This stamp was not issued, it was produced as a sample for the Post Office Department. It probably reached collectors via postal officials. It is considered to be an essay by many, including Scotts which has reclassified it as #72-E7h.

A - The August issue has above the ribbon with US POSTAGE, frame lines that meet in an obtuse angle made by parallel lines of color separated by a white space about one half millimetre wide. On #72 a strong point of color was added at the apex of the lower lines of the angle and a series of little dashes drawn through the center of the white space making a broken line of color between and parallel to the other lines On many of the stamps this broken line is too faint to be seen but the colored point usually stands out clearly

B - The leaf beside the u in the lower left comer has been recut and now has vertical instead of horizontal lines of shading.

The paper of the premieres gravures is very thin hard and extremely brittle. The stamps are easily cracked unless handled very carefully. The paper is also quite transparent and much of the designs may be seen from the backs of the stamps.

The gum is very dark brown sometimes staining the paper.

The colors are very dark and rich and the ink heavily applied occasionally giving a blurred appearance though as a rule the impressions are very fine and clear.