#77 1866 15¢

Basic Information

Color: Black
Subject: Abraham Lincoln
Printing method: line-engraved intaglio on flat plates
Printer: The National Bank Note Company
Perforations: 12
Watermark: none
Scott #: 77
Plate: 41
Quantity issued: 2,319,000
Issued: July 1st, 1863

Value

An unused stamp with perfect gum: $35,000
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: $1,500-$2,000
A used stamp: $23-$35

Usage

#77 used on a cover to France

#77 was primarily issued to cover the newly established fee for registered letters. Additionally, it was used to pay the single letter rate to several European countries, including France, Belgium, and Germany.

The Inspiration for the Design

The first photograph of Lincoln with a full beard. Taken by C.S. German, probably taken on January 13th, 1861

Engraved oval bust vignette by H. B. Hall's Sons of Abraham Lincoln

The Portrait
The design of the #77 was directly inspired by the national mourning following his assassination in April 1865. It is widely recognized as the first US mourning stamp, issued to honor the martyred president.

The 15-cent denomination was also chosen to coincide with the standard foreign mail rate, often used for international letters to Europe, which helped spread the image of the martyred president internationally

The Political Motivation
The choice of Andrew Jackson was highly symbolic during the Civil War. Jackson was a transformative figure in the Democratic Party who was also a staunch Unionist, and placing his likeness on a stamp was intended to send a strong pro-Union message to the Confederate States of America.

However Jackson's popularity extended to the south, the Confederacy also utilized the same image by Dodge for their own 2¢ stamp (CSA #8).