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Line engraving has always been a favorite mediumfor the reproduction of printed money and other valu-able securities. Because an entire plate had to be cutinto the metal by hand, it was a costly and difficultprocess requiring the highest artistic ability. Shortly be-fore the introduction of the world's first postage stampsin 1840, Jacob Perkins of Massachusetts invented aprocess for reproducing a line-engraved design on alarger metal area as many times as might be desired.Unable to interest American capital in his invention,Perkins went to England where he founded the historicline-engraving house of Perkins, Bacon & Co., whoproduced the world's first postage stamp for GreatBritain. With but one brief exception, Perkins' processhas been used exclusively for the production of UnitedStates postage stamps from the first issue until the present. |
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