Issued: June 1st, 1852

First Day Cover, June 1st, 1852

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

The largest known multiple of the 1c Franklin imperf

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

Watermark: None

Quantity Issued: Unknown

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.

Identifying #9
(#9 is a Type IV)

The design on the bottom and top are incomplete in that the very tips of the balls and plumes have been burnished off. The outer frame line at the top and bottom are always complete, BUT has been recut at the top and/or the bottom to make them complete. The inner frame line at the top and/or bottom has sometimes been recut as well.

Notes on #9

1) Plate IV (#9) is derived solely from plate I late (reconstruction). This plate was recut in May 1852, the first stamp from this plate being issued on June 1st, 1852.

Location of plate number (in this case #1)

2) 199 positions of the 200 on the plate were recut and many, if not all, were re-entered (the exception being 4R1L which remained as a type II (#7). Any pair containing position 41RL are extremely collectable, I have not seen one in auction records for the last decade.

3) 113 positions on plate 1 had both the top and bottom lines recut, 40 positions had only the top line recut, 8 positions had only the bottom line recut, 11 positions had a double line recut at the bottom and 4 at the top and 2 positions had a double line recut at both the top and bottom.

4) Stamps with the double recuts (see note #3) are worth more than those with just one recut.

5) There are numerous double transfers, and a few triple transfers, none of which command high prices.

6) A certificate is required for position 4R1L pairs.

How many plates does #9 appear on?
Just the one plate, Plate I late.

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.

A note about the recuts

An advanced US collector is generally considered to be someone who has a reasonable collection of the 1c or 3c recuts, they are fairly inexpensive to buy and a challenge to put together.

A PICTORIAL GUIDE TO THE RECUTS

Click to view a very large version of the above recut guide

Positions 78-80L, horizontal strip of three, 79 being one of only two positions on the plate recut twice at both top and bottom

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.

PLATING #9

TYPE IV (#9) TOP ORNAMENTS
Top Ornaments Design Slightly Trimmed
As shown in the lower half of the above illustration
Outer and/or inner frame line recut as shown by arrow

AND/OR

TYPE IV (#9) BOTTOM ORNAMENTS
Bottom Ornaments Design Slightly Trimmed
As shown in the lower half of the above illustration
Outer and/or inner frame line recut as shown by arrow

Side Ornaments Complete

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 CHICAGO PERFORATION
(also known as the sewing machine perforation)

#9 Unofficial Chicago 12 ½ Hadley Guage Perf.orations
Only 19 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

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.