The Winton M. Blount Postal History Symposia - Smithsonian ...

1 0 2 • s m i t h s o n i a n c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o h i s t o ry a n d t e c h n o l o g yFigure 8. J39 bisect cover by the postmaster of Jefferson. This cover is now cover No. 14 inPauley’s arbitrary numbering scheme. From the collection of Harry K. Charles, Jr.of the Jefferson, Iowa CDS and a circular bars cork cancelin black ink. Further details of this cover and the othertwelve covers reported by Pauley are given in notes 11 and12, as well as in the other articles by Pauley.There is a fourteenth cover which was unknown toPauley, at least through November 1990, the date of hislast article. This cover is shown in Figure 8. As can beseen from Figure 8, the cover is very similar to the one inFigure 7 except it is addressed to J. M. Alexander, ratherthan George Herring. Only Pauley covers Nos. 1, 2, and13 were distinctly different. Cover No. 1 is on a wrapperin the Miller Collection; cover No. 2 is addressed to adifferent town and resides in the Pauley Collection; andcover No. 13 is again a wrapper addressed to BenjaminJacques, the same addressee as on Pauley No. 1. It is believedthat all the Jefferson, Iowa, bisect covers exceptPauley’s No. 1, No. 2, and No. 13 were prepared by E. B.Stillman and sent to himself, his family, and co- workers,employees, or friends. Apparently, Stillman recognizedthe importance of the locally prepared bisect and preparedcovers which would require McCarthy to use oneof his newly created “rarities.” In fact, it is likely thatthe newspaper print shop run by Stillman’s sons did theprinting. The back stamps on cover “No. 14” (maintainingPauley’s numbering scheme) are almost identical tothe markings on the back of the cover shown in Figure 7(Pauley No. 5). The back stamps on the cover in Figure 7are described in the text above.There are five Stillmans, four Herrings, two Jacques,and, now, two Alexanders among the Jefferson, Iowa, covers.There are also eight left- side bisects and only six rights.As can be easily seen in Figures 7 and 8 , the commonlyreferred to “Due 1 cent” was actually “Due I cent” apparentlydue to the typesetter’s error in selecting an uppercase “I” instead of a “1” in the type face used. 13 The blacksurcharge is approximately 2.5 mm high by 17 mm long.A Clinton, Iowa, bisect is shown in Figure 9, againthrough the courtesy of Dr. Clarke Yarbrough. The diagonalbisect is hand- stamped “Due 1” in black ink and wascancelled on February 14, 1896, Valentine’s Day.SummaryUnited States stamp production was unexpectedlytransferred from the American Bank Note Company tothe Bureau of Engraving and Printing in 1894. The BEPhad little experience with stamp production and lackedcritical machinery necessary to produce postage stamps.Up to 1894, it was strictly focused on producing currency.Although the BEP mounted Herculean efforts, there weremany start- up problems including maintaining inventory,lack of distribution infrastructure, and general issues associatedwith the learning curve of a new business. Suchproblems led to spot stamp shortages especially in smalltowns and rural areas. In certain instances, postmasters