1899 Stamped Washington Envelope ? U387 Missing Three Lines On Both Sides Of "Two Cents"

Can someone please help me figure out if I am identifying this envelope correctly.

Here are my questions:

What type of paper amber, oriental buff, or blue? (My guess is oriental buff)

Is their a variety missing the three lines on either side of the "Two Cents"?

Thank You.







*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***

Appears heavily over-inked in that area. I can barely see the two longer lines.

This may oversimplify the story a bit, but this design was produced in huge quantities requiring many dies. Each slightly different from each other and often re-cut over time. The "Catalog of the 20th Century Stamped Envelopes and Wrappers of the United Stated" published by the United Postal Stationery Society takes nearly 80 pages to describe and illustrate nearly 200 types and sub-types of the recuttings. Essentially EVERY one is a "variety" at this level of detail. Given a small grouping of them, each would be different from the others in some manner - in addition to inking differences!

I agree with John, and would like to add that the catalogs (Scott and UPSS) recognize two groupings at a macro level: the original design (U385) and the recut designs (U395 - consisting of the 200 or so varieties that John mentioned).

Your envelope is in the group of recut designs.

Your envelope's paper is white.

"Is their a variety missing the three lines on either side of the "Two Cents"?"

The answer is yes. The reason for the missing lines could be a die variety or a printing variety. The former are of interest to the specialist, the latter not so much.

Post a monster scan of the indicium and we can maybe figure out which variety you have.