#100 1868 30¢ F grill

Basic Information

Color: Orange
Subject: Benjamin Franklin
Printing method: line-engraved intaglio on flat plates
Printer: The National Bank Note Company
Perforations: 12
Watermark: none
Type of Grill: F
Scott #: 100
Plate: 7
Quantity issued: 280,000
Issued: August 13th, 1868

Value

An unused stamp with perfect gum: -
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: $1,500-$1,800
A used stamp: $90-$150

F Grill Detail

Over 95% of grills are either E or F grills. The A, B, C, and D grills had proved to be unsatisfactory, mostly due to their presence on the stamp making the stamp difficult to separate. The Z grill did not have that problem but for whatever reason it was printed in very limited quantities. The F grill was the last of the grills. Grilling was expensive and it was increasingly seen that there was no need for it. Grilling did have a benefit; it helped the National Banknote Company win the contract

Points: 11-12 x 15-17 points
Size: 9 x 13mm

Usage

#100 on a cover to France paying double the 15¢ rate

#100 was primarily used for either double rate postage to France and Germany or as make up postage for other foreign destinations.

The Inspiration for the Design

The design of the 1861 US 30¢ stamp was inspired by a sculpture of Benjamin Franklin, which is currently located in the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.

The portrait was modeled after a bust (sculpture) of Franklin, not a painting, contrasting with many other 1861 issues that were modeled after paintings.