When the Civil War broke out in April of 1861, the Post Office Department to prevent further usage of the 1861 issues (Scott Catalog {Sc} #37 et al.) demonitized the 1851-1860 Issues. This had a two-fold purpose; prevent further usage by the "seceded states" and to prevent the adhesives from being sold to help pay the cost of secession. The twenty-four cent adhesive (Sc #60) filled the niche of paying for the transport of mail to England. From February 15, 1849 to January 1, 1868 the rate for one-half ounce covers was 24 cents; 5 cents for inland U.S. postage; 16 cents to pay the ocean-going package company; and 3 cents for British inland postage.

There were seven printings of this adhesive, all made on Plate #6, with various shades of violet ink, ranging from light violet, through steel blue, red lilac, brown lilac and others. A total of ten million adhesives were printed and used. There are approximately 600 covers now in existence having one or more 24-cent adhesives still on them. The earliest know usage of this adhesive was August 20, 1861. All covers being sent overseas were transported to several foreign exchange offices, notably New York, Boston, and others including San Francisco. These offices bagged the adhesives and arranged their transport on either British or U.S. packets but did send some mail by others.

This is a portion of a patriotic cover illustrating a "steel blue" adhesive; part of the second printing of this adhesive (SC #70b).

During the later life of this adhesive, an attempt was made to prevent reuse by ‘grilling’ each adhesive. The process included running the sheet of adhesives through a field of small pointed spikes, which caused the adhesive fibers to tear allowing the cancellation ink to more fully penetrate the adhesive and thus make the cancellation ink less removable.

The "specimen" overprinted adhesive was sent to the Universal Postal Union for their information when involved with international mail. The ‘control’ overprinting was done as part of the Postal Service internal controls.

In anticipation of the Civil War, coins were hoarded and stamps were valid as change. Being fragile, the stamps wore out. J. Gault on August 12, 1862, patented a container to protect the stamps used as change; shown here.

In 1875, the Post Office Department had National Bank Note Company prepare a special printing on plate number 6 in a deep violet ink. Only 346 were printed and it was not used for postal purposes.

Two hundred sets of this stamp were printed by the National Bank Note Company for the International Cotton Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, 1861.

Referred to as the "Gems of Proofdom", a series of proofs of the 19th century stamps were ordered from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing by the Post Office Department on September 18, 1914. The order was reduced to two sets; one mounted which went to the National Postal Museum and the other exhibited at the Panama-Pacific Exhibition celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal in 1915 in San Francisco.

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