Thanks to a friend, I got the link bellow that explains everything.
http://www.jlkstamps.com/webpage/index1.htm"On 1 JUL 1862, the CSA discontinued the 5c rate. Therefore, there was no further need for 5c stamps. The CSA government asked that De La Rue in London supply plates for a 10c stamp. Since there was a severe time constraint implied, De La Rue in order to save time took the original die for the 5c Jefferson Davis stamp and simply changed the value tablet from 5c to 10c and constructed an altered plate of 400 subjects in 4 panes of 100.
Since there was no need for a 1c stamp as there was no 1c rate, the CSA government also asked De La Rue for a 2c plate. De La Rue did the same thing with the 1c John C. Calhoun stamp and changed the value tablet on the original die to 2c and constructed a second altered plate of 400 subjects in 4 panes of 100.
These two altered plates were shipped through the blockade to Richmond. De La Rue did not print any stamps from these plates. When the plates arrived in the Confederacy, they were shelved and never used by the CSA government. The CSA government never printed any stamps from these altered plates. There is no known specific reason why these plates were never used, but it is known that Postmaster General Reagan was committed to the use of engraved stamps. Since these plates were typographed and not engraved, that is most likely the reason that they were never used. These plates were thought to have been stored at the Archer & Daly printing facility in Atlanta, Ga and were captured by the North with the fall of Atlanta. Or they may have been in Richmond and captured with the fall of Richmond. It is not really known for sure.
The story goes that a federal soldier captured the 10c altered plate and cut the plate up into sections giving them as gifts to friends as a "rebel souvenir." Sections of this altered plate have long been known. In 1896, 500 sheets where known to have been printed in black with proof-like impressions from a section of 70 stamps which for many years was the largest known surviving section. Very recently two additional sections of the plate have since been discovered in private hands both full panes of 100. Now only one pane of 100 remains unaccounted for. Through the years, there have been many printings from various sections of the original plate. One of the ones most commonly seen is a block of 9. There have also been many facsimiles of the 10c altered plate stamp in various colors. They are today quite common and are very often found in older collections and are constantly turning up for sale in dealer's stocks and on places like E-Bay auctions where the seller is unaware of the true history."
Interesting story, I keep Learning everyday.
Posted 08/20/2015 8:13 pm
