Quick Trivia Question Contest

Which 19th century US stamp(s) contains one printer's company name in the design and another printer's company name in the salvage?

First person to answer in this thread with the correct Scott catalog number wins the nice, clean, mint, sharp cornered UX6 postal card as shown here (CV $35.00)


Don

was thinking Ben Franklin but don't think his name appears on stamp until scott 300 in 1902....

My bad... clarified question from 'printer's name' to 'printer's company name'
Don

The first thing that came to mind last night was Scott 3 and 4 which have the Printer's initials in the design but I could not find any image or reference to the BEP imprint in the selvedge.

Anyone?

PR33-56

National and American Bank Note Companies.

PR33-56 do not have the print company name in the stamp design?
Don

PR 57-79

I am not seeing it or am misunderstanding.

I am not seeing the printing company's name in the stamp design (N4 - N14) for PR 57-79 either.
Don

PR5,6,7.

Continental using National.

Answer = #OX2 - #OX4

Using a bit of artistic license for the term 'stamp' (perforated, gummed, and used on mail), I think this is a unique occurrence for a US stamp…

On March 16, 1877 the first official seal of the U.S. Post Office Department was delivered to the Dead Letter Office (#OX1). The label features the head of Liberty in its central vignette and can be distinguished by the words "Post Obitum" repeated in the background (literally meaning "after death"). It was printed by the National Bank Note Company and this is incorporated into the stamp design in the bottom frame.

But by 1879 the USPOD needed a less specific design because local postmasters were finding it impractical to forward every piece of problem mail to the Dead Letter Office in Washington. The postmasters and the USPOD realized that much of the problematic mail could be delivered if the official seals were distributed to the post offices themselves. The previous background design was changed away from the Dead Letter reference "Post Obitum" and to a lace pattern.

Also by 1879 Congress had driven the merger of the security printer companies, including National, into a single entity; the American Bank Note Company. But while the National Bank Note Company name remained in the lower border, they added 'American Bank Note Company' to the salvage as shown above.
Don

Great stuff Don! I broke a sweat looking for the answer. I can relax now.

Pr 5, 6, 7 were printed in 1875




Name of printer in lowest color line below white ribbon. Continental (re)printed the National plates. If you click on the image it will enlarge somewhat.

Beats the OX by two years and these are stamps.

Marginal inscriptions of Pr 5, 6, 7...



Don

Finally I get the "National Bank Note Company, New York" to show such that it can be read in the image.

EDIT: NOT THAT IT MATTERS