1863-64 10¢ Davis
Perforated 12 ½
When the Civil War erupted, the U.S. demonetized (made worthless) its postage stamps and issued new ones to prevent the South from using U.S. stockpiles. The Confederate Post Office was organized in February 1861 and took over postal operations on June 1, 1861. Some Confederate post offices used the old system of paying cash for postage, others used their own provisional issues.
Unlike the North, the South lacked the means to produce fine engraved stamps from steel plates. They relied on less desirable methods of lithography and typography to produce their stamps – until they lured John Archer away from the American Bank Note Company.
CSA11 features a portrait of Jefferson Davis. It is similar to CSA10, but has no framelines. Some sheets were perforated 12 ½ (CSA11e), but perforating was not practical and was discontinued.