The 24 cent banknote was printed by bothe National and Continental (American printed the Scott 200 on soft paper are a special printing). NBNC and CBNC both used the same plates and no secret mark was applied, therefore the impressions are indistinguishable. The only listing for CBNC 164 is based on ribbed paper (known to have only been used by CBNC). The CBNC prinyed a large quanity of these stamps and regular hard paper and a few on silk fiber paper. Without the ribbed paper thes stamp is considered 153 National. Scott still does not distinguish the CBNC ssilk fiber paper as being a seperate Continental stamp.

The color variance in this issue is partially due to fading and also largely due to the instability of the ink during the gumming process. A series of letters between the National Bank Note Co and the Post Office Department discuss this problem:

From National Bank Note Company
National Bank Note Company
New York, April 4, 1870
Sir: We have this day sent you per United States mail, package containing proofs of the new stamps, viz: Two impressions (200 stamps each) of one cent, two cents, three cents, six cents, ten cents, twelve cents, twenty-four cents, thirty cents, and ninety cents.
Yours, very respectfully,
A. D. Shepard, Treasurer.
To - Hon. W. H. H. Terrell
Third Assistant Postmaster-General, Washington, D. C.

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To National Bank Note Company
Post-Office Department,
Office of Third Assistant Postmaster-General
Washington, D. C., April 6, 1870
Sir: The color selected and agreed upon for the twenty-four cent stamp, new series, was a pure purple. The gummed and perforated specimen received to-day from the stamp agent is altogether unlike and inferior in color, as you will observe by comparing the proofs with the gummed and perforated specimens. The color last referred to is the poorest I ever saw; it looks like poke-berry juice after a hard rain. Please investigate at once, and by all means lt us have the pure purple equal to the proof-samples. Mr. Boyd has been instructed by telegraph not to issue any of the twenty-four cent stamps of the defective color.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
W. H. H. Terrell,
Third Assistant Postmaster-General.
To - J. Macdonough, Esq.,
Secretary National Bank Note Company, New York.

---------------------------

From National Bank Note Company
National Bank Note Company
New York, April 9, 1870
Dear Sir: Your communication of 6th instant came duly to hand, and would have been immediately acknowledged but that it was thought best to ascertain the reasons for the marked difference in color between the proofs and impressions.
We find that all the carmine tints are injured by the heat of the drying-rooms and the action of the acid of the gum; and the result was shown very unfavorably for us, on the six and twenty-four cent stamps.
Since the receipt of your letter we have worked all of the doubtful colors very carefully and we have got them like the colors on the accepted proofs; we will forward you early next week impressions all gummed and perforated, showing the improved colors.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. Macdonough, Secretary
To - Hon. W. H. H. Terrell
Third Assistant Postmaster-General, Washington, D. C

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From D. M. Boyd, stamp-agent

United States Postage-Stamp and Envelope Agency
New York, April 18, 1870
Sir: Inclosed please find a sheet of twenty-four cent stamps submitted, as near like the specimen as the contractors think they can be produced. If acceptable, the full series can be issued by Monday, the 25th instant, not before, as this color takes much longer to dry than any of the others.
I send to-day to all the offices requiring twelve-cent stamps that have been detained, and I am ready to issue that denomination on future orders.
Respectfully yours,
D. M. Boyd, Agent
To - Hon. W. H. H. Terrell,
Third Assistant Postmaster-General, Washington, D. C.

As the letter states "as this color takes much longer to dry than any of the others" it is open to speculation that the color fix may have been in drying the gum at room temperature or at least at a reduced temperature. During production these step may have been short cut to meet the shipment requirements.


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To National Bank Note Company
Post-Office Department,
Office of Third Assistant Postmaster-General
Washington, D. C., May 2, 1870
Sir: The following telegram was sent you this morning: "General Terrell accepts sample No. 2 as color for the twenty-four-cent stamps."
To prevent mistakes, I herewith inclose some stamps taken from the sheet submitted by you.
Very respectfully,
W. M. Ireland,
Acting Third Assistant Postmaster-General
To - J. Macdonough, Esq.,
Secretary National Bank Note Company, New York
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From National Bank Note Company
National Bank Note Company
New York, April 19, 1870
Dear Sir: We are in receipt of your favor of 18th instant, and telegram of this date, informing us that "General Terrell accepts sample No. 2 as color for twenty-four-cent stamps."
We shall immediately proceed with the printing, and will furnish proof-sheets of this stamp, in the No. 2 color, to your Department soon as they can be prepared, to be used instead of the proofs you now have.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. Macdonough, Secretary
To - W. M. Ireland, Esq.,
Acting Third Assistant Postmaster-General, Washington, D. C.
---------------------------

Although the letters seem to indicate that the color issue was resolved, this stamp was produced with great color variance due to the elevated temperatures in the gum drying process.

Darn good looking stamp and tons 'o great information too.

Don't you wish there was a book that told the whole story for every US stamps and or set or series? SOMETHING! It's so tough to get the whole story and you just KNOW there's a story!

I agree! That would be the best story ever told as far as I'm concerned. Thank you for the compliment on my #164 plate proof too!

I'm sort of curious if anyone read this or not? It's so interesting and about the color fading and ink types for this stamp. I actually own one of the proofs discussed in the letters shown above. -Jay

quite a good read if not out side my collecting area... but i am curious now about this color issue with later stamps..

one would hope that the problems of color would have been solved but as we read about in many latter issues the color seems to be a consistent pain in the printers butt..

and for the record that is an incredible example you have there!!

They needed them en mass and in a hurry so they rushed them into production and sale. That's the reason you see so many #153 (same stamp) mostly faded and bleached out looking.

Thank you for the compliment bear!

This deserves a *Bump*. I think this is a fascinating story on the color and design approval of this very stamp!

From which proof sheets is your proof???

The Scott Number is a bit odd to me... "P4" = proof 4???

Proof on card not india...OK the "P4"'s are on card as they are the 4Th stage in the stamps production and in it's final color (making it NOT a color trial proof) The P3's are on india paper which is a type of very durable but thin rice type paper. They use it because it makes an excellent print of the die to inspect for any errors. Then it goes to proofs on card. Make sense? I'll make a post that goes in depth on the whole stamp design and printing process. It'll be fun and educational but first I must get my daughter up for school.

Got it... didn't know any of that but I can see the process so I'm not totally lost.

This will explain about everything you want to know but I may do an actual post from the start to finish on stamp design, engraving processes, transfer rolls and transfers, re-touching, plating (because of retouching), double transfers, and before all that, of course,-* the proofs.

http://www.rpastamps.org/proofsus.pdf