▁sett le ▁for ▁l ops ided ▁examples ▁that ▁must ▁have ▁been ▁even ▁more ▁dis ple asing ▁to ▁those ▁who ▁bought ▁them ▁at ▁post ▁offices ▁during ▁ 1 8 6 9 . ▁ ▁Design ▁and ▁production ▁▁ ▁By ▁early ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁the ▁existing ▁definit ive ▁series ▁of ▁U . S . ▁st amps ▁had ▁been ▁used ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁six ▁years ▁and ▁pl ates ▁were ▁no ▁longer ▁in ▁pr ist ine ▁condition . ▁Problem atic ▁as ▁well ▁was ▁that ▁these ▁st amps ▁had ▁ind el ible ▁associations ▁with ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁a ▁cal am ity ▁that ▁was ▁an ▁un pop ular ▁association ▁in ▁ ▁America . ▁The ▁printer ▁of ▁these ▁st amps , ▁the ▁National ▁Bank note ▁Company , ▁was ▁operating ▁under ▁a ▁contract ▁that ▁exp ired ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁which ▁meant ▁that ▁the ▁Post ▁Office ▁would ▁soon ▁have ▁to ▁solic it ▁b ids ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁four - year ▁stamp - production ▁contract . ▁These ▁circumstances ▁made ▁ 1 8 6 8 ▁an ▁ideal ▁year ▁for ▁the ▁Post ▁Office ▁to ▁plan ▁a ▁new ▁definit ive ▁stamp ▁series : ▁for ▁b idd ers ▁on ▁the ▁contract ▁could ▁be ▁required ▁to ▁submit ▁ess ays ▁for ▁new ▁stamp ▁designs ▁along ▁with ▁their ▁propos als . ▁The ▁Post ▁Office ▁advert is ement ▁for ▁b ids ▁recommended ▁a ▁new ▁imag in ative ▁method , ▁even ▁stating ▁" that ▁there ▁should ▁be ▁variety ▁in ▁the ▁sizes ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁designs ▁of ▁the ▁st amps ". ▁While ▁a ▁variety