1857 1¢ - #19b

The Value of the Stamp

1c - Blue - Type 1c
As type 1a, bottom right ornaments and plume are incomplete.
Bottom left plume complete or nearly complete
Perf. 15 ½ - Scott #19b

		NY Auction Houses
	Used	MH	Used
Spring 2003	-	-	-
Fall 2003	-	-	-
Spring 2004	-	-	-
Fall 2004	-	-	-
Spring 2005	$8,500	-	$2,900
Fall 2005	-	-	-
Spring 2006	-	-	-
Fall 2006	-	-	-
Spring 2007	-	-	-
Fall 2007	-	-	-
Spring 2008	-	-	-
Fall 2008	-	-	-
Spring 2009	-	-	-
Fall 2009	-	-	-
Spring 2010	-	-	-
Fall 2010	-	-	-
Spring 2011	-	-	-
Fall 2011	-	-	-
Spring 2012	-	-	-
Fall 2012	-	-	-
Spring 2013	-	-	-
Fall 2013	-	-	-
Spring 2014	-	-	-

Statistics

Earliest date of use: Sept 9th, 1857 Plate Size: Sheets of 200 subjects (2 panes of 100). A full pane of 100 Printer: Toppan, Carpenter, Casilier & Co. using the die-to-relief-to-plate transfer process. Watermark: None Quantity Issued: 300,000 Use: The one-cent stamp was required to pay the fee for drop letters and circulars under 500 miles. It was also the rate for newspapers and circulars.

What you should look for

Identifying #19b (#19b is a Type Ic) #19b is a type Ic design. The design on the sides of Type Ic are complete. The design at the top is trimmed, some of the top ornaments have been burnished off. The difference between type 1a and type 1c is that whilst 1a the design at the bottom is complete, the bottom right plume is partially cut away,see the illustration above. Only one plate produced the perforated Type Ic stamp, that being plate 4. Notes on #19b 1) #19b comes 8 positions on Plate 4, two of which are on the bottom row, the rest occur due to plate wear. 2) The bottom row of plate 4 only just fits within the perforation, such a tight fit in fact that almost all examples have the perforations cutting into the design. 3) Despite what you may read, or the what the auction houses tell you, type 1c is exceedingly rare. A glance at the auctions above tells you how common they are offered for sale. Probably at the rate of one every 18 months. However only one in three offered for sale is in an acceptable condition. Based on auction offerings in the last twenty years I would have to say that this is the rarest pre-civil war stamp. How many plates were there? There were twelve plates of the 1c Franklin made, plate six was never used, probably due to it being damaged in it's creation. Most of the plates were used for both the imperforate and perforated design. Some only produced one type or the other. For instance, plate 12 produced only perforated stamps and the early state of Plate 1 produced only imperforate stamps.

The Inspiration for the Design

Benjamin Franklin Jean-Jacques Caffieri (1725-1792) Marble, 25" high The Peabody Collection, Maryland The design was based off Jean-Jacques Caffieri's bust of Franklin.

Varieties to look for

There are no varieties of #19b.   A contemporary forgery of the 1c Franklin

The Essay's and Proofs

Vignette of Ben Franklin Imperf essay on laid india paper Unlisted 1c Liberty Black, Vignette Die Essay on Proof paper frame similar to 5¢ Jefferson Probably attributable to Toppan, Carpenter, Casilier and Co. 5-E1a Black, Vignette Die Essay on India 5-E1var Black, Vignette Die Essay on India Unlisted showing both Franklin and Washington 5-E1b Black, Vignette Die Essay on Proof Paper 5-E1f Black, Vignettes Die Essay on Proof Paper 5-E2 6c Black Die Essay on India