#104 1875 3¢ Re-Issue

Basic Information

Color: Brown Red
Subject: George Washington
Printing method: line-engraved intaglio on flat plates
Printer: The National Bank Note Company
Perforations: 12
Watermark: none
Plate: Not known
Scott #: 104
Quantity issued: 10,000 (436 sold)
Issued and earliest date of use: 1875

Value

An unused stamp with perfect gum: -
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: $2,500-$5,000
A used stamp: $7,000-$9,000

Identification

#104 is easily identified by it's color, which is a distinctive brown red. The crispness of the printing and the hard white paper are other features of #104. However many of the stamps submitted for certification as #104 are plainly the rose color of #65, #85 and other 2¢ Washington stamps

Notable stamps

Printed both sides
Trial Color Proof TC4
With a forged cancel

The Inspiration for the Design

The design of US stamp #25 was inspired by a bust of George Washington created by the French neoclassical sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon

Portrait Source
Houdon created the original bust from a plaster life mask and wet clay models during a 1785 visit to Mount Vernon at the invitation of Benjamin Franklin. It is considered one of the most accurate representations of Washington.
Artistic Elements
The stamp depicts Washington in profile facing left, with his hair tied back and his shoulders draped in a Roman toga.

About the Reprints

A poster for the 1876 International Exhibition
Click image to enlarge

The 1875 Reprints

In 1876 the United States celebrated 100 years of nationhood. A huge International Exhibition in Philadelphia, parades and events around the country were held as part of the celebrations. For it's part the Post Office re-issued all the stamps that had been issued up to 1875. They did not sell well and most of the production had to be destroyed. With the exception of the 1847 stamps they were valid for postage so used examples can be found.

These have been called the “special printings" of 1875. All the original plates were used bar US #1 and #2. The 1847 plates had to be reproduced as the originals were lost to history.

All the printings were on harder whiter paper than the originals and most had a shade difference from the originals.