢ was the rate for most foreign mail you would most likely see these cancel here. Some of the cancels are rare and have value to them. To find out more search here or here

#186 Characteristics

The paper

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186 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 strengthening of the first four lines on the lower tail of the left ribbon This 'secret mark' is visible on #186

Essay's and Proofs

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186-E1b
Die essay on proof paper, printed through a mat, mounted on card

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186-E2b
Plate essay on stamp paper, perf 12

The American Bank Note Company 1879 series

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