119:, printed around 1873 on vertically ribbed paper by the Continental Banknote Company. It is the only known copy of this 24¢ Scott stamp—among the many surviving examples—that can be positively identified as a printing by the Continental firm, and not by the National Banknote Company, which had originally produced this 24¢ issue three years earlier. For more than a century, experts could not determine with certainty whether Continental had ever, in fact, printed its own version of this stamp—or, if it had done so, whether any of the copies it printed survived. Conclusive evidence did not begin to emerge until a collector named Eraldo Magazzu discovered the Lost Continental while examining a lot of old stamps he had purchased in 1967. Much debate and analysis followed before the stamp, on the evidence of its paper-type, was finally certified as authentic by the
153:
least release—its own version at all. The denomination was seldom used, and, in fact, the Post Office discontinued it in 1875, distributing no copies to local post offices after June 30 of that year. Finally, scholars believed (inaccurately) that the total of remaindered 24¢ stamps eventually destroyed by the Post Office virtually equaled the total that had been delivered to it by
Continental. "It is quite possible", wrote Lester Brookman, "that this stamp should be dismissed with the remark made by the old farmer when he first saw a giraffe, which was 'There ain't no such animal.'" Eventually, the Scott Catalogue deleted its entry for the Continental 24¢ issue (as #164), not to restore it until the ribbed-paper copy received certification.
157:
its inventory, and these could have only been copies that the firm printed itself, because it had not yet received any stamps from
National (documents prove that 24¢ stamps from National did not arrive at Continental until a month later). Mooz believes that in subsequent deliveries of 24¢ sheets to the Post Office, Continental intermixed its own printings with sheets it had inherited from its predecessor. During the years of National's contract, the Post Office issued some 1,145,000 24¢ stamps. About ten years after the denomination was discontinued, 364,950 copies were destroyed. It is unknown whether these included any remaining from the original National stocks.
218:
145:, opting to use the old National plates to print these seldom-used stamps in the small quantities that might be needed. As a result, the Continental and National issues of these three values cannot be differentiated by any details of the stamp designs; it is only through examination of ink, perforation characteristics and paper type that the two companies' products can be distinguished from each other. One piece of conclusive evidence is the occasional use of ribbed paper for a stamp, which definitively establishes it as a Continental product, as this paper was never used by National.
29:
152:
The suspicion grew that specific differences could not be found because they did not exist: that all surviving examples were, after all, Nationals; that remaining stocks of these had been so large that
Continental could merely send them to the Post Office as needed, and never needed to produce—or, at
156:
The slim evidence of the 24¢ Continental's existence provided by the ribbed-paper copy was substantially bolstered in 2000, when
William E. Mooz published further proof that Continental indeed printed its own version of the issue. In September 1873, the company had 120,700 of the 24¢ Scott stamps in
148:
Early experts soon found paper or ink characteristics that could clearly identify a 30¢ or 90¢ stamp as either a
National or a Continental. For the 24¢ issue, however (the ribbed-paper copy then being unknown), no clear criteria emerged—partly, perhaps, because the purple inks used by both National
123:
in 1992. How many other copies of this Scott issue (if any) printed on normal paper by
Continental still exist is a question that philatelists believe will never be answered. Despite this uncertainty about the stamp's actual degree of rarity, the Lost Continental sold for $ 325,000 at a Siegel
137:
distribution of
National's existing 1870 definitive stamp series, which included the 24¢ Winfield Scott issue. National turned over the printing plates and dies for all twelve stamps in the issue, and later sold Continental its stocks of finished stamps not yet sent to the U. S. Post Office.
136:
In 1873, the
National Banknote Company, which had been producing U. S. postage stamps since 1861, lost out to the Continental Banknote Company in the bidding for the new contract to produce U. S. postage stamps for the next four years. Accordingly, Continental took over the production and
168:
of an issue—an issue that may still exist in 100,000 or more normal-paper examples—which would make it rare, but not inordinately so. By ironic contrast, only about 2,000 copies were produced of the earliest
National Banknote version of the 24¢ Scott stamp—the issue incised with the H
140:
For the values between 1¢ and 15¢, Continental made new printing plates produced from dies it had slightly altered by adding small "secret marks" to them. By contrast, Continental deemed it unnecessary to alter the designs of the 24¢, 30¢ and 90¢
124:
Gallery auction in
December, 2004 A photograph of the stamp appeared on the front cover of the catalogue for that auction; on page 60 of the catalogue, a photograph of the Lost Continental's back shows the pencil mark "153", a
189:
The United States Post office did not again offer a 24¢ stamp until 1918, when it produced the first airmail issue—which also survives in a rare and valuable variant: the famous
173:(Scott #142). A grilled example of this extremely scarce stamp, postally used, is valued in the Scott catalogue at $ 7,500; no unused example with grill has ever been found.
333:
749:
537:
744:
734:
385:
754:
342:
995:
326:
816:
729:
149:
and Continental were exceptionally susceptible to fading and unpredictable discolorations, resulting in a bewilderingly wide variety of shades.
829:
769:
562:
1065:
1197:
1192:
390:
319:
764:
839:
467:
587:
930:
895:
592:
577:
885:
1095:
966:
905:
673:
395:
1156:
961:
1171:
582:
1105:
1044:
890:
658:
1166:
1115:
1110:
870:
635:
629:
1202:
1136:
640:
613:
597:
431:
291:
1141:
739:
971:
946:
683:
487:
142:
1120:
1100:
1070:
618:
250:
1161:
1060:
824:
800:
557:
696:
1151:
1090:
951:
663:
542:
128:
number that erroneously identifies the stamp as an example printed by the National Banknote Company.
988:
910:
880:
721:
547:
512:
446:
441:
844:
522:
477:
834:
759:
492:
120:
1002:
915:
860:
572:
502:
497:
416:
361:
98:
88:
8:
920:
711:
517:
482:
270:
1146:
774:
552:
507:
421:
623:
375:
297:
287:
170:
1008:
875:
865:
567:
472:
1014:
527:
426:
400:
311:
160:
As a result, the "Lost Continental" must be classified not as a unique surviving
125:
28:
238:
The United States Postage Stamps of the Nineteenth Century, Volume II, 1861–1882
701:
668:
190:
116:
58:
1186:
650:
532:
301:
112:
956:
900:
805:
706:
356:
68:
Unique copy proved to have been printed by the Continental Banknote Company
925:
691:
792:
284:
Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers 2013
451:
750:
Postage stamps and postal history of the Confederate States
745:
List of people on the postage stamps of the United States
735:
Commemoration of the American Civil War on postage stamps
240:(David G. Phillips Publishing Company, North Miami, 1989)
755:
Presidents of the United States on U.S. postage stamps
232:
230:
228:
226:
996:Higgins & Gage World Postal Stationery Catalog
341:
223:
1184:
386:Alexandria "Blue Boy" Postmaster's Provisional
770:U.S. space exploration history on U.S. stamps
327:
33:Die proof of design used to produce the stamp
391:United States postmasters provisional stamps
765:Territories of the United States on stamps
334:
320:
27:
468:All Aboard! 20th Century American Trains
214:
212:
210:
730:Artworks on stamps of the United States
1185:
896:History of United States postage rates
593:Washington Bicentennial stamps of 1932
272:Siegel Auction Catalogue Sale No. 888.
315:
207:
1096:American Philatelic Research Library
967:United States Post Office Department
906:Pneumatic tube mail in New York City
674:List of United States airmail stamps
281:
275:
251:"One-of-a-kind stamp nets $ 397,838"
164:of an issue, but a unique surviving
111:is a light-purple 24¢ United States
1198:Postal history of the United States
1193:Postage stamps of the United States
1157:Revenue stamps of the United States
830:Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum
286:. Scott Publishing Co. p. 38.
13:
886:Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee
578:U.S. Parcel Post stamps of 1912–13
14:
1214:
1106:Rocky Mountain Philatelic Library
891:Express mail in the United States
659:1918 Curtiss Jenny airmail stamps
396:New York Postmaster's Provisional
1167:United States Postmaster General
1116:U.S. Philatelic Classics Society
1111:United Postal Stationery Society
1066:Bureau of Engraving and Printing
871:Apollo 15 postage stamp incident
962:San Antonio–San Diego Mail Line
636:Statue of Liberty Forever stamp
630:Raising the Flag at Ground Zero
641:2017 Total Solar Eclipse stamp
614:Distinguished Americans series
583:US Regular Issues of 1922–1931
343:Philately of the United States
264:
253:. Washington Times. 1999-12-24
243:
183:
73:
1:
740:History of Virginia on stamps
200:
972:United States Postal Service
947:American Letter Mail Company
488:Breast cancer research stamp
7:
1121:United States Stamp Society
1101:American Philatelic Society
1071:Homer Lee Bank Note Company
619:Elvis Presley Forever stamp
282:Snee, Charles, ed. (2012).
16:United States postage stamp
10:
1219:
1172:United States Post Offices
1162:United States postal notes
1061:American Bank Note Company
840:National Philatelic Museum
825:Benjamin Miller Collection
801:Earliest reported postmark
598:Washington–Franklin Issues
558:Prominent Americans series
131:
1152:Postal Reorganization Act
1129:
1091:American Air Mail Society
1083:
1053:
1037:
1028:
980:
952:Butterfield Overland Mail
939:
853:
814:
791:
787:
720:
682:
664:1930 Graf Zeppelin stamps
649:
606:
543:Oklahoma Statehood Stamps
538:Norse-American Centennial
460:
409:
374:
370:
349:
94:
83:
72:
64:
54:
46:
38:
26:
21:
1045:American stamp designers
989:The American Philatelist
911:Postal history of Oregon
881:Boat Railway Post Office
548:Overrun Countries series
176:
697:Dag Hammarskjöld invert
568:Special handling stamps
513:Five cents John Kennedy
447:Western Cattle in Storm
442:Trans-Mississippi Issue
845:National Postal Museum
523:Great Americans series
478:Antarctic Treaty issue
1203:Unique postage stamps
1137:American philatelists
931:U.S. Special Delivery
835:Florida Postal Museum
760:Puerto Rico on stamps
493:Celebrate the Century
432:Hawaiian Missionaries
121:Philatelic Foundation
39:Country of production
1142:American postmasters
916:Railway Mail Service
861:Air Mail Act of 1925
573:Transportation coils
503:Elvis Presley single
498:Comic Strip Classics
417:1869 Pictorial Issue
362:Henry Thomas Windsor
236:Lester G. Brookman,
921:Rural Free Delivery
712:Pan-American invert
518:Fourth Bureau issue
483:Bicentennial Series
219:Siegel power search
1147:Postal Service Act
775:Women on US stamps
588:War savings stamps
553:Presidential Issue
508:Federal Duck Stamp
115:depicting General
47:Date of production
1180:
1179:
1079:
1078:
1024:
1023:
1003:Linn's Stamp News
783:
782:
624:Nature of America
105:
104:
1210:
1035:
1034:
1009:Minkus catalogue
876:Barefoot mailman
866:Air Mail scandal
815:Collections and
789:
788:
473:Americana series
437:Lost Continental
372:
371:
336:
329:
322:
313:
312:
306:
305:
279:
273:
268:
262:
261:
259:
258:
247:
241:
234:
221:
216:
194:
187:
109:Lost Continental
75:
65:Nature of rarity
31:
22:Lost Continental
19:
18:
1218:
1217:
1213:
1212:
1211:
1209:
1208:
1207:
1183:
1182:
1181:
1176:
1125:
1075:
1049:
1030:
1020:
1015:Scott catalogue
976:
940:Postal services
935:
849:
810:
779:
716:
678:
645:
602:
528:Hanukkah stamps
456:
427:Columbian Issue
405:
401:St. Louis Bears
377:
366:
345:
340:
310:
309:
294:
280:
276:
269:
265:
256:
254:
249:
248:
244:
235:
224:
217:
208:
203:
198:
197:
188:
184:
179:
134:
126:Scott catalogue
95:Estimated value
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1216:
1206:
1205:
1200:
1195:
1178:
1177:
1175:
1174:
1169:
1164:
1159:
1154:
1149:
1144:
1139:
1133:
1131:
1127:
1126:
1124:
1123:
1118:
1113:
1108:
1103:
1098:
1093:
1087:
1085:
1081:
1080:
1077:
1076:
1074:
1073:
1068:
1063:
1057:
1055:
1051:
1050:
1048:
1047:
1041:
1039:
1032:
1026:
1025:
1022:
1021:
1019:
1018:
1011:
1006:
999:
992:
984:
982:
978:
977:
975:
974:
969:
964:
959:
954:
949:
943:
941:
937:
936:
934:
933:
928:
923:
918:
913:
908:
903:
898:
893:
888:
883:
878:
873:
868:
863:
857:
855:
851:
850:
848:
847:
842:
837:
832:
827:
821:
819:
812:
811:
809:
808:
803:
797:
795:
785:
784:
781:
780:
778:
777:
772:
767:
762:
757:
752:
747:
742:
737:
732:
726:
724:
718:
717:
715:
714:
709:
704:
702:Inverted Jenny
699:
694:
688:
686:
680:
679:
677:
676:
671:
669:Inverted Jenny
666:
661:
655:
653:
647:
646:
644:
643:
638:
633:
626:
621:
616:
610:
608:
604:
603:
601:
600:
595:
590:
585:
580:
575:
570:
565:
563:Series of 1902
560:
555:
550:
545:
540:
535:
530:
525:
520:
515:
510:
505:
500:
495:
490:
485:
480:
475:
470:
464:
462:
458:
457:
455:
454:
449:
444:
439:
434:
429:
424:
419:
413:
411:
407:
406:
404:
403:
398:
393:
388:
382:
380:
368:
367:
365:
364:
359:
353:
351:
347:
346:
339:
338:
331:
324:
316:
308:
307:
292:
274:
263:
242:
222:
205:
204:
202:
199:
196:
195:
191:Inverted Jenny
181:
180:
178:
175:
133:
130:
117:Winfield Scott
103:
102:
96:
92:
91:
85:
81:
80:
77:
70:
69:
66:
62:
61:
59:Winfield Scott
56:
52:
51:
48:
44:
43:
40:
36:
35:
32:
24:
23:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1215:
1204:
1201:
1199:
1196:
1194:
1191:
1190:
1188:
1173:
1170:
1168:
1165:
1163:
1160:
1158:
1155:
1153:
1150:
1148:
1145:
1143:
1140:
1138:
1135:
1134:
1132:
1128:
1122:
1119:
1117:
1114:
1112:
1109:
1107:
1104:
1102:
1099:
1097:
1094:
1092:
1089:
1088:
1086:
1084:Organizations
1082:
1072:
1069:
1067:
1064:
1062:
1059:
1058:
1056:
1052:
1046:
1043:
1042:
1040:
1036:
1033:
1027:
1017:
1016:
1012:
1010:
1007:
1005:
1004:
1000:
998:
997:
993:
991:
990:
986:
985:
983:
979:
973:
970:
968:
965:
963:
960:
958:
955:
953:
950:
948:
945:
944:
942:
938:
932:
929:
927:
924:
922:
919:
917:
914:
912:
909:
907:
904:
902:
899:
897:
894:
892:
889:
887:
884:
882:
879:
877:
874:
872:
869:
867:
864:
862:
859:
858:
856:
854:Miscellaneous
852:
846:
843:
841:
838:
836:
833:
831:
828:
826:
823:
822:
820:
818:
813:
807:
804:
802:
799:
798:
796:
794:
790:
786:
776:
773:
771:
768:
766:
763:
761:
758:
756:
753:
751:
748:
746:
743:
741:
738:
736:
733:
731:
728:
727:
725:
723:
719:
713:
710:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
689:
687:
685:
681:
675:
672:
670:
667:
665:
662:
660:
657:
656:
654:
652:
648:
642:
639:
637:
634:
632:
631:
627:
625:
622:
620:
617:
615:
612:
611:
609:
605:
599:
596:
594:
591:
589:
586:
584:
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
544:
541:
539:
536:
534:
533:Liberty Issue
531:
529:
526:
524:
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
499:
496:
494:
491:
489:
486:
484:
481:
479:
476:
474:
471:
469:
466:
465:
463:
459:
453:
450:
448:
445:
443:
440:
438:
435:
433:
430:
428:
425:
423:
420:
418:
415:
414:
412:
408:
402:
399:
397:
394:
392:
389:
387:
384:
383:
381:
379:
373:
369:
363:
360:
358:
355:
354:
352:
348:
344:
337:
332:
330:
325:
323:
318:
317:
314:
303:
299:
295:
289:
285:
278:
271:
267:
252:
246:
239:
233:
231:
229:
227:
220:
215:
213:
211:
206:
192:
186:
182:
174:
172:
167:
163:
158:
154:
150:
146:
144:
143:denominations
138:
129:
127:
122:
118:
114:
113:postage stamp
110:
100:
97:
93:
90:
86:
82:
78:
71:
67:
63:
60:
57:
53:
49:
45:
42:United States
41:
37:
30:
25:
20:
1013:
1001:
994:
987:
981:Publications
957:Pony Express
901:Mail jumping
806:Fancy cancel
707:Nixon invert
628:
607:21st century
461:20th century
436:
410:19th century
357:Thomas Neale
283:
277:
266:
255:. Retrieved
245:
237:
185:
165:
161:
159:
155:
151:
147:
139:
135:
108:
106:
76:in existence
926:Star routes
376:Provisional
1187:Categories
1031:production
692:CIA invert
422:Black Jack
293:0894874756
257:2014-11-15
201:References
84:Face value
1054:Companies
1038:Designers
793:Postmarks
350:Pre-stamp
302:781677423
722:Topicals
651:Airmails
50:ca. 1873
1130:Related
817:museums
452:Z Grill
166:variant
132:History
101:325,000
79:1 known
55:Depicts
378:stamps
300:
290:
1029:Stamp
177:Notes
171:grill
99:US $
684:EFOs
298:OCLC
288:ISBN
162:copy
107:The
89:US¢
87:24
74:No.
1189::
296:.
225:^
209:^
335:e
328:t
321:v
304:.
260:.
193:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
