United States 8 Cent Ulysses S. Grant Postage Stamps (Series 1890-1893)

This collection consists of three used specimens of the United States 8 cent postage stamp featuring the profile of General Ulysses S. Grant. Originally issued in the early 1890s, these stamps are printed in a distinctive bistre brown or olive-brown ink on paper. The central vignette depicts Grant in a circular frame, flanked by vertical panels containing the numeral '8' and the word 'CENTS'. The design is characteristic of the late 19th-century engraving style, produced by the American Bank Note Company. Collectively, the stamps show varying degrees of perforation quality, with visible tooth irregularities. Each stamp displays heavy black ink cancellations, likely from machine or hand-stamped postmarks of the era. The bottom-most specimen remains attached to a fragment of original envelope paper, indicating it was roughly removed from piece. The paper shows natural aging with minor foxing and toning. The centering varies across the specimens, ranging from fair to good. These stamps represent a significant era in US philately when mourning and commemorative themes began to influence standard definitive issues after Grant's death in 1885. The level of wear suggests these were active in the postal system for standard domestic or international rates of the time.