The regular issue post office seals of United States are well-covered in the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps & Covers, so this section will concentrate mostly on some of the more unusual usages, or less commonly seen seals.
Catalog: Scott #OX1P3
Date issued: 1877
Printing: Brown on india paper
Perforation: imperforate
Inscription: "Post Office Department. / OFFICIALLY SEALED. / United States of America / National Bank-Note Company, New York" with Liberty head in central vignette and repeating "POST OBITUM" ("after death") within frame in background
Control Number: none
Description: Plate proof of first issue. Originally prepared for use by the Dead Letter Office, but small quanitites were issued to regular post offices where the seals were used in the same manner as the later ones. The regularly issued perf 12 "Post Obitum" seal, Scott #OX1, is very scarce on cover.
Catalog: Scott #OX2
Date issued: 1879
Printing: Red brown on thin, crisp semi-translucent white paper
Perforation: 12
Inscription: "Post Office Department. / OFFICIALLY SEALED. / United States of America / National Bank-Note Company, New York" with Liberty head in central vignette and "lace" scrollwork background design within frame
Control Number: none
Description: Engraved second issue seal on reverse of 1881 cover from London, England to New York, NY that was incompletely addressed with street name ommitted. Markings on front of envelope include black manuscript "opened by Mr / C.T. Jones 78 Bway" (the wrong addressee), blue double-ring oval "D(irectory).S(earch). / No 1", red oval "NEW YORK POST OFFICE / ADV(ertised). 20 / DUE 1 CENT", and purple straightline "UNCLAIMED". Seal is tied on reverse by black Washington, DC "DEAD LETTER OFFICE / JAN / 30 82" triangle, and is also cancelled with a blue boxed "RECEIVED AT / P.O. N.Y. / UNSEALED" marking. Additional Dead Letter Office of New York datestamp struck on back.
Catalog: Scott #OX4
Date issued: 1881
Printing: Deep brown on thin, hard porous white paper
Perforation: 12
Inscription: "Post Office Department. / OFFICIALLY SEALED. / United States of America / National Bank-Note Company, New York" with Liberty head in central vignette and "lace" scrollwork background design within frame
Control Number: none
Description: Engraved so-called "Special Printing" of the second design type seal.
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- Buying, Selling, & Trading Officially Sealed Mails of the World - |
by T. Hirn
E-mail:thirn@poseal.com
Updated June 9, 2003