The 5¢ Jefferson is one of the most distinctive stamps of the 1851-56 Issue. It is also one of the most challenging stamps to study. The 1¢, 3¢, 10¢ and 12¢ values have been plated and studied by students and collectors. However, due to the scarcity of large multiples and the unusually uniform plate entries, plating of the 5¢ has been hindered. There has been little attention give to the 5¢ among study groups, in contrast with the 1¢ and 3¢ stamps.
It is unlikely that the 5¢ was specifically intended to prepay the registry fee. The Act of March 3, 1855, provided that “Letters alleged to be valuable posted at one Post Office in the United States, and deliverable at another such office, shall from and after the first day of July 1855 be registered at the office of mailing, on application of the person posting the same, and the payment of a registration fee of five cents.” (Reprinted from Pat Paragraphs, January 1934) However, this fee was usually collected in cash by the sending post office. Payment in stamps for the registry fee was not compulsory until June 1, 1867. There are only two recorded registered usages of the 5¢ stamp. The first is postmarked November 7, 1856. The second was used on July 12; the year date is not known, but it is probably 1856.
The more likely reason for the 5¢ stamp was to pay the Open Mail rate to foreign destinations. Using this rate, covers were sent pre-paying the 3¢ U.S. domestic postage rate, plus the 2¢ “shore-to-ship” fee. The ocean and transit postage to the final destination was collected by the postal authorities in the destination country (see Figure 1 below).
The first official mention of a new 5¢ stamp is in the Travers papers. In a letter dated October 19, 1855, the firm of Toppan, Carpenter & Co. wrote to Third Assistant Postmaster General J. Marron (reprinted courtesy of National Postal Museum and published here for the first time):
Philada. Octo 19, 1855
Dear Sir:
Herewith please receive several impressions (8) of the new 5 Cents Stamp – The plate is now ready for Press and only waiting the decision of the Post Master General as to the color in which he may direct it to be printed – we have made various experiments in colors, and those now sent are among the best that we have produced – You will recollect that we have “used up” all of the best colors on the other stamps – Red, Blue, Green and Black – we are therefore “put to our trumps” to get another variety that will be handsome and give sufficient body to the Stamp – We tried a Yellow, and a straw color, but found that neither of those colors would shew the work at all – the head was almost entirely lost, and the lathe work a confused mass without any clearness and presenting altogether a most unpleasant appearance.
We think the color of Impression of No. 5 will show the work to best advantage, altho this impression (as well as the others,) has been mashed and the work injured by being pressed before the ink was dry.
We would have them reprinted, but we thought that time would be deemed of paramount importance by you.
Be kind enough to return us the impression which is adopted as the color to be used, (at your earliest convenience) and we will immediately proceed to print the stamps.
Very respectfully,
Your Obt Svts
Toppan Carpenter & Co.
A reply was sent a few days later.
October 24th 1855
Messrs. Topan, Carpenter & Co.
Gentlemen:
Your letter of the 19th transmitting 8 impressions of the new five cent Stamps was duly >received and laid before the Postmaster General, who was much pleased with the fine taste displayed in the design and the skill evinced in the execution of the stamp. He adopts your opinion as to the color used for impression No. 5 and requests me to say that you can print 6000 impressions or sheets of 100 each to begin with. I have for lack of skill in designating colors, described that used on No. 5 in a circular, I am about to have printed as a brown, May be it so designed, if not what color is it.
Very Respectfully
Your Obedient Servant,
J. Marron,
3rd Asst. P.M. Gen’l.
This exchange sheds light on the creative process behind the 5¢ Jefferson. It answers several questions, such as when the stamp was designed and printed. However, it raises the question why there is such a significant time lapse between the production approval and the earliest documented use.
Scott Catalogue does not list any essays, and none are known. They list a large die proof (12P1), a die proof on wove (12P2), one large die trial color proof (12TC1, in Black) and eight colors of Trial Color Plate Proofs on wove paper (12TC5). With the issued color constituting a ninth color, there seems to be one listing more than that mentioned in the letter. It is likely that additional colors were printed prior to the October 19, 1855 letter enclosing the eight samples. The Scott Catalogue does not list yellow or straw, and it is possible these early trial colors were destroyed.
With the introduction of perforations in mid-1857, it is likely that the remaining stock of imperforate stamps on hand was put through the perforating machine, as the color on the first perforated stamps matches that of the imperforates. This was common practice for other denominations. Once the remaining stock ran out, other printings in other shades were made. The earliest date of use for the perforated stamps is as follows:
- August 23, 1857 – Red Brown (Scott 28)
- March 31, 1858 – Indian Red (Scott 28A)
- October 6, 1858 – Brick Red (Scott 27)
- March 21, 1859 – Brown (Scott 29)
The earliest date of use of Scott 28b, Bright Red Brown, is not known. It is possible this was an intermediate printing, after the perforated Red Brown was issued and before the Indian Red was issued almost a year later.
The space between stamps proved inadequate for the perforating machine, and a second plate was made in early 1860. According to Elliott Perry, the second plate was made from a six-relief transfer roll. Stamps from this second plate can be easily distinguished from the first, as part of the design at top and bottom has been removed to make room for the perforations (see Figure 5).
There are two colors of the 5¢ from plate 2, as follows:
- Scott 30A – Brown – earliest date of use May 4, 1860
- Scott 30 – Orange Brown – earliest date of use May 8, 1861
When the issue was demonetized in mid-late 1861, large stocks of the perforated stamps from Plate 2 were on hand in Southern post offices and were not returned for destruction, as was the case with supplies in Northern post offices. Quantities of unused stamps are known, including large multiples, particularly of Scott No. 30A.
There are approximately 350 covers recorded with the 5¢ 1856. The chart below shows a breakdown of covers by year of use:
The imperforate 5¢ stamp was most often used to foreign destinations. A total of 92% of all covers were used to foreign destinations. Of these, over 60% were used to France. Another interesting statistic worth noting is that over half of all covers with the imperforate 5¢ originated in New Orleans. Many of these are on business correspondence, particularly to the wine regions.
The perforated 5¢ stamps enjoyed much more widespread use. Like the imperforates, they are often found on covers to foreign destinations. A relatively common but still desirable usage is as a strip of three paying the 15¢ rate to many countries in Europe (see Figure 7).
1. The Chronicle No. 45:14-18. Article by Earl Oakley describing the four different reliefs on the plate used to print the 5¢ 1856.
2. The Chronicle No. 118:109. Short article by Stanley Piller identifying Position 40R1 as having a small double transfer.
3. The Chronicle No. 74:69-73. Article by Philip Baker on previous controversy of why the 5¢ 1856 was originally issued.
4. The Chronicle No. 178:129-136. Article by John Zuckerman titled “An Introduction to a Census of the 5c 1856 Issue”
5. The United States 5¢ Stamp of 1856-1861 by Henry Hill. Published in 1955, this is the only full-length work on the 5¢ stamp, with sections on both the imperforate and perforated stamps. Many of the rarest covers are illustrated in the book.
The Five Cent Stamp of 1856 Chapter X, draft by Richard Frajola, Feb 2012
.com
“The United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856, The Frederick R. Mayer Collection” a New publication from the Collectors Club
The Swedish Tiger’s US Stamp Site An illustrated Guide
Siegel Encyclopedia (1857-60 Issue)
Civil War Timeline, at Siegel Encyclopedia
