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STATISTICS
Issued: Scott # 220 Carmine, 22nd February 1890, earliest recorded example 27th February 1890.
Scott # 219D Lake, 22nd February 1890, earliest recorded example is also of this date.
Plate Size: Sheets of 400 subjects (4 panes of 100).
Printer: The American Bank Note Company.
Watermark: None.
Quantity Issued: About six billion in carmine and only 100,000 in the lake color.
Color: Lake (Scott # 219D), carmine, dark carmine and carmine-rose (Scott # 220). The lake shade is distinctively different from all other shades of the 2¢. The stamp was originally issued in lake, however it was so universally disliked by the public at the time, being compared to the color of hosiery, that it was soon changed to carmine.
Common use: The 2¢ Washington paid the first-class rate.
THE INSPIRATION FOR THE DESIGN
The design was taken from the portrait bust of Andrew Jackson by Hiram Powers. Now at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
VARIETIES
On top of the numeral two there is a horizontal extension, or line, commonly known as a “cap”. To properly identify the stamp one should look for these caps.
No caps on either number 2 = #220
Cap on the left number 2 = #220a
Caps on both number 2’s = #220c
Should you find a pair or block with both #220a and #220c you have found a very scarce item. There are examples of caps on the right numeral 2 only, however this is the result of an inking flaw, not a plate flaw.
The image above illustrates a typical printing flaw on the lake color. This lake ink was of a sticky consistency and was difficult to wipe from the plates, hence the large number of ink flaws on this color.
ESSAYS AND PROOFS
American Bank Note Company essays are scarce, the small bureaus being no exception. Shown above are essays on ivory paper. Below are shown proofs of the 2¢.
- Brookman, Lester G., U.S. Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, Lindquist 1966
.comThe Swedish Tiger’s US Stamp Site An illustrated Guide
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