The Small Bank Note Issue of 1890 was the last major U.S. definitive series produced by the American Bank Note Company. Four years later, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing took over stamp production entirely, and the ABNC never printed another U.S. stamp.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Catalog Number: Scott #220

• Denomination: 2 cents (2¢)

• Date of Issue: May 12, 1890

• Printing Method: Flat Plate, Engraved (Intaglio)

• Printer: American Bank Note Company

• Perforation: 12

• Watermark: None

• Color: Carmine

• Subject: Portrait of George Washington, after the Houdon bust

CONDITION ANALYSIS (Seller-Assessed)

• Status: Used

• Grading: Fair

• Postmark: Heavy gray-black cancellation obscuring much of the portrait. Consistent with high-volume postal processing of the era.

• Obverse: Design elements remain identifiable, including the portrait frame and denomination. Natural tonal variation in the carmine ink is consistent with late 19th-century ink production.

• Reverse: No original gum present, as expected for a used stamp. Reverse shows noticeable toning and surface soiling. Diagonal creases are visible.

• Centering / Margins: Fine. Margins are uneven but do not cut into the design frame on any side.

• Perforations: Generally intact, though worn and uneven in places, consistent with age and over 130 years of circulation.

HISTORY

The Small Bank Note Issue of 1890 replaced the earlier Large Bank Note series, which collectors had criticized for its elaborate and busy frame designs. The new series, produced by the American Bank Note Company, featured cleaner, more refined engraved portraits across a reduced set of denominations. The 2¢ Washington, issued May 12, 1890, served the standard domestic first-class letter rate and was the most heavily circulated stamp in the series.

The ABNC had held the U.S. stamp printing contract since the Civil War era, producing some of the most artistically refined stamps in American philatelic history. The Small Bank Note Issue represented the final chapter of that relationship. In 1894, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing assumed full control of U.S. stamp production, bringing the work in-house to save costs and standardize quality. The ABNC never produced another U.S. stamp after that transition.

The Houdon bust portrait, the same source used across many Washington definitives of the era, gave the 2¢ Small Bank Note a visual continuity with earlier and later issues, while the ABNC's engraving brought its own characteristic depth and clarity to the rendering.

STEVEN SAYS

The American Bank Note Company printed U.S. stamps from the Civil War through 1894. This was one of their last issues before the Bureau of Engraving and Printing took over. The ABNC engraving quality is worth examining closely on this one, despite the condition.