This gray lilac stamp honors George Washington. It is one of many designs inspired the the Gilbert Stuart portrait of the President.
This is the first stamp not to be issued as an imperforate. It is also among the first for which there are not really multiple listings in the major catalogs; that is, if you don’t count the special printings of 1875 that were never valid for postal use.
Why some catalogs even include a separate listing for a stamp that was never intended for postal use is another question entirely.
I don’t own a copy of this stamp yet. It is here courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons.
Usage of the 1860 Washington 24 Cent
These 24 cent stamps were often used to pay the half-ounce rate to England. Postal patrons also used it in combination with other stamps to pay the more expensive rates for heavier letters.
Cataloging the Washington 24 Cent
Even though there are only two main varieties of the 24 cent stamp in other catalogs, the Minimalist Catalog literally does one better listing just number 8.
| George Washington 24c Statistics | |||
| Date Used | Designer | Printing | Number |
| 7/7/1860 | n/a | Toppan, Carpenter, Casilier & Co. | 736,000 |