qu ity ▁they ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁collect , ▁in ▁the ▁otherwise ▁empty ▁early ▁pages ▁of ▁their ▁albums . ▁Most ▁other ▁values ▁in ▁the ▁series , ▁by ▁contrast , ▁are ▁rare , ▁especially ▁the ▁greater ▁denomin ations , ▁and ▁for ▁this ▁reason ▁as ▁well ▁the ▁issue ▁is ▁v ener ated ▁by ▁many ▁collect ors . ▁ ▁The ▁controvers y ▁over ▁the ▁series ▁ ▁Qu ite ▁different , ▁however , ▁was ▁the ▁reception ▁the ▁p ict orial s ▁faced ▁in ▁the ▁months ▁after ▁their ▁release ▁during ▁ 1 8 6 9 . ▁Early ▁phil atel ic ▁reviews ▁were ▁favor able , ▁but ▁soon ▁severe ▁criticism ▁began ▁to ▁appear ▁in ▁the ▁press , ▁and ▁the ▁st amps ▁rapidly ▁became ▁dis re put able . ▁As ▁early ▁as ▁September , ▁newsp apers ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁Post ▁Office ▁was ▁planning ▁a ▁new ▁definit ive ▁issue ▁to ▁supp lant ▁the ▁un pop ular ▁series , ▁and ▁the ▁rep lac ements ▁went ▁on ▁sale ▁during ▁April , ▁ 1 8 7 0 — ▁less ▁than ▁th ir teen ▁months ▁after ▁the ▁p ict orial s ▁had ▁first ▁been ▁v ended . ▁The ▁new ▁issue ▁cost ▁the ▁tax p ayer ▁nothing , ▁for ▁the ▁National ▁Bank note ▁Company ' s ▁contract ▁for ▁U . S . ▁stamp ▁production ▁required ▁it ▁to ▁furn ish — - ▁as ▁the ▁Post master ▁stated ▁in ▁a ▁written ▁report — - ▁" new ▁designs ▁and ▁pl ates ▁... ▁at ▁the ▁pleasure ▁of ▁the ▁Post master ▁General , ▁without ▁additional ▁cost ▁to ▁the ▁department ". ▁The ▁remark