1883-87 Issues

In 1882 the inland letter rate was reduced from three to two cents and, as Washington had been associated for many years with the stamp which franked the internal correspondence it was decided to transfer his profile from the 3 cents to the 2 cents value (#210 ). Accordingly, a new design was prepared, for the 2 cents bearing his bust and Jackson, dethroned from the 2 cents, was given a place on the 4 cents (#211), which was a new value. Another change affected the 5 cents. Zachary Taylor (#185) had not proved a popular success on this stamp and, as great sympathy had been felt for Garfield who was assassinated in July 1881, a portrait was given of the martyred president on a new 5 cents (#205).


2c - Orange brown
4,300,000,000 - Scott #210 - 1883

 
NY Auction Houses
 
MNH
MH
Graded
MNH
Graded
Spring 2003
-
-
-
-
-
Fall 2003
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2004
-
$5-$10
-
$180-$200
-
Fall 2004
-
$7-$20
-
-
-
Spring 2005
-
$5-$10
-
$290
-
Fall 2005
$20-$70
$5-$10
-
$220
-
Spring 2006
$20-$120
$12-$16
-
-
-
Fall 2006
$30
$8-$20
-
$900
95
-
$140
90J
$5,250
98J
Spring 2007
$20-$75
$6-$27
-
$110
85J
-
-
-
$280
90
Fall 2007
$26-$28
$6-$16
-
-
-
Spring 2008
-
-
-
$400
-
Fall 2008
$10-$26
$6-$14
-
$2,900
95
Spring 2009
-
$7-$16
-
$325
90
Fall 2009
$22-$60
$7-$14
-
$2,000
98J
Spring 2010
$20-$45
$9-$19
-
-
-
Fall 2010
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2011
-
-
-
-
-

Used stamps are worth less than $1


4c - Deep blue green
78,000,000 - Scott #211 - 1883

 
NY Auction Houses
 
MNH
Graded
MH
Graded
Used
MNH
Graded
MH
Graded
Spring 2003
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fall 2003
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2004
$110-$125
-
$30-$50
-
$3-$15
$700-$1,350
-
-
-
Fall 2004
$90-$100
-
$25-$40
-
$1-$12
-
-
-
-
Spring 2005
-
-
$30-$45
-
$1-$12
$1,600
-
-
-
Fall 2005
-
-
$30-$45
-
$1-$7
-
-
-
-
Spring 2006
-
-
-
-
$2-$20
$950
-
-
-
Fall 2006
-
-
$65
-
$1-$5
$1,500
85
-
-
Spring 2007
-
-
$45
-
$1-$8
-
-
-
-
Fall 2007
-
-
$65-$150
-
$3-$6
-
-
-
-
Spring 2008
-
-
$25-$30
-
$1-$6
$250-$4,500
-
-
-
Fall 2008
-
-
-
-
$2-$5
$1,250
85
$1,700
98
Spring 2009
-
-
$35-$100
-
$2-$7
-
-
-
-
-
-
$255
85
-
-
-
-
-
Fall 2009
-
-
$25-$40
-
$1-$5
$450
90
$675
90J
-
-
-
-
-
$2,800
95
-
-
Spring 2010
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
$810
90
$20-$40
-
$1-$6
-
-
-
-
Fall 2010
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2011
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-



2c - Pale red brown
Special Printing
Soft porous paper -
Scott #211B - 1883

 
NY Auction Houses
 
MNH
MH
Used
MNH
Graded
MH
Graded
Spring 2003
-
-
-
$625
-
$450-$500
-
Fall 2003
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2004
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fall 2004
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2005
-
$220
-
-
-
$475
-
Fall 2005
-
-
-
$1,600
-
-
-
Spring 2006
-
-
-
-
-
$475
-
Fall 2006
$820
-
-
$2,200
90
-
-
Spring 2007
-
-
-
$1,100
85
$450
-
Fall 2007
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2008
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fall 2008
-
$160
$1
-
-
-
-
Spring 2009
-
-
-
$700-$1,100
95
$375
85
Fall 2009
$400
-
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2010
-
-
$7
-
-
-
-
Fall 2010
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2011
-
-
-
-
-
-
-



2c - Pale red brown
Special Printing - Imperforate between horiz. pair
Soft porous paper -
Scott #211Bc - 1883

 
NY Auction Houses
 
MNH
MH
MNH
Spring 2003
-
-
-
Fall 2003
-
-
-
Spring 2004
-
-
$2,000 
Fall 2004
-
-
-
Spring 2005
-
$700
-
Fall 2005
-
-
$1,900
Spring 2006
-
-
-
Fall 2006
-
-
-
Spring 2007
-
-
-
Fall 2007
-
-
-
Spring 2008
-
-
-
Fall 2008
-
-
-
Spring 2009
-
-
-
Fall 2009
-
-
-
Spring 2010
-
-
-
Fall 2010
-
-
-
Spring 2011
-
-
-


with rare (five known) STEAMER ipmprint
Scott #211Bc



4c - Deep blue green
Special Printing (no gum)
26 - Soft porous paper -
Scott #211D - 1883
25 of the original 26 copies still survive

For an inventory of the last surviving copies click here

 
NY Auction Houses
 
MNG
Graded
Spring 2003
-
-
Fall 2003
-
-
Spring 2004
$23,000
-
Fall 2004
-
-
Spring 2005
$32,500
-
Spring 2009
$57,500-$70,000
-
$75,000
90
Fall 2009
-
-
Spring 2010
-
-
Fall 2010
-
-
Spring 2011
-
-


1c - Ultramarine
1,300,000,000 - Scott #212 - 1887

 
NY Auction Houses
 
MNH
MH
MNH
Graded
MH
Graded
Spring 2003
-
-
$400-$650
-
-
-
Fall 2003
-
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2004
-
$15-$30
-
-
-
-
Fall 2004
-
$14-$35
-
-
-
-
Spring 2005
$200
$10-$30
$400
-
-
-
Fall 2005
$150
$8-$20
$800-$1,900
-
-
-
Spring 2006
-
$8-$23
-
-
-
-
Fall 2006
-
$22-$80
$750
90
$260
90J
Spring 2007
$165
$9-$60
-
-
$170
85
Fall 2007
-
$15-$30
-
-
-
-
Spring 2008
-
$15-$25
-
-
$180
90
Fall 2008
-
$15-$25
$400
85
-
-
Spring 2009
-
$14-$40
$375
90
-
-
Fall 2009
-
$12-$55
-
-
$220
90J
Spring 2010
$90
$15-$35
-
-
-
-
Fall 2010
-
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2011
-
-
-
-
-
-

Cancelled stamps are worth less than $1


2c - Dark green
3,500,000,000 - Scott #213 - 1887

 
NY Auction Houses
 
MNH
MH
MNH
Graded
Spring 2003
-
-
$170-$220
-
Fall 2003
-
-
-
-
Spring 2004
$30-$60
$5-$20
-
-
Fall 2004
$25-$40
$5-$10
-
-
Spring 2005
-
$5-$16
$260
-
Fall 2005
$45
$8-$20
$350-$475
-
Spring 2006
$15-$50
$5-$23
$375
-
Fall 2006
-
$8-$13
$1,100
90
Spring 2007
$15-$110
$4-$7
-
-
Fall 2007
$30
$8-$26
-
-
Spring 2008
-
$6-$23
-
-
Fall 2008
-
$8-$18
-
-
Spring 2009
$20
$7-$9
$220-$240
90
Fall 2009
$30
$6-$13
$650
95
Spring 2010
$17-$70
$7-$10
-
-
Fall 2010
-
-
-
-
Spring 2011
-
-
-
-

Cancelled stamps are worth less than $1



3c - Vermilion
15,000,000 - Scott #214 - 1887

 
NY Auction Houses
 
MNH
MH
Used
MNH
Graded
MH
Graded
Spring 2003
-
-
-
$325-$475
-
-
-
Fall 2003
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2004
$80-$100
$15-$30
$3-$9
-
-
-
-
Fall 2004
$50-$80
$15-$23
$4-$7
-
-
-
-
Spring 2005
$45-$70
$20-$35
$3-$7
$375
-
-
-
Fall 2005
-
$20-$35
$3-$8
$475-$500
-
-
-
Spring 2006
$30-$40
$15-$25
$4-$16
$160-$225
-
-
-
Fall 2006
-
$13-$29
$6-$12
$525
90
$260
95
-
-
-
$850
95J
-
-
Spring 2007
$35-$65
$16-$27
$2-$6
$450
90
-
-
Fall 2007
-
$15-$40
$4-$10
-
-
-
-
Spring 2008
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fall 2008
$30-$75
$17
$3-$14
$140
80
-
-
-
-
-
$200
85
-
-
-
-
-
$400-$425
90
-
-
Spring 2009
-
$14-$35
$3-$9
$120
80
$1,100
98J
-
-
-
$325
90
-
-
-
-
-
$2,400
95J
-
-
Fall 2009
-
$18-$28
$4-$12
$800
95
-
-
-
-
-
$4,500
98J
-
-
Spring 2010
$50-$115
$20-$40
$6-$15
-
-
-
-
Fall 2010
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Spring 2011
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


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