Shield and Eagle

In 1868 the Post Office Department solicited bids for the 1869 stamp series. When the National Bank Note Company submitted its bid, its preliminary designs included a 10-cent stamp depicting Abraham Lincoln. Though the National Bank Note Company won the contract, the Lincoln image was rejected for the 10-cent stamp. Rather, it was reserved for the 90-cent issue. The American bald eagle, wings spread and perched atop a shield, became the design for the yellow 10-cent stamp. It was the first stamp to have an animal as its central image. The stamp paid a single-weight rate to many foreign countries, including Mexico, Germany, Brazil, and Cuba. The National Bank Note Company printed 3,299,700 stamps for the 10-cent issue.