The CBNC initially consisted of the same 11 values as the NBNC. As previously stated the same plates were used by CBNC as NBNC. It is thought that all values were secretly marked to allow the printer to be distinguished. However, secret marks have only been identified on the values through 15 cents and the 30 cent value. Printings of the 24 cent value by CBNC are known to have been issued but only one has ever been certified as being a CBNC printing. That is because it is on ribbed paper and NBNC did not use ribbed paper. In addition to vertically and horizontally ribbed paper, straw and silk papers were used. All CBNC issues except for the 24 and 90 cent values can be found with the J grill. It is suspected that these may be essays and not regularly issue and are quite scarce. The J grill measures 7 by 9.5 millimeters. In 1875, the two cent value was printed in a new color and a five cent value was issued to replace the 6 cent value. CBNC issues are generally on white wove paper that is thin to thick. The 1875 values are on yellowish wove paper. In 1875, the CBNC produced special printings on hard, white wove paper without gum. The initial issue reproduced the original 11 values, while the second issue reproduced the two new values. Both special printings were on hard, white wove paper without gum.
The subsequent high resolution scans are provided so as you read the text describing the “secret marks” added to numerous denominations by the Continental Bank Note Company, you will have an example to refer to (scans by J.H. Barwis, montage by C.J. DiComo). Please click the image to enlarge.
One Cent Franklin
The Continental Banknote Company
The CBNC printing can be found on hard or soft white wove paper as well as ribbed and silk paper. The color remained ultramarine, with a pale ultramarine shade as well as gray blue and blue shades found. It contains a secret mark in the first ball directly to the left of the number 1 that allows it to be distinguished from the NBNC printing. Its earliest known use, of the approximately 780 million CBNC one cent stamps, is 22 August 1873. Black, blue, purple, magenta, ultramarine, red, orange, brown and green cancellation can be found.
In 1875, a special printing was produced in ultramarine. The Continental Bank Co. separated these by the use of scissors.
A marble bust by Powers was used as the basis for the two cent Jackson stamp. It was printed in a shade of brown by the NBNC and CBNC. In 1875, the CBNC changed the color to vermilion and the ABNC continued with vermilion when they assumed the contract in 1879.
The Continental Banknote Company
In 1873, when the CBNC took over the stamp printing contract a brown shade vice a red brown shade was employed. A secret mark has been identified in the scroll above the U of U. S. POSTAGE. On CBNC printing there is a joining of the scroll line and the vertical shading line. On NBNC printings the lines don’t join and there is less color in the area. The two printing can pretty readily be identified by color with the CBNC printings being a shade of brown and the NBNC printings being a shade of red brown. Black, blue, magenta, purple, red, orange and green cancellations have been found. Approximately 112 million were produced and can be found on ribbed and silk paper as well as wove paper.
In 1875, the color was changed to alleviate confusion with the ten cent value. The seven cent rate was made obsolete by the UPU treaty and vermilion which was use for the seven cent stamp was now available for use on the two cent stamp. Approximately 279 million of the vermilion shade were produced with an earliest known use of 15 July 1875. Black, blue, purple, magenta and red cancellations are known.
In 1875, a special printing of the two cent Jackson was produced in dark brown. A carmine vermilion version of the vermilion shade was also produced in 1875. Both special printing were printed on hard paper, without gum.
Houdon marble bust was the source for the Washington design. Originally, Washington was the subject for the three cent stamp. However, in 1883 Congress lowered the rate to two cents and the two cent Washington was introduced to ensure that a stamp bearing Washington portrait was available for the first class rate. The ABNC was the only printer to produce two cent Washingtons.
All three banknote companies produce three cent Washingtons in shades of green. The ABNC also produced one in vermilion.
The National Banknote Company
The without grill version of the three cent Washington has an earliest known use of 1 March 1870. It was printed in green with pale and dark green shades also found. About 1.2 billion were issued. Cancellations can be found in black, blue, purple, magenta, brown, red, ultramarine and green.
The grilled version also in green with pale, yellow and deep green shades has an earliest known use of 24 March 1870. It can be found with both the H and I grills. Approximately 50 million were printed. Black, blue, purple, magenta, red, orange, brown and green cancellations have been found.
The Continental Banknote Company
The CBNC printed a little over 2.6 billion three cent Washingtons in green. Bluish, yellow, dark yellow and dark green shades have identified. A secret mark identifies the CBNC printing from the NBNC printings. The lower edge in the upper tail of the ribbon on the left side has heavy shading obliterating the lower white outline. Cancellations in black, blue, magenta, purple, ultramarine, red, orange and green are found. In addition to wove paper the three cent Washington can be found on ribbed, silk and straw paper.
In 1875, a special printing was prepared in blue green.
In 1883, the four cent Jackson was the last value added to the Banknote series to pay the double weight letter rate. It was only printed by the ABNC.
Unlike most of the other portraits in the banknote series, the five cent Taylor is based on a daguerreotype. No NBNC five cent stamps were produced. The need for a five cent stamp was created with the advent of the UPU in 1875. The rate to foreign countries, who were members of the UPU, was set at five cents; and, therefore the need for a five cent value was created. In 1879, when ABNC took over the printing contract the five cent Taylor continued to be produce until it was replaced by the five cent Garfield.
The Continental Banknote Company
Starting in 1875, the CBNC produced the five cent Taylor in blue, with bright and light blue and greenish blue shades also identified. Its earliest known use is 12 July 1875 and is found on ribbed and silk as well as wove paper. Approximately 38 million were issued. Black, blue, purple, magenta, ultramarine and red cancels have been found.
A special printing in bright blue was also produced in 1875, only nine copies exist.
A presidential assassination gave rise to the five cent Garfield which replaced the five cent Taylor in 1882. The plan was to issue the stamp in black but President Garfield’s widow objected to the stamp in black and suggested brown. Again, like the five cent Taylor the design was based on a photograph. Thus both five cent stamp subject portraits were derived from photographs instead of marble bust like all other portraits in the series.
A marble bust by Volk became the model for the portrait of Lincoln on the six cent bank notes which were printed by all three companies.
The Continental Banknote Company
The CBNC version is dull pink with a brown rose shade also noted. The first four vertical shading lines in the left ribbon were strengthen as a secret mark. Color is also a good identifier in distinguishing the CBNC printings from NBNC printings. In addition to wove paper, ribbed and silk papers were also used. However, the paper must be checked to ensure a CBNC printing is not an ABNC printing. Around 47 million were printed by CBNC on hard, double, ribbed and silk paper. Cancels in black, blue, magenta, purple, ultramarine, red and green are found. The earliest known use is 24 July 1873.
In 1875, a special printing in dull rose was issued.
The original requirement for the banknote series did not include a seven cent value. However, in 1870, a treaty with the North German Confederation was concluded which allowed letters by direct steamer at seven cents. This rate was reduced to six cents the following year, but a new seven cent rate to Germany and Austria by Prussian closed mail via England took effect on 1 October 1871. Later the rate to Denmark (1872), Hungary and Luxemburg (1873) were set at seven cents. The seven cent stamp became obsolete in 1875 with the establishment of the UPU. The seven cent Stanton was only produced by the NBNC and CNBC.
The Continental Banknote Company
A secret mark distinguishes CBNC printings from NBNC printings. The secret mark is two semi-circles that a drawn around the lines outlining the ball in the lower right hand corner. The color was orange vermilion with a vermilion shade also noted. It is estimated that the same number of CBNC stamps, a little over 2.8 million, were issued as the NBNC issued without grill. Ribbed and silk papers were used in addition to the wove paper. Cancels of black, blue, purple, ultramarine and red can be found.
In 1875, a special printing was produced in reddish vermilion.
The marble bust by Powers serve as the model for the ten cent Jefferson. The ten cent value was printed by all three banknote companies.
The Continental Banknote Company
The CBNC version earliest known use is 2 August 1870. There is a secret mark, a crescent, in the right hand ball below U.S. POSTAGE. Brown is the primary color with dark and yellow brown shades as known. In addition to wove paper, ribbed and silk papers were also used in printing the ten cent Jefferson. Black, blue, purple, red, magenta, orange, brown and green cancels can be found. Approximately 30 million were printed.
In 1875, a special printing was made in pale brown.
The model for the twelve cent Clay was a bust by Hart. The Clay was only printed by the NBNC and the CBNC; however, the ABNC did produce a special printing.
The Continental Banknote Company
The CBNC version can be identified by the shape of the ball of the 2 in the value. The CBNC version is crescent shaped while the NBNC version is round. Ribbed paper as well as wove paper was used in producing this stamp. The earliest known use of CBNC stamp is 3 January 1873. It was printed in a blackish violet. About 3 million were printed. Black, blue, ultramarine, brown and red cancels have been found.
In 1875, a special printing was released in dark violet.
Clevenger bust server as the model for the fifteen cent Webster stamp. All three banknote companies produced Webster stamps.
The Continental Banknote Company
The CBNC produced their version in yellow orange with pale and reddish orange shades also identified. No definitive secret mark has been agreed upon, so color is usually used to distinguish between CBNC and NBNC printings. The lines in the triangles on all corners of the stamp are sometimes used to determine the printer, with the CBNC printings being less sharp or the area is white, but a worn plate NBNC plate can exhibit the same lack of detail. Again about 535 million were printed. Black, blue, purple and red cancellations are found. Silk and vertical ribbed paper in addition to wove paper were used to print the fifteen cent Webster.
In 1875 a special printing in bright orange was produced.
The design for the twenty-four cent Scott was taken from a bust by Coffee. The twenty-four cent value is probably the rarest of the banknote series. While it was printed by the NBNC and CBNC all but one copy has been identified as a NBNC printing.
The ABNC only provided a special printing.
The Continental Banknote Company
The CBNC did print the twenty-four cent stamp. Only one has been certified and that is because it is on vertically ribbed paper which only the CBNC used. No secret mark has been identified and color would be a questionable method based on the fugitiveness of the purple ink. While it is known that 365,000 CBNC printed stamps were provided, 364,950 were destroyed as remainders in 1885. Whatever happened with the CBNC stamps will probably always remain a mystery.
In 1875, the CBNC produced a special printing in dull purple.
The thirty cent Hamilton was produced by all three bank note companies based on a marble bust by Cerrachi.
The Continental Banknote Company
The thirty cent Hamilton produced by the CBNC is in a grayish or greenish black on wove paper. It can also be found on ribbed or silk paper. A secret mark can be found in S of CENTS. The upper triangle protrusion on the S is broader than on the NBNC printing. Approximately 2 million were produced with an earliest known use of 30 October 1874. Black, purple, blue, red, brown and magenta cancellation have been found.
In 1875, a special printing in greenish black was issued.
The high value in the series was based on a statue by Walcott. It was initially printed in shades of carmine by all three banknote companies before the ABNC changed it to purple late in the series.
The National Banknote Company
The NBNC produce a ninety cent version with the H grill in carmine or dark carmine. About 28,000 were produced. Black, blue and red cancels are known.
A version without grill was also produced with an earliest known use of 1 September 1872. There is no identified secret mark so distinguishing NBNC printings from CBNC printings has to be done by color. Those that appear to have a bluish tint are generally regarded as being produced by the NBNC. Approximately 185,000 were produced. Black, blue, purple, magenta, green and red cancel have been found.
The Continental Banknote Company
The CBNC printed the ninety cent in rose or pale rose carmine. Those that have a yellow tint are generally attributed to the CBNC vice the NBNC. An estimated 197,000 were issued. Black, blue, purple and red cancels are known.
In 1875, a special printing was produced in violet carmine.
- Scott Specialized Catalogue of U. S. Stamps and Covers, 1999
- The 19th Century Postage Stamps of the United States, Vol 2, Brookman, 1947
- The Micarelli Identification Guide to U. S. Stamps, Micarelli, 1991
- The Banknote Issues of the United States Stamps 1870-1893, Brookman, 1941
- Cancellations and Killers of the Banknote Period: 1870-1894, Cole, 1995
- United States Two Cent Red-Brown of 1883 to 1887, 2 volumes, Willard, 1970
- The United States Three Cent Green: 1870 to 1887, Wiley
- U. S. 1887 3c Vermilion, Davis, 1922
- The Seven Cent Vermilion United States, Sampson
- The United States Fifteen Cent Stamp of 1870 to 1890, Weiss, Jr, 1995
.comThe Swedish Tiger’s US Stamp Site An illustrated Guide
Secret Marks of the Bank Note Issues
