The 1898
reprints of
10X1 and 10X2 were made from the
same plates as the original stamps. They were printed on two
types of paper; a Rhode Island variety and a New York variety.
The stamps were engraved on a copper plate
containing 12 stamps. Each plate contained
eleven 5c stamps and
one 10c stamp in the upper right hand corner. They
were engraved directly on the plate, thus each stamp position
differs slightly from the others. There is no period
after
CENTS
on the 10 cent issue and positions 4, 5, 6, 9, 11 and 12 of the
5c issue. The original 1846 issues are worth more used than in
mint condition. The reprints were not issued for postal usage.
Most of the reprints have
a letter on the back; either B, O, G, E, R, T, D,
U, R, I, or N. Some of the reprints did not receive the letters
on the reverse. The stamp above has the letter B
as shown on the reverse scan.
There were several
facsimile (fake) prints of these stamps, the most famous
being the Geneva facsimiles. The printing on the
facsimiles is generally courser and they were sold with
cancellations strategically covering the obvious defects. The
Facsimile stamp issues also tended to have heavy borders on all
four sides. The originals and the
1898 reprints
have heavy borders only on the
right and bottom edges as can be
seen from the example above.
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