Need Help Identifying A US Official Stamp.

Hello! Newbie here. Just started a couple months ago so still learning. Wish I would have started this years ago! Anyway, I need help identifying a Department of Interior stamp. I have a few from this set and have yet to see this design anywhere. Thanks in advance!

US Officials are listed in the Scott catalog in the back of the book after the Air Mails, between Postage Due and Parcel Post. Your 24 cent Interior is an O22.

Appreciate it. I wasn't aware they had different designs for the stamps.

Yes, that is an area that the Scott Catalog doesn't to a great job at illustrating each design. The bust of each president/statesman/etc. on each denomination is different, and you can find the same bust pictured on the same denomination of regular postage "banknote" issues from 1870 starting with Scott 134.

There are two main types of paper that were used with the Officials, the most common for most denominations is the original 1873 "thin hard paper". Some of the denominations were later printed on "soft porous paper" and some of them are quite scarce (yet some of the soft paper versions are less expensive than the hard paper). For now you can assume that you have the cheaper variety of the two. After you get enough examples of both paper types you can search this forum for tips on how to compare and tell apart the different paper types.

To expand on ZebraMan's post a bit;
The Official stamps were printed by the Continental Bank Note Co. in July of 1873 on the "Thin Hard Paper". But they also printed on an "Intermediate" paper. These are numbered O1 through O93.
After the February 1879 consolidation of Continental BNC and American BNC, American re-printed 25 stamps on "Soft Porous Paper" numbered O94 to O120.

The 24 cent Interior on soft paper apparently has no known used examples, as indicated by a --- in my 2014 Scott Specialized.

Below is a photo showing O3 on thin hard paper, O3 on Intermediate paper, and O95, the American 3c Agriculture.

Appreciate all the help! There is definitely a lot to learn with stamps. Much more than I thought. I'm having a blast though. Here are examples I just received in a collection.

HWDear, I corrected your quote for accuracy:


Now have fun.

Edit: You cannot learn everything in this hobby, but it is joy trying.