1901 Postage Stamps US Postage Stamps

The value of the stamps Statistics and facts about the stamp
what you should look for how the stamp was made
Varieties of the stamp the making of the stamp

The Value of the Stamp

'Automobile'
THE ELECTRIC CAR
4¢ - Deep red-brown and black or chocolate and black
Scott #296 - 1901

  NY Auction Houses
  MNH Graded MH Used MNH Graded
Spring 2004 $30-$40 - $7-$10 < $1 - -
Fall 2004 $35-$50 - $10-$30 $2-$5 - -
Spring 2005 $30-$65 - $10-$25 $1-$3 $90 -
Fall 2005 $45-$120 - $10-$30 $1-$5 $190-$675 -
Spring 2006 $30-$100 - $15-$30 $1-$5 $700 95
- - $20-$50 $2-$10 $240 85
Fall 2006 - - - - $1,500 95
Spring 2007 $60-$275 - $25-$50 $3-$8 $290 90
Fall 2007 - - $22-$50 $2-$5 $1,250 95
Spring 2008 $45-$100 - $18-$35 $2-$6 - -
$30 70 - - - -
Fall 2008 $40-$45 - $20-$22 $3-$5 $125 80
$345 90 - - $275-$450 90
- - - - $950 95
- - - - $4,000 98
- - - - $50,000 100
Spring 2009 $50-$95 - $15-$23 $2-$6 $325 90
- - - - $650 95
- - - - $6,000 98
Fall 2009 $35-$60 - $21-$25 $2-$8 $600-$900 95
- - - - $3,625 95J
Spring 2010 $50-$130 - $20-$40 $3-$15 $800 80
- - - - $1,200 95
Fall 2010 $35-$300 - $16-$27 $2-$10 $275 90
- - - - $850 95
- - - - $1,300 95J
Spring 2011 $60 - $14-$55 $2-$11 $350 90
Fall 2011 $85-$200 - $18-$40 $3-$15 $475-$675 95
$130 85 - - $2,600 98
2012 $30-$170 - $17-$25 $2-$9 $475-$600 95
- - - - $700 95J
2013 - - - - - -
2014 - - - - - -
2015 - - - - - -
2016 - - - - - -

296a prices
4¢ - Deep red brown and black
Scott #296a - 1901
Special Printing - Center inverted
Fewer than 97 exist, almost all have disturbed gum

  NY Auction Houses
  MNH MH Graded
Spring 2003 - $5,000-$12,000 -
Fall 2003 - - -
Spring 2004 - - -
Fall 2004 - - -
Spring 2005 - $17,000 -
Fall 2005 - $35,000 -
Spring 2006 - - -
Fall 2006 $72,500 a - -
Spring 2007 - - -
Fall 2007 - $8,000 b -
- $300,000 c 80
Spring 2008 - $625,000 90
Fall 2008 - - -
Spring 2009 - $22,000-$55,000 -
- $90,000 70
Fall 2009 - $40,000 50
Spring 2010 - - -
Fall 2010 - $26,000 40
Spring 2011 - $15,000 a -
Fall 2011 - $20,000 d -
  - $9,000 d -
2012 - $18,000 e -
2013 - - -
2014 - - -
2015 - - -
2016 - - -

a = repaired
b = thin and reperfed

c = inc. selvage with plate number
d = thins
e = reperfed

Statistics

Issued: Introduced on May 1st, 1901. Earliest documented use is the same date, example shown below. The 4¢ invert, unlike the 1¢ and 2¢, was an intentional invert, the bureau even produced samples of the invert. The specimens command high prices, the word specimen was printed in four different colors.

296a specimen
#296 invert specimen

Plate Size: Sheets of 200 subjects (2 panes of 100).

296 sheet
A full pane of 100

Printer: The Bureau of Printing and Engraving

Watermark: Double lined USPS watermark.

Quantity Issued: 5,700,000

What you should look for

Invert Counterfeits

Probably the work of an engraver working for a Canadian Bank Note company these countefeits are exceedingly rare and valuable, selling at Seigels for $2,600

296 counterfeit with frame US Postage Stamps

296 counterfeit frame only US Postage Stamps

Vignette Shifts

Unlike the with its prolific vignette shifts, decent vignette shifts on the 4¢ are hard to come by, no doubt because there were forty times more of the 2¢ issued.

296 vignette shift
Slight vignette shift to the right

The Inspiration for the Design

296 Krieger Electric Vehicle
Senator George P Wetmore from Rhode Island
riding a Krieger in 1903

This series celebrated modern transportation. The theme for the 4¢ stamp was the automobile. The choice of subject being a Krieger, a car that was one hundred years ahead of its time.

The choice of a Krieger is interesting, you will see it pictured in front of the US Capitol, Washington DC. A scene that one would think was contemporary. At the time it would have been an artist's rendition of the future. It would be a full two years between the design of the stamp and the introduction of the Krieger. The designers had to rely on a photograph of the prototype. They were in luck, the final production version only differed in that the rear canopy was made of leather instead of the solid metal that the prototype had, and the roof rack was dropped. The latter modification was adopted after one of the test drivers was bopped on the head by luggage whilst conducting a braking test.

296 Krieger charging the car
An electric car in a charging bay, as the designers imagined it.

The Krieger, like the Prius of the early 21stC, was a front wheel drive electric-gasoline hybrid car and had power steering. A gasoline engine supplemented the battery pack. Between 1890 and 1910, there were many hybrid electric cars and four wheel drive electric cars. Electric cars were more expensive than gasoline cars and electrics were considered more reliable and safer. There are three surviving Kriegers today, two in the US and one in Ontario, Canada (a US example is shown below).

296 kRIEGER

295

Varieties to look for

This stamp was occasionaly bisected for use as a 2¢. Normally bi-sected stamps command high prices. Not so in the case of #296. The cover below sold for $675.

296 Bi-sect
#296 bisect on cover

296 ultramar
The Ultramar overprint

The Portuguese Ministry for the Colonies was originally supplied with 25 Specimen stamps. They overprinted the specimens with the "Ultramar" overprint, meaning "overseas", the stamps were distributed to the various colonies.

The Essay's and Proofs

296-E2
#296-E2
Reduction of frame drawing
on card

296 proof US Postage Stamps

296P2
large die proof on full card

1901 Postage Stamps US Postage Stamps