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U.S.A. - 1879 3¢ Justice Department
Official

The United States 1879 3¢ bluish purple George Washington Justice Department Official
stamp (Scott O106) can be hard to find and is a good buy at the 2017 Scott Specialized
Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers value in unused original gum condition and
used condition.
The Official stamps came about as a result of the Act of Congress of March 3, 1873, which
abolished the franking privilege. Stamps for each department of the federal government were
issued July 1, 1873.

The first Official stamps were printed by the Continental Bank Note Co. on thin, hard paper. In
1879, the contract for printing Official stamps passed to the American Bank Note Co. The
stamps produced by the American Bank Note Co. were sometimes in slightly different shades
of color from the 1873 printings, and they were on soft
porous paper.

The 1879 Official stamp issues on soft porous paper can be surprisingly difficult to find. The
Justice Department 3¢ bluish purple George Washington Official stamp (Scott O106) is a good
example. Misidentification is a common problem. The shade of purple is more bluish than the
1873 stamp (Scott O27). The paper is thicker, with a clear weave visible when held up to a
strong light. For soft porous paper examples, compare with the more common Scott O114-
O117.

The 2017 Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers values the stamp
at $190.00 in unused original gum condition and at $125 in used condition.

Examples in grades of fine-very fine or better are hard to find in unused original gum condition
and used condition. Examples in mint never-hinged condition are as scarce as hen’s teeth.
Sound examples in unused original gum condition and in the grade of very fine are worth every
bit of full Scott catalog values. Examples in the grade of F-VF bring 60 percent to 70 percent of
Scott catalog value

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Rodolfo / rtvstamps
Resource: (Linn's Stamps).

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