::: National Bank Note Company - 1871 Stamps :::

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Three new stamps were issued February 11, 1871: the 1¢ mauve Princess Victoria Kamamalu (Scott 30a); the 6¢ yellowish green King Kamehameha V (Scott No. 33); and the 18¢ burgundy Kekuanaoa (Scott No. 34). Thomas G. Thrum designed these stamps. All three 1871 stamps and their later color variations were printed on plate with layout II. See Bank Note Plate Layouts. Effective July 1, 1870, more than seven months before the 1871 issue was available at the Post Office, a new letter rate of 6¢ per one-half ounce was adopted for mail to the United States. The new six cents stamp paid the rate for a single letter and the eighteen cents stamp was for a triple weight letter. A one cent stamp could be used either as a pair to pay the domestic postage rate or as a single to pay the transient newspaper rate (newspapers other than those sent by a publisher to a subscriber).

European stamp journals gave enthusiastic approval to Hawaii's new stamps and some went so far as to proclaim them the most beautiful stamps ever produced. That critical acclaim ensured a certain level of collector demand for the new stamps. Fresh supplies of the two higher values were ordered in June, 1871 and a new supply of the one cent value was ordered in September, 1871, in large part because of higher than expected collector demand.

SCOTT NO. 30a 1¢ MAUVE PRINCESS VICTORIA KAMAMALU

(See Comparison of Scott Nos. 30a, 30b and 30)

SCOTT NOS. 33 and 33a, 6¢ GREEN KING KAMEHAMEHA V

Six printings of the 6¢ Kamehameha V stamp were done using one fifty subject plate (Layout II). The first five printings were made by the NBNCo and the sixth printing was produced by the ABNCo without any noticeable change in color. In the first three printings, the stamps were a yellowish-green (Scott No. 33) and in the final three printings, bluish green stamps were made (Scott No. 33a). Some disagreement exists over whether the fourth printing was in yellow-green or blue-green. However, a November 6, 1877 cover is recorded with a blue-green (Scott No. 33a) stamp, proving the fourth printing was in blue-green. An imperforate sheet was discovered in Hawaii in June, 1878. Examples attributed to that sheet today are bluish-green. Anyone with an imperforate example of this stamp should E-mail me at scott312@earthlink.net with specific information.

Of these stamps, 40,000 from the fifth and sixth printings and 25,000 from the third printing were overprinted Provisional/GOVT./1893.

SCOTT NO. 34 18¢ BURGUNDY KEKUANAOA

Mateo Kekuanaoa is commonly underrated in the philatelic literature, often referred to only as the King's chamberlain, responsible for emptying the spittoon. In reality, Kekuanaoa was the father of King's Kamehameha IV and V, as well as the father of Princess Victoria Kamamalu and a son-in-law of Kamehameha I. Kekuanaoa was Governor of Oahu and one of the most respected leaders of his time. Mark Twain was most favorably impressed by his leadership and wisdom, but not of Hawaii's haöle leaders.

When having stamps printed for the new Convention rates was first approved by Minister of Interior Hutchison, he wanted 6¢ and 24¢ values. Postmaster General Brickwood convinced him there would be more need for a triple weight 18¢ value. When the first order was sent, the 18¢ stamp was to be made in a "pink" color. The resulting stamp was printed in a dull rose color - popularly called "the burgundy shade." The next printing was in the same shade. For the third printing (made by the American Bank Note Company), an example of a stamp from one of the previous printings was included as a sample. However, the stamp produced was in a noticeably different claret shade. Both shades are catalogued as Scott No. 34 with no variety recognition. See Bank Note Issue - American Bank Note Company for more detail about the claret shade. Both stamps were printed on the original NBNCo. plate, but the ABNCo. added its monogram to the margin inscriptions for the 1879 printing. See Bank Note Plate Layouts.

Of the 100,000 claret stamps printed in the last printing, 85,000 were overprinted Provisional/GOVT./1893, leaving only 15,000 unoverprinted claret stamps. Examples of overprinted stamps in the burgundy shade are reported but the quantity is unknown. After Hawaii joined the UPU in 1882, the need for an 18¢ stamp evaporated. Examples of Scott No. 34 used or on cover after 1881 are considered philatelic. No cover has been recorded dated prior to 1882 and franked with the claret shade so all of the claret shade covers are considered philatelic. Only nine Scott No. 34 covers are recorded with usage prior to 1882 and two of those covers raise doubt about whether the stamp belongs to the cover.

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