"Official Postage Stamps and Stamped Envelopes." Post Office Department Circular. First version of the two-page circular dated May 15, 1873, and sent to postmasters announcing the abolition of the franking privilege and the creation of the Official stamps, "on the first day of July, 1873, the Postmaster General is required by law to provide postage stamps or stamped envelopes of special design for each of the several Executive Departments of Government, for the pre-payment of postages on official matter passing through the mails", tiny bit of toning along edge does not affect any text, Very Fine, this scarce first version circular states at the beginning of paragraph three under "Official Stamps for Postmasters" that stamped envelopes will be furnished to "first-class offices only", this was corrected in subsequent versions to state "Presidential" offices, which were first, second and third-class offices with postmaster salary of $1,000 or higher

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"Use of Free Envelopes -- Discontinuance of Official Postage Stamps." Single page Post Office Department notice (form 3283) from Third Assistant Postmaster General, dated April 22, 1879, states that the act of Congress approved on Mar. 3, 1877 provided for the issuance of new penalty envelopes for official business and the discontinuance of Official postage stamps, further states that all stocks on hand of Post Office Department stamps and entires should be used until exhausted (Official stamps were abolished on July 5, 1884), printed signature of A. D. Hazen, Very Fine and nice collateral item, accompanied by an example of a penalty cover from the Executive Department, postmarked Washington D.C. and addressed to Tennessee

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"Two-Cent Postage On and After October 1, 1883." Single page notice (form 3337) dated July 18, 1883 with printed signature of Third Assistant Postmaster General A.D. Hazen, states that on and after Oct. 1, the first class postage rate will be decreased from 3c to 2c, seven sections follow which address the status of old postage stamps and envelopes, new designs for stamps and envelopes, and when the new issues will become available, accompanied by original Post Office Department penalty entire (UO14) that contained the notice, with Washington D.C. datestamp and addressed to Richmond Corner, Maine, entire with small edge tear, Very Fine and nice collateral items for an Officials or Bank Note Issues collection

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Ulysses S. Grant. Free frank "U.S. Grant" as President on Executive Mansion imprint cover addressed in his hand to the Hon. A. E. Borie in Philadelphia, "Washington D.C. Free Nov. 24" circular datestamp, Very Fine, most official mail was signed by Grant's secretary, here Grant crossed out the "Secretary" designation to indicate that he had signed it, Grant's executive free franks ended with the Act of March 3, 1873, which abolished the franking privilege and approved the Official stamps, the addressee, Adolph E. Borie, served President Grant as Secretary of the Navy for only a few months (March 9-June 25, 1869), during which time he changed the names of several U.S. Navy ships with Native American names, which he disliked, to English names that conveyed power and strength

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1c-90c Officials, Plate Proofs on Card (O1P4-O93P4). Complete set of 92 plus an extra block of four of 2c Executive in a much darker shade -- appears to be Lake but only the normal Carmine is listed -- all with full to large margins, fresh colors, Very Fine

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