▁Office ▁returned ▁these ▁ess ays ▁to ▁Cont inental ▁as ▁rejected ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁Indeed , ▁no ▁basis ▁existed ▁for ▁ou st ing ▁National , ▁given ▁that ▁that ▁firm — in ▁pun ct ili ous ▁comp liance ▁with ▁its ▁contract — had ▁been ▁subm itting ▁satisf actory ▁ess ays ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁definit ive ▁issue ▁since ▁September . ▁ ▁After math ▁ ▁The ▁failure ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 9 ▁issue ▁had ▁last ing ▁consequences ▁for ▁U . S . ▁post age ▁stamp ▁design . ▁For ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁series , ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁compla ints ▁about ▁the ▁small ▁dimensions ▁of ▁the ▁p ict orial s , ▁the ▁Post ▁Office ▁adopted ▁a ▁larger ▁size ▁for ▁post age ▁st amps ▁than ▁ever ▁before . ▁B idd ers ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁production ▁contract ▁were ▁not ▁asked ▁to ▁submit ▁stamp ▁ess ays ▁because ▁the ▁Post ▁Office ▁intended ▁to ▁retain ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁designs ; ▁accordingly , ▁the ▁winner — the ▁Cont inental ▁Bank note ▁Company — to ok ▁over ▁National ' s ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁printing ▁pl ates , ▁making ▁small ▁" secret ▁mark " ▁alter ations ▁to ▁identify ▁their ▁product . ▁All ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 8 0 s ▁these ▁designs ▁remained ; ▁and ▁while ▁some ▁were ▁re eng ra ved ▁and ▁a ▁few ▁new ▁denomin ations ▁were ▁added , ▁the ▁Post ▁Office ▁did ▁not ▁dare ▁to ▁change ▁the ▁general ▁appearance ▁of ▁U