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1
435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
326
With
regard
to
the
other
processes,
little
is
known
out
of
the
Stamp-Office,
beyond
what
may
be
gathered
from
a
close
inspection
of
the
postage-stamps
themselves.
For
obvious
reasons,
it
has
never
been
thought
desirable
to
publish
any
account
of
the
manufacture
of
stamps.
We
may
simply
say
that
all
English
postage-labels
are
manufactured
at
Somerset
House,
and
the
entire
establishment,
which
is
distinct
from
the
other
branches
of
the
Inland
Revenue
Department,
is
managed
at
the
annual
expense
of
thirty
thousand
pounds.[178]
Of
this
sum,
nineteen
thousand
pounds
is
the
estimated
cost
for
the
present
year,
1863-1864,
of
paper
for
labels
and
envelopes,
and
for
printing,
gumming,
and
folding.
About
five
thousands
pounds
will
be
necessary
to
pay
the
salaries
of
the
various
officers,
including
five
hundred
pounds
to
the
supervisor,
and
one
hundred
pounds
to
the
superintendent
of
the
perforating
process.
Mr.
Edwin
Hill,
a
brother
of
Sir
Rowland
Hill,
is
at
the
head
of
the
department.
A
large
number
of
boys
are
employed
at
the
machines,
under
the
superintendence
of
three
or
four
intelligent
superintendents.
The
paper
used
for
the
stamps
is
of
a
peculiar
make,
each
sheet
having
a
water-mark
of
two
hundred
and
forty
crowns;
the
blocks
used
are
of
first-rate
quality,
and
only
subjected
to
a
certain
number
of
impressions.
The
blocks
are
inked
with
rollers
as
in
letter-press
printing.
Of
course,
the
stamps
are
printed
in
sheets,
though
each
one
is
struck
with
the
same
die
or
punch.
After
the
printing,
and
before
the
sheets
are
perforated,
they
are
covered
on
the
back
with
a
gelatine
matter
to
render
the
label
adhesive.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
