Questions On #114 & 26(?)

I have a randomly assembled worldwide album, from time to time I decide to keep some for myself (I hardly found some Hungarian classics lately). I went through my trading material, I picked up these two, going to be mounted (cut to size mounts). I don`t have catalogue for US stamps, as I`m not collecting them, but before mounting them would like to get information on them. First is a 114 (?), I learned about this issue, that has grills. I found it, it is quite visible. What can you tell me about grill types on this issue? (I`ve tried to count them, seems to be about 12x11(?) lines of tiny dots...)







The second stamp I keep because of the hand cancel, somehow I like the general aspect of it, colour of ink, etc. But know nothing about the stamp itself. Please inform me, so that they could finally be mounted..

The 114 was issued in March 1869 with the earliest documented use of March 27, 1869. It was normally used to pay the 3 cent per ½ ounce domestic postal rate. The stamp was perf 12 on all sides and was printed intaglio from 300 subject plates in two panes of 150 each separated by a vertical guideline for cutting the sheet into panes. This stamp was printed by the National Bank Note Company of New York.

The grill was a "G" which measured about 9.5 X 9.5mm with 12 by 11 to 11.5 points. The normal color is ultramarine but other color varieties are pale ultramarine, dark ultramarine, blue and violet blue.

The 1869 series was issued under Postmaster-General Alexander Randall and was not well received by the public. On March 5, 1869, John Creswell became the new Postmaster-General and soon after decided to replace this series. The new series was issued, for most values, in March 1870. Since this series was only used for about one year the production numbers were relatively low with about 336 million 3 cent stamps issued.

The second stamp is a Type III Scott 26. This basic design was first issued in 1851 as imperforated. In 1857 the Post Office Department required the perforation of all stamps. The 26 was first issued in late summer of 1857 with the EDU of September 14, 1857. The stamps were printed by Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. by intaglio flat plate in sheets of 200 subjects in two panes of 100 each.

The stamp was perf 15.5 on all sides and was normally used for the 3 cent domestic rate for ½ ounce less than 3000 miles. The stamp's normal color was dull red but numerous shades in claret, rose, brownish carmine, orange red and shade varieties thereof are known.

About 550 million were printed. This stamp was demonetarized in 1861 with the outbreak of the Civil War. The demonetarization occurred over stages and was completed in January 1962.

thank you Russ , great informations (copied, saved, translated, now on index-cards, attached to albumpage). wooow, 336 & 500 million issued. Now I appreciate them even more, as I guess these are very characteristic. Now I wonder, that bw. 1900 and 1945 which two US stamps were produced in largest number?