Card Proofs of the
19th Century

Department of State
1873

The following information is provided for those proofs prepared for the Department of State:

Scott Number	Denomination	Color
O57P4	One cent	Green
O58P4	Two cents	Green
O59P4	Three cents	Green
O60P4	Six cents	Green
O61P4	Seven cents	Green
O62P4	Ten cents	Green
O63P4	Twelve cents	Green
O64P4	Fifteen cents	Green
O65P4	Twenty Four cents	Green
O66P4	Thirty cents	Green
O67P4	Ninety cents	Green
O68P4	Two dollars	Green and Black
O69P4	Five dollars	Green and Black
O70P4	Ten dollars	Green and Black
O71P4	Twenty dollars	Green and Black

The original envelope, pictured here, is what these proofs would have originally been packaged in for sale. This type of envelope was used for all issues and labeled appropriately with the series and original issue date for the stamps from which the proofs were later made.

Treasury Department
1873

The following information is provided for those proofs prepared for the Treasury Department:

Scott Number	Denomination	Color
O72P4	One cent	Brown
O73P4	Two cents	Brown
O74P4	Three cents	Brown
O75P4	Six cents	Brown
O76P4	Seven cents	Brown
O77P4	Ten cents	Brown
O78P4	Twelve cents	Brown
O79P4	Fifteen cents	Brown
O80P4	Twenty Four cents	Brown
O81P4	Thirty cents	Brown
O82P4	Ninety cents	Brown

The original envelope, pictured here, is what these proofs would have originally been packaged in for sale. This type of envelope was used for all issues and labeled appropriately with the series and original issue date for the stamps from which the proofs were later created.

War Department
1873

The following information is provided for those proofs prepared for the War Department:

Scott Number	Denomination	Color
O83P4	One cent	Rose
O84P4	Two cents	Rose
O85P4	Three cents	Rose
O86P4	Six cents	Rose
O87P4	Seven cents	Rose
O88P4	Ten cents	Rose
O89P4	Twelve cents	Rose
O90P4	Fifteen cents	Rose
O91P4	Twenty Four cents	Rose
O92P4	Thirty cents	Rose
O93P4	Ninety cents	Rose

This issue exists in a plum shade. The stamps shown here are of this shade, not the rose shade. A comparison with a rose colored regular issue stamp is shown below.⁵¹ 

As can be seen, the plum shade is distinctly different from the rose shade of the regular issue and the card proof series.

⁵¹ Snee, p. 766.

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