The 1847 10¢ Issue

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Unlike the printings of the 5¢ 1847 stamp, the four printings of the 10¢ are not as academically important since there is no contention as to whether the plate was re-worked, had re-entries made or was cleaned. These actions, presumed to have been performed on the 5¢ plate, have changed the characteristics of the 5¢ stamps appearance. This did not occur on the 10¢ plate. The 10¢ deliveries are almost completely indistinguishable from one another. The range between the first delivery and the fourth delivery is very narrow and barely perceptible. The first and foremost reason is the composition of the ink. They were likely carbon-based pigments, similar to carbon black. Unlike the pigments of the 5¢ stamp, the 10¢ inks were certainly not abrasive. The second reason for lack of plate wear is that only 1,050,000 stamps were made from the 10¢ plate. That is less than 25% of the 4,4000,000 stamps for the 5¢ stamp. As a matter of fact, if the 5¢ plate had made only 1,050,000 stamps, production would have stopped during the second delivery. Thus, there would be only excellent impressions known from the 5¢ stamp as well.

Elliott Perry was able to plate all 200 positions of the 10¢ stamp. Because of the non-abrasive nature of the black ink and its sharp contrast on the paper, the nuances of each impression rendered them distinguishable. There are four double transfers and many well-known varieties from this plate.The 1847 issue was demonetized on July 1, 1851, and replaced by new stamps and new postal rates. The contract to print the new issue was not awarded to Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson, who retained ownership of the 1847 printing plates and dies.

It is believed this absence of government control over the printing media caused the 1847 issue to be demonetized. From this point onward, all printing contracts provided for government possession of the all plates and dies.N.B. It is often citied via Luff and Brookman that, in New York in December 1851, “printing plates of 100” were destroyed by the government. While a destruction may have occurred, it would have had to been of “plates of 200”, as that was how the two plates had been laid down. W.E.S.

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Helpful Links
The Swedish Tiger’s US Stamp Site An illustrated Guide
Siegel Encyclopedia – 1847 Issue
The 1847 Issue – A Brief Synopsis , by Calvet M. Hahn
An 1847 Cover to Think About, by Calvet M. Hahn
Certifiably Genuine? : Even The Experts Can—And Do—Change Their Minds, by Calvet M. Hahn
1847 Issue – Reexamining the Colors Part 1, by Calvet M. Hahn
1847 Issue – Reexamining the Colors Part 2, by Calvet M. Hahn
1847 Issue – Reexamining the Colors Part 3, by Calvet M. Hahn
1847 Issue – Reexamining the Colors Part 4, by Calvet M. Hahn
1847 Issue – Reexamining the Colors Part 5, by Calvet M. Hahn
1847 Issue – Reexamining the Colors Part 6, by Calvet M. Hahn
1847 Issue – Cross-Border Postal History Part 1, by Calvet M. Hahn
1847 Issue – Cross-Border Postal History Part 2, by Calvet M. Hahn
1847 Issue – Cross-Border Postal History Part 3, by Calvet M. Hahn

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