1870-71 6¢ Lincoln - U.S. #148

U.S. #148
1870-71 6¢ Lincoln
National Bank Note Printing

Earliest Known Use: March 28, 1870
Quantity issued: 25,837,000 (estimate)
Printed by: National Bank Note Company
Method: Flat plate
Watermark: None
Perforation: 12
Color: Carmine

The 1870-71 6¢ stamp portrays Abraham Lincoln, one of America's most revered presidents. Before his political career, Lincoln held various occupations, including managing a country store, serving as an assistant county surveyor, and acting as the postmaster of New Salem, Illinois.

Bank Notes 1870-1888

Following the public dissatisfaction with the 1869 Pictorial series, the Postmaster General initiated the issuance of new stamps. Addressing complaints of small, unattractive, and inferior-quality stamps, the new series featured larger, higher-quality stamps with new designs. Profiles of famous deceased Americans became the subject matter, earning the series the nickname "Bank Note" stamps.

Printed by three prominent Bank Note companies – the National, Continental, and American Bank Note Companies – the series exhibited variations as the printing contract shifted between companies. Each company's stamps featured slight variations, contributing to the complexity of identification.

Despite the intended four-year production of the Pictorial stamps, they were withdrawn from sale after a year. However, the National Bank Note Company still had three years remaining in their contract, producing stamps with and without grills.

In 1873, the contract transitioned to the Continental Bank Note Company, utilizing "secret marks" to distinguish their plates and stamps from previous issues. The American Bank Note Company later acquired Continental, printing stamps on softer paper compared to previous productions.

Color variations, secret marks, and paper types aid in identifying the different varieties of these classic stamps, making them a fascinating area of philately.

(Photo is of Actual Product)