FREE: 1861 3¢ Washington, rose - US Scott # 65

The listing, 1861 3¢ Washington, rose - US Scott # 65 has ended.

Use condition.

U.S. #65
Series of 1861-62 3¢ Washington

Earliest Known Use: August 18, 1861
Quantity issued: 1,782,000,000 (estimate)
Printed by: National Bank Note Company
Printing Method: Flat plate
Watermark: None
Perforation: 12
Color: Rose

While mail between the North and South decreased during the war, there was an overall increase in volume as soldiers and their families communicated with each other. The 3¢ Washington stamp satisfied the domestic first class rate for mail sent less than 3,000 miles.

Although a large quantity was printed, the 3¢ Washington stamp was produced with 26 plates. There are also several shades. The rose stamp is used most often on “patriotic” covers. The stamp is also prized for the variety of cancellations used. It’s also found on Prisoner of War and Pony Express covers, which are both scarce and interesting.

The Series of 1861-62
In 1860 and 1861, eleven Southern states left the Union and formed the Confederate States of America, an action that resulted in the beginning of the Civil War. On April 12, 1861, the war erupted at Fort Sumter. Less than two months later, the United States discontinued postal services to the South. However, numerous stamps were still in the hands of postmasters of seceding states. Fearing that these stamps would be sent to the North and sold (thus providing money for the Confederate states) the United States sent a proclamation to all postmasters, requesting that the remainders be sent to Washington. When this order was largely ignored, the government made arrangements for designing new issues and demonetizing the old issues.

The process of demonetizing rendered the old stamps invalid, while at the same time replacing them with the newly designed stamps. The new 1861 stamps were sent to post offices along with a notice that required an exchange period of six days be announced in local newspapers. During the exchange period, old stamps could be exchanged for new ones.