The Value of the Stamp



Benjamin Franklin (biography)

1¢ - Green
Triangles in Corner
Double line USPS wmk
Scott #279 - 1898

  NY Auction Houses
  MNH Graded MH Graded MNH Graded
Spring 2003 - - - - $20-$200 -
Fall 2003 - - - - - -
Spring 2004 $10-$20 - $1-$3 - - -
Fall 2004 $5-$14 - $1-$2 - - -
Spring 2005 $6-$8 - $1 - - -
Fall 2005 $6-$30 - $1-$2 - $190 -
Spring 2006 $6 - $1-$2 - $130 90
- - - - $260 85
Fall 2006 $5-$7 - $2-$5 - $625 95
- - - - $1,700 98
Spring 2007 $7-$12 - $1-$6 - $110 85
- - - - $140 90
Fall 2007 $7-$11 - $2-$4 - $1,000 98
$110 90 - - - -
Spring 2008 $4-$7 - $1-$2 - - -
Fall 2008 $8-$16 - $2-$3 - $300 95
- - - - $1,200 98
Spring 2009 $5-$6 - $1-$4 - $180 90
- - - - $1,100 98
Fall 2009 $5-$13 - $1-$11 - $150-$160 95
- - - - $1,000 98
Spring 2010 $7-$9 - $2-$5 - $3,250 98J
Fall 2010 $6-$20 - $2-$4 - $340 95
Spring 2011 $4-$18 - $1-$2 - - -
Fall 2011 $6-$40 - $2-$5 - $260 95
2012 $2-$20 - $1-$2 - $250 95
- - - - $650 98
2013 - - - - - -
2014 - - - - - -
2015 - - - - - -
2016 - - - - - -

Used stamps are worth less than $1

Statistics

Issued: January 17th, 1898, earliest recorded example, January 31st 1898

Plate Size: Sheets of 400 subjects (4 panes of 100)


Sheet of 100

Printer: The Bureau of Printing and Engraving

Watermark: USPS, double lined, see below

Quantity Issued: Five billion. It's a very common stamp.

DETAILED FACTS AND FIGURES

The color was changed to green to conform with the Universal Postal Union Designation for the 1¢ value.

The Post Office report from 1899 supplies one with almost every detail you would wish to know about this stamp, and every other stamp in this series. The level of detail is amazing. Click here for more on this report.

What you should look for

Around this time pre-canceled stamps appear, on this issue
they usually command a slight premium.

The Inspiration for the Design

The design was taken from the portrait bust of Benjamin Franklin by Jean Antoine Houdon. Now at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Previous versions of Franklins portrait on the 1¢ stamp had Franklin facing to the right. This, along with the pale blue color were the principle reasons that this design was disliked by the general public. The NY Times said that Franklin facing to the left 'entirely altered his expression and making him resemble a putty-faced personification of senility'.

Varieties to look for

There are no varities of #279

The Essay's and Proofs

279-P2a
Plate Proof produced for the 1915
Panama-Pacific Exhibition