US 1861 Issue

About US 1861 Issue

The 1861 series was issued during the Civil War. New designs were created to prevent the use of stamps purchased in the Confederacy. The 1 cent Franklin, 3 cent Washington, and 10 cent Washington were the most common values. The 90 cent Washington is the rarest denomination. The 1861 stamps demonetized all previous US stamps, forcing people to exchange old stamps for new ones. The demonetization was controversial but successful in preventing the Confederacy from using US postage stocks.