Issued: July 1st, 1851

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

Printer: Toppan, Carpenter, Casilier & Co. using the die-to-relief-to-plate transfer process.

Watermark: None

Quantity Issued: 12,300,000

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.

The imprint of #7, showing plate #

Identifying #7
(#7 is a Type II)

#7 is a Type II design. The design on the bottom and top are incomplete or jus the design on the bottom is incomplete in that the very tips of the plumes have been burnished off, the balls at the end of the plumes are missing, however the outer line of the frame (at the top and bottom) is always complete and not broken.

Notes on #7

1) This type II stamps top ornaments are so slightly shaved that it can be easily mistaken for the type I stamps where the ornaments are complete.
2) Plate III stamps are scarce, the plate was retired early.
3) A certificate is not really required on used #7 stamps unless it is one of the double transfer positions or it has some other unusual characteristic or is from plate III.
4) Plate II has numerous double transfers, one of which is inverted (71L IE) and one triple transfer with one of these being inverted (positions 81L IL and 91L IE). Position 7R IE has the most prominent double transfer, followed by 65R IE and then 22R IE.
5) The finest examples of type II can be found from the top row of plate IV.

How many plates does #7 appear on?
Four plates. On plate one it appears on both the early and late state, although in the latter it appears in only one position. Plate III examples are rare and are comprised of ONLY type II stamps.

The design of this early issue was too large to allow for the accommodation of the 200 subjects onto one plate. Therefore, each position had to have some amount of the design erased to allow enough room. These erasures accounted for the majority of the types.

What exactly do the plate position numbers mean?

To take the example of 7RI1

7 = Seventh stamp of the 100 on the pane - this number can be from 1 to 99.

R = Right Plane - this letter can be either R or L, L representing the Left Pane

I = Plate I, this roman rumeral can be I, II, III, IV, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII

E= Early State, this letter can be either E or L, L representing the Late State. This letter is only appended to plate I stamps.

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 whilst plate I late (reconstruction) produced both imperforate and perforated stamps. Plate 4 was the last of the imperforate plates to be used.

Rescources available
http://www.slingshotvenus.com/FranklinArchive/frnkln_archv_Main.html
Stanley B. Ashbrook, The United States One Cent Stamp of 1851-1857.
Mortimer L. Neinken, U.S. One Cent Stamp of 1851-61.
The Ishikawa collection: United States 1851-1857 1 cent Blue Issue postage stamps in multiples and reconstructed plates.

Click here for a comprehensive, printable, identfication guide. Courtesy of Chris Biason (447kb)

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.

THE BIG CRACK

Showing a crack in plate II
Positions 2L, 12L, 13L and 23L
Caused by an integral flaw in the steel plate
Later printings show the crack extending to the fourth
row.

THE CURL IN HAIR

THE CHICAGO PERFORATION
(also known as the sewing machine perforation)

#7 Unofficial Chicago 12 ½ Hadley Guage Perf.orations
Only 18 1c Chicago perfs survive
Occurs in Type II and Type IV
Note the double transfer at bottom of this example

THE PRECANCEL

Issued by the Cleveland Post Office
Less than 10 copies survive

THE CANCELS

Shown above is thre #7's with a green town cancel (in this case from
Wisconsin). Green cancels are rare and attract premium prices

7-TC5
1c Black - Type II (Scott #7)
Color Trial
Plate proof on white wove stamp paper

 

5-TC7
1c Black - Type II (Scott #7)
Color Trial
Plate proof on white wove stamp paper

 

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
The value was later changed to 1c, as this rate was
deemed more useful than the 6c rate slated for long distance
foriegn mail.