dittrich, I'm not certain what you are asking. Scott 184 was issued the year after your cover. The stamp is likely 158 (with, it looks like, the secret mark.)
Transillumination (lighting through the stamp) will not work while the stamp is on cover. The paper of the envelope will interfere. However, certain surface characteristics, and the condition of the perforation holes, suggests that the stamp on this cover is on the "intermediate paper" used by Continental late in its tenure of the contract.
Intermediate paper - this is paper with a different kind of sizing agent than so called "hard paper." The fabric of this paper is not as dense as hard paper. It was used by Continental from about 1877-1879, and continued to be used by the American Bank Note Company when Continental became part of American. Covers on this paper dated before February 4, 1879 (the date of the merger) are attributed to Continental, even though the paper was used by American for a short time. Nonetheless, the intermediate paper is a type of soft paper, and is classed as a #184. All this is recognized by the editors of Scott's U.S. Specialized catalog who list the earliest documented use of #184 as July 2, 1878. There is an extensive note in the catalog explaining this situation. However, the album makers have not kept up with this detail, which adds to a confusion about paper type.
Let me add that your cover is a nice example of this special subject, and I am sure it is satisfying to have something that bridges a gap in the study of the different papers used by these companies.
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Posted 10/23/2015 7:48 pm
