▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Even ing ▁Mail ▁ful min ated : ▁" O ur ▁old ▁three ▁cent ▁st amps ▁were ▁as ▁perfect ▁as ▁they ▁well ▁could ▁be … . ▁They ▁were ▁National ▁and ▁American , ▁as ▁they ▁ought ▁to ▁have ▁been . ▁The ▁head ▁of ▁Washington ▁was ▁v ener able … . ▁But ▁now ▁think ▁of ▁the ▁miser able , ▁confused ▁looking ▁thing , ▁with ▁its ▁w retch ed ▁printing , ▁that ▁the ▁Post ▁Office ▁has ▁given ▁us ▁for ▁the ▁present ▁three ▁cent ▁stamp . ▁It ▁is ▁neither ▁historical , ▁national , ▁[ nor ] ▁beautiful … . ▁ ▁What ▁is ▁there ▁in ▁a ▁big ▁chim ney ▁on ▁a ▁rail road ▁carriage ▁to ▁indicate ▁the ▁national ity ▁of ▁our ▁postal ▁system [ ? ] ." ▁Some ▁critics ▁registered ▁compla ints ▁about ▁poor ▁quality ▁g um , ▁which ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁just ified . ▁Der iding ▁the ▁small ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁st amps , ▁"[ t ] he ▁com ic ▁papers ▁exhib ited ▁car ic atures ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁people ▁were ▁looking ▁for ▁their ▁st amps ▁in ▁their ▁pocket ▁books ▁with ▁powerful ▁micro scop es ." ▁ ▁And ▁the ▁designs ▁were ▁particularly ▁vulner able ▁to ▁being ▁rendered ▁un att ract ive ▁or ▁even ▁ris ible ▁by ▁the ▁poor ▁quality ▁control ▁exerc ised ▁by ▁the ▁still ▁infant ▁stamp ▁production ▁industry . ▁Only ▁collect ors ▁of ▁exception al ▁aff lu ence ▁are ▁able ▁to ▁afford ▁well - center ed ▁copies ▁of ▁the ▁p ict orial s ; ▁less ▁fort un ate ▁h ob by ists ▁must ▁often